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Top 10 scariest books of all time
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Amber
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Apr 29, 2010 10:31AM
The one that comes to mind right now is "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. I remember reading it while I was on break at work. I was the only one in the break room and when someone opened the door, I jumped out of my seat.
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Kat wrote: "Zac wrote: "Ok so I've been watching "scary" movies ever since my parent let me. The only problem is I've never seen one that actually scared me so I'm going to try books to see if that does the tr..."I agree. Both book and movie were very frightening
Hmmmm...my experience with King as been mainly stuff he wrote after the accident and I think his writing is brilliant. Under the Dome - Whats scarier than being trapped under a dome with a bunch of republicans? Nothing. Seriously though this book is scary because it just people being horrible. Thats real.
Duma Key- Total creepfest. Full of evil ghosts and monsters. Whatever your terrifying imagination can create actually can come to life...and end you. Great character development on that one.
King...I love your face.
The Taking - This was my first Koontz book and it freaked me out. Aliens. Need I say more.
Heart-Shaped Box- Flat out terrifying. Vendetta ghost. Baby King...I love your face to.
Felina wrote: "Whats scarier than being trapped under a dome with a bunch of republicans? "Ha!
Being trapped in the elevator with Obama or H. Clinton? :)
Since they were born - that's why they are conservative!
Some of the scariest books I've read are Christine by Stephen King, Watchers by Dean Koontz, and Into the Out Of by Alan Dean Foster. Most of Koontz' early writing was scary enough to keep you up at night, like Phantoms, Watchers, the Hideaway, etc. The scene in the airplane bathroom in Into the Out Of could keep you from sleeping for weeks!
The Exorcist, also The Amityville Horror
Sue wrote: "The Exorcist, also The Amityville Horror"Oh man, the Amityville Horror was terrifying. I remember actually jumping from my light switch to my bed and then regretting that the light was off!
Back then I was still Catholic. I sat up all night long with the lights on, saying my rosary over and over and clutching my Bible.
I just bought Heart-Shaped Box for Halloween. What are some other good ones that are kind of recent? I've heard good things about The Passage.
I really liked The Passage Jamie although it didn't particularly scare me. I'd recommend Black House and It, Black House gave me the creeps but It is terrifying.
The Exorcist--the movie was worse but still....The Standonly cause it could happen
Bless the Childi didn't even finish it when I figured out the plot--I do not read things about demonic sacrifice(chidlren)
Jaws- I read this when I was 11 after that I swore --no ocean swimming.
Rosemary's Baby
The book that scared the bejesus out of me was The MayFair Witches by Anne Rice. It was so creepy, I actually threw it away becauyse I felt "haunted " by it.
Tisha wrote: "Speaking of King... has anybody read "Dreamcatcher." I really like the book, but the movie was horrific. (not the way its supposed to be either)"I read the book before I watched the movie, and it was definitely worth the read. And I don't really read Stephen King. I find it hard to read his books.
I don't t hink I can come up with 10, but the one that sticks out in my mind (and probably always will) is Phantoms by Dean Koontz. I still have yet to figure out why this book scared me so badly, but it did. Got to the point where I wouldn't read it unless I knew my husband was going to be home. Scared me half to death!
I will think Edgard Allan poe and Ellery Quen
I thought The Strainby Guillermo Del Toro was pretty creepy. 
I'm reading American Vampire Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder, Stephen Kingand Rafael Albuquerque
It's a graphic novel but so far very creepy.
I read this entire thread yesterday. I loved perusing everyone's lists and saving interesting titles to my own unwieldy to-read list. Sounds innocent enough, right?Then I went to bed.
I drifted off to sleep and then proceeded to have one of the most disturbing nightmares of my life. Thank you TNBBC!
I have been reading Stephen King ever since I was in high school and I read alot of his earlier work back then. I started reading the Tower series but I just couldn't get into it. I reckon' I can't get into things that were half in this world and half in another. I think it was hard for me to keep up with. I really enjoyed the Stand, It, The Shining, and alot of his other works. I also have a lot of books by Peter Straub, Dean Koontz, and Peter Saul. I need to get busy reading them.
Full Dark, No Stars by King freaked me out. Made me lose all faith in humanity.
Love King and Koontz but the scariest book I ever read was Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. Still gives me the creeps and I read it 20 years ago.
Stephen King is certainly the author of the creepiest books I have ever read. The truly scariest book I have ever read, however, is probably The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston. http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terrif....It's not a horror novel but a true story about an Ebola outbreak in Reston, VA. I can't tell you more without a spoiler alert.
I agree Jeff, "The Hot Zone" is the scariest book!
I think the scariest book I ever read was The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. I had to put this book down several times to catch my breath. Another one that didn't really scare me, but really spooked me was In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote. I also read a book called "Capote" that I can't seem to bring up on Goodreads. It was more or less a biography of him and it was told that he was never the same after he wrote In Cold Blood.
If you like Stephen King but can't quite make it through The Stand (I fought the urge to throw it against the wall multiple times), I really recommend The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Duma Key. They aren't quite as long and they are definitely creepy. I was reading Duma Key late one night when my boyfriend surprised me with a visit and if he hadn't texted me just a minute before he rang the bell so I'd know he was there...I would've run screaming to hide under my bed!
Karen wrote: "Jaws- I read this when I was 11 after that I swore --no ocean swimming."The movie made me swear no lake swimming, either. :D
Rachel wrote: "If you like Stephen King but can't quite make it through The Stand (I fought the urge to throw it against the wall multiple times), I really recommend The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Duma Key. Th..."Duma Key was a pretty creepy book! I haven't read The Stand (yet) but I read It late last year and had the same urge to pitch the book across the room. If it hadn't been a selection for my F2F book club in October, I don't know that I would have finished it.
I did, however, just finish The Shining and loved it. Also, I read Come Closer earlier this year that I really enjoyed. It was a quick read and it freaked me out even though I read it in the middle of a busy airport! :)
ill admit the stand wouldnt have been as scary as it was, if i had read it at another time. HOWEVER i read it when sars was going around :D .. perfect timing if i do say so.i am intrigued by your books because i am always looking for scary books an havent really found any.. boo..
the scariest book i ever read was a true crime story- what made it all the more scary was that it was TRUE.
i liked duma key. i also liked stephen kings -- bag of bones and hearts in atlantis.. his "after the accident books". it had the familiarity of the name King but it was like reading a whole new author.
Tammy wrote: "Love King and Koontz but the scariest book I ever read was Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. Still gives me the creeps and I read it 20 years ago."A belated AMEN to that. Truth is much scarier than fiction.
Susanna wrote: "Karen wrote: "Jaws- I read this when I was 11 after that I swore --no ocean swimming."The movie made me swear no lake swimming, either. :D"
Me too. Pools only after that one and it's been years.
I don't even like wading in the ocean any deeper than ankles.
A belated AMEN to that. Truth is much scarier than fiction. That's certainly true. My F2F book club read this while I was pregnant with my daughter, and when my obstetrician saw me reading it during a checkup, she suggested I stop because it was so disturbing. :)
IT is probably my all-time favorite horror books. I just finished Creepers by David Morrell and thought it was pretty scary.
1. The Exorcist- have tried to read it again since I was 13 but just....can't (I'm 50 now)
2. Dracula
3. Salem's Lot (Although The Stand was King's best)
4. Helter Skelter (Because it was true)
Those are the ones that had me sleeping with the lights on. In no particular order:
Rosemary's Baby, The Haunting of Hill House, American Psycho (felt like I should have been wearing gloves handling that book), Swan Song, The Shining, Jaws, Ghost Story. I will definitley look for books based on other's suggestions. Thanks!
2. Dracula
3. Salem's Lot (Although The Stand was King's best)
4. Helter Skelter (Because it was true)
Those are the ones that had me sleeping with the lights on. In no particular order:
Rosemary's Baby, The Haunting of Hill House, American Psycho (felt like I should have been wearing gloves handling that book), Swan Song, The Shining, Jaws, Ghost Story. I will definitley look for books based on other's suggestions. Thanks!
Dylan wrote: "I've always wanted to read Jaws. Is it still in print? And is it better than the movie?"
The movie was good. The book is great! A lot of sub-plots going on in the book that you don't see in the movie. Look for it at thrift stores. I'd like to read it again.
The movie was good. The book is great! A lot of sub-plots going on in the book that you don't see in the movie. Look for it at thrift stores. I'd like to read it again.
El wrote: "Man, I love Helter Skelter. It freaks the crap out of me, but I love it."
OMG! I read that in the seventies as a teen and slept with the lights on the whole time. Because it was true!
OMG! I read that in the seventies as a teen and slept with the lights on the whole time. Because it was true!
Zac wrote: "Ok so I've been watching "scary" movies ever since my parent let me. The only problem is I've never seen one that actually scared me so I'm going to try books to see if that does the trick. I've be..."
If the Exorcist won't do it, nothing will! The movie's bad enough, but the book?......I've tried to read it again several times since I was 13 but can't.
If the Exorcist won't do it, nothing will! The movie's bad enough, but the book?......I've tried to read it again several times since I was 13 but can't.
Brenda wrote: "Both of my picks may seem dated but here goes...
The Talented Mr. Ripley (P. Highsmith)
Harvest Home (T. Tryon)"
Oh, I forgot about Harvest Home. Read it a few times. Creepy for sure
The Talented Mr. Ripley (P. Highsmith)
Harvest Home (T. Tryon)"
Oh, I forgot about Harvest Home. Read it a few times. Creepy for sure
Amber wrote: "The one that comes to mind right now is "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. I remember reading it while I was on break at work. I was the only one in the break room and when someone opened the door, I ju..."Intensity, The Door to December, Velocity, The Husband, The Bad Place, Shadow Fires.... it's never end list of Koontz books that scared me to deepest corner of my mind. I know what to expect from Koontz books but never prepared
I couldn't sleep with the lights off and had to quit on chapter five of 
Yuliya wrote: "Amber wrote: "The one that comes to mind right now is "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. I remember reading it while I was on break at work. I was the only one in the break room and when someone opened ..."I loved
!
I am Legend - Richard MathesonThe Stand - Stephen King
The Shining - Stephen King
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King
The Ruins - Scott Smith
Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination are pretty scary.
Julie wrote: "Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination are pretty scary."I remember the first time our teacher read A Tell-Tale Heart to us in class. Even with all the other kids around, sure got my heart a thumpin'! Much later, I realized what a great writer he was. The first paragraph of The Fall of the House of Usher will knock your socks off.
Joel R. wrote: "Julie wrote: "Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination are pretty scary."I remember the first time our teacher read A Tell-Tale Heart to us in class. Even with all the other kids around, ..."
This makes me think of the cassette tape I had with A Tell-Tale Heart on it. I used to listen to it obsessively as a kid, but it always freaked me out. And Joel, you are spot on about the first paragraph of The Fall of the House of Usher!
This topic is exactly what I was looking for. I need something scary to read for Halloween.I'll agree with someone else and say The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story is without a doubt the scariest book I've ever read. That book made me feel lucky to be alive because we probably shouldn't be.
Leslie T. wrote: "This topic is exactly what I was looking for. I need something scary to read for Halloween.I'll agree with someone else and say The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story is without a doubt the scari..."
That one really is scary Leslie! I read it a while back and still think about it!
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Thomas Tryon (other topics)Truman Capote (other topics)
William Peter Blatty (other topics)
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Rafael Albuquerque (other topics)
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