Top 10 scariest books of all time

[Betsy]

Ann Rice's The Mayfair Witches. This novel was so eerie and scary ,I threw it out ,because in the small dark gloomy trailer I lived in at the time,all I saw were shadows and it scared me silly. PS. Know that this is and was the only book I've ever deliberately destroyed.
A true story that gave me the willies was Capote's IN Cold Blood.

[Paula]

Betsy wrote: "Ann Rice's The Mayfair Witches. This novel was so eerie and scary ,I threw it out ,because in the small dark gloomy trailer I lived in at the time,all I saw were shadows and it scared me silly. PS....

In Cold Blood is another really scary one!

[Jennifer]

I personally thought Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism was more scary than The Exorcist. Both terrify me though!!!

[Shirley]

Just finished I am OBSESSED. Absolutely frightening and hard to put down.
Fantastic psychological thriller that brought on emotions that I have never experienced from words on a page before. It is disturbing, graphic yet heart wrenching and enthralling all at once. Probably made my top three favorite books of all time. I don't really know how to describe it other than it just really moved me. He has already won awards for this debut novel.

Like his Facebook and show him our love. <3
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Landon...

Also, only 99 cents on kindle, nook, and ibooks right now! Give it a read.

[Scout]

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons was a good, scary novel.

[[deleted user]]

Here are the ten, but this is in random order.

It

The Stand

Let the right one in

Pet Semetary

Salem's Lot

Ghost story

Koko ( pshycological Horror )

Carrion Comfort

Summer of Night

Lost Boy/ Lost girl

[Tj]

Here is my ranking on some of Kings best novels...


True Horror:
1. Pet Semetary
2. The Shining
3. Salems Lot
4. Cujo
5. The Dark Half

Epic Tales of Good vs Evil:
1. The Dark Tower Series
2. The Stand
3. Under The Dome

Other notable good reads:
1: 11/22/63
2: Duma Key
3: Eyes of The Dragon
4: Joyland
5: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

On my To Read list:
Desperation, Bag of Bones, Cell, Liseys Story

[Renee]

A few of my all time scariest books in no particular order:
The Church of Dead Girls Stephen Dobyns
Summer of Night Dan Simmons
Mine Robert R McCammon
Misery Stephen King
The Girl Next Door Jack Ketchum

[Sandeep]

The scariest book I've read that most of you haven't heard of is Song of Kali by Dan Simmons. It's about a American intellectual who travels to Calcutta, where he becomes embroiled in mysterious and horrific events at the centre of which lies a cult that worships Kali. This book was harrowing and horrifying.

I read 1984 recently and that world was terrifying.

What Stephen King books would you recommend?

[Katy]

I loved song of kali. Dan Simmons is awesome.

[Renee]

Oh boy, Sandeep, what Stephen King books would I recommend? This might take a day or two, he's written so many(just kidding, but let me try to come up with a list of favorites:
Cell
The Green Mile (not horror exactly, but excellent)
Carrie (the book that started it all)
Hearts in Atlantis
Everything's Eventual
Bag of Bones
The Shining
Misery
Full Dark No Stars
From a Buick Eight
There are more, but for some reason I'm having trouble with this list...I've read a few of Dan Simmons books, you're right, I never heard of Song of Kali. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[M.L.]

I haven’t parsed this entire years-long thread, but there is one book that I haven’t seen in the comments I’ve viewed. First I have to admit that I don’t usually read in the horror genre, and have assiduously avoided Stephen King in particular because of his huge popularity, which I assumed signified books with the sophistication and depth of McGuffey Readers. Then the other day, in desperate need of a distraction for a mind-numbing turn on the stationary bike, I plucked The Shining off a community bookshelf and was stunned to discover a extremely well-written novel with the kind of character depth you find in literature. I look forward every night to opening that book. Salem’s Lot is next.

But the ghost story I recently read and haven’t seen here is The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. This is more of a psychological horror story than an outright fright fest, but it does manage to be sufficiently creepy and unsettling. And it’s very well written.

I'm adding Ghost Story by Peter Straub to my books-to-read list based on comments here.

[Renee]

M.L. wrote: "I haven’t parsed this entire years-long thread, but there is one book that I haven’t seen in the comments I’ve viewed. First I have to admit that I don’t usually read in the horror genre, and have ..."

M.L., if you liked THe Shining there's a sequel to it that just came out this week, though I don't remember the title...I might look for teh one you mentioned.

[Paula]

Charles wrote: "Scariest of all I think is IT --a close tie Pet Sematary.

I agree Charles! These were VERY scary!

[Jenna]

I always said the scariest books I ever read were IT and The Stand. I didn't expect so many other people to share the same view so many years after they were written. Every time the drain in the sink gurgles, I listen for voices (IT)!! Classic horror the way only Stephen King can do it! Sadly, the movies were awful.

[Kara]

I read Ghost Story when I was a teenager after watching the movie. Freaked me out! I need to read it again!

[Packdemon]

The "Prey" series by John Sandford, particularly "Winter Prey."

[Pamela]

How about "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill, son of Stephen King? Or "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn? And while not quite as scary, Ray Bradbury's The October Country."

[Renee]

I've read all of Joe Hill's books. His other son Owen King writes too, but I haven't had a chance to read his stuff yet. There is a book hardly anyone seems to have heard about called Mortal Memory by Thomas Cook....it's about a man who's entire family was killed by his father when he was nine years old, he was the only survivor because he was at a friends house when the murders took place...the story takes place when he's an adult telling a writer about his family...it's more of a tragic, haunting story than horror, but very good, the writer's style of writing is very cold, almost indifferent...and there's a plot twist at the end, for me it wasn't terribly surprising, but it was good nonetheless.

[Justin]

Rakasha Demon by Robertt Davis is probably one of the most scary, gross and disturbing books I've ever read. I really enjoyed it but at the same time I was freaked out as well.

[Laura]

I recently discovered Joe Hill with NOS4A2 and I want to read Heart Shaped Box next. John Saul used to be my go to for horror books. I almost feel bad because I know how popular King's books are but I can't finish them. I've tried. They are just too much. I tried Salem's lot, The Shining and The Stand and never finished them. I will say I loved Stanley Kubrick's film version of The Shining.
Also I don't think I found them scary per se but I love Poe's stories. I love old classic horror.

[Renee]

Laura wrote: "I recently discovered Joe Hill with NOS4A2 and I want to read Heart Shaped Box next. John Saul used to be my go to for horror books. I almost feel bad because I know how popular King's books are ..."

I used to read John Saul books when I was younger, you're right, his are easier to get through than Stephen King's books. I like Stephen though because his ideas are more complex. A few horror writers I like who might be a little easier for you to get through are Stephen Dobyns, Jack Ketchum, Dan Simmons, and Robert McCammon. I have to warn you though, some of Jack Ketchum's stuff is pretty extreme.

[Robert]

In no particular order:

The Shining
The Exorcist
The Terror
Summer of Night
Misery

[Robert]

Also would be remiss if I didn't mention Bram Stoker's Dracula and anything and everything by Edgar Allan Poe.

[Nyie]

EXORCIST still thrill & scary till now:)

[N]

Dracula - The Magic Cottage by James Herbert - Stephen King like a Christmas card from him would freak me out!

[Jeri]

One of the scariest books I ever read was "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. Terrifying, but I couldn't put it down!

[Dina]

I think the scariest book I've read recently is A Good and Happy Child.

It's a bit like The Exorcist.

I'm not sure what's the scariest book of all time.

[Paula]

That was a scary one Jeri!!

[VickiLee]

Renee wrote: "M.L. wrote: "I haven’t parsed this entire years-long thread, but there is one book that I haven’t seen in the comments I’ve viewed. First I have to admit that I don’t usually read in the horror gen..."

Dr. Sleep is the King novel that follows, years later, the life of the little boy in The Shining. I found it interesting but not terrifying.

[Wilmar]

Good suggestions here, but I gotta say I've yet to be truly frightened by any of these.

The Shining is not scary at all, in fact, I find it more interesting how he fleshes out the characters, but nothing in it that I've read gives me nightmares.

I've been looking for truly scary books. Either ones that will make me believe it could be real or paranormal stuff that will frighten the crap out of me.

So far I've read Hell House, Adam, Game Over: A Zanno Short Story and I'm almost done The Shining.

All great reads, but nothing truly terrifying (at least for me). I too read Tell Tale Heart in class, but I can't say it scared me either. Then again, it's very difficult to scare me, so I really need something that goes above and beyond.

[Jennifer]

I love Joe Hill and think that he is a lot like his father (Stephen King) prior to his accident. Jennifer Hillier is pretty creepy and Lars Kepler has their moments too.

[Mark]

A friend of mine once told me of a book called "House of Leaves" that she swore was the scariest book she'd ever read. I don't know much about it other than I've heard that it has something of a cult following. It's not available on Kindle. Perhaps another reader can shed some light?