Classic Horror Lovers discussion
Reading Classic Horror
>
What is the scariest story you've read in the Classic Horror category and why?
date
newest »
newest »
Karolina wrote: "I also enjoy H.P. Lovecraft's stories. In particular the one (I can't remember the name) where a fishing village is inhabited by human/fish entities. Ever since I read it, many years ago, I have seen those features in people around me. Lovecraft's gift, for me anyway, is that he can make the horrific subtle and real. The primeval themes he writes about are our beginnings."I believe the Lovecraft story you describe here is Shadow over Innsmouth.
Lovecraft's a favorite of mine, too!
Thanks Jason. I definitely want to re-read that story.
Mod
Mod
Someone was watching the second segment of TWO EVIL EYES, methinks (although the new movie has a good chance of being better than that film)
Ellie wrote: "If you are looking for a good scary/creepy short story I would strongly recommend The Black Cat, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Oval Portrait and The Masque of the Red Death. All are by Edgar Allan ..."Ellie, The Black Cat is one of my favorite stories of all time. I love me some Poe. : )
The Black Cat is one of my favorites, too.
Feet Foremost by L P Hartley really spooked me when I was young
Mod
I finally read this story after having enjoyed Le Fanu's ghost,weird stories for few years. His prose in this story was finer than in his other stories, the way he build the supernatural,creepy mood was near perfect. Carmilla,Laura,the schloss(palace), the gothic country side etc was really well done. The kind of horror story, vampire horror i rate highly when its well written. Carmilla i might have expected to be less freaky ruthless monster which is a nice surprise. I liked how naturally her being lesbian was written. She wanted to love her girls before she feeded on them. It could have been tamer,less important part of the story for a story written in 1872
Turn of the Screw.Tell-Tale Heart used to scare me as a kid.
N.R. wrote: "Turn of the Screw.Tell-Tale Heart used to scare me as a kid."
I second this one!!!!
Pigeons from Hell by Robert E. Howard - The episode of Thriller based on this story was considered the scariest show ever made for prime time T.V. and maybe still is.Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen King - Stephen King isn't really classic horror but he borrowed heavily from a classic horror story that I can't remember the title or who wrote it (any help, anyone), that involved vampires. King punched the story up a notch by making it part of Lovecraft's mythos cycle. It's scary because it's kind of mystery story where you want to know the answers, but were better off not knowing.
Doug wrote: "Pigeons from Hell by Robert E. Howard - The episode of Thriller based on this story was considered the scariest show ever made for prime time T.V. and maybe still is.Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen Ki..."
Jerusalem's Lot definitely draws from Lovecraft's Rats in the Walls, and also from Shadow Over Innsmouth, but I would suggest it is influenced by other of Lovecraft's writings, too.
This is not a criticism of King though, as he turned out an excellent story.
As a youngster, anything by Poe or Lovecraft used to creep me out. I couldn't stop reading them though:)
Karolina wrote: "Hmmm a review on my favourite classic horror writer? That's a hard one. It's a bit like that song called "Don't advertise Your Man" by Bonnie Rait. You love it so much that you can't help but ad..."Le Fanu's stories never unsettled me in the same manner as Lovecraft and Poe were able, but he is definitely up there with the best writers of his time. I love his writing style, his prose is at times poetic.
Ah, so many good stories...sometimes just a certain line will chill me, such as in the Monkey's Paw, when the father goes downstairs to get a candle and hears the knock on the door, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible...Mrs. Amworth is a creepy little tale about a female vampire...truly spooky, the parts where she is described floating outside windows, or when she is seen returning to her grave. Another short story that I find absolutely creepy is LE Fanu's "Ghost of a Hand" which is told like a true story. Really, there are so many good ones that have creeped me out over the years, I could never remember them all!
E.F. Benson "Room in the Tower". As creepy a story as I've ever read.
M.R. James's classic ghost story "Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad," was quite a creepy read.
Owais wrote: ""Oh Whistle to You and I'll Come, My Lad, and "number 13 by m r james are gr8est classic horror stories.In fact sir conan doyle also wrote some great ghost stories such as "The brown,playing with f..."Agreed.
just an immediate response (I just read THE EXORCIST and was very disappointed:Susan Hill, THE WOMAN IN BLACK
(classic ghost/haunted house/haunted locale & terrifying)
Caitlan R. Kiernan, PICKMAN' S OTHER MODEL ( I read it in THE NEW CTHULHU anthology)
Stephen King, "LOW MEN IN YELLOW COATS"
***Jonathan Janz, THE CLEARING OF TRAVIS COBLE (unforgettable)
Mod
Awesome story!
Room in the Tower by E.F. BensonGramma by Stephen King
ALEXEI TOLSTOY : 1840 The Curse of the Vourdalak
I actually don't be really scared with stories, well, at least so far. But some of them get me a sort of chills. A good one that I can remember now is "The Black Cat" by Poe. The final was amazing, I am not sure if this is the right word for it.
Mod
That was a good one!
Like Rafael, I wouldn't say that I actually become scared, as such, from reading fiction. But for me, the most genuinely chilling classic horror story I've ever read would have to be H. P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." It's difficult to explain why without a spoiler --but if you read it, or have read it, you'll understand.
Randolph wrote: "Rafael wrote: "I actually don't be really scared with stories, well, at least so far. But some of them get me a sort of chills. A good one that I can remember now is "The Black Cat" by Poe. The fin..."Thank you, Randolph. I always struggle to not make mistakes about grammar when speaking english, and I appreciate your compliment. But... in the post I only tried to make a kind of joke about the ending of the Poe's story. hehe
My reply is just an explanation, not a complaining. I hope it don't make me seem bothered or something like that.
I love M R James as well. My favorite story of his is "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"... It has a clever plot, with the hidden clues to the treasure's location, and then the classic scene when somebody foolishly goes down the well to find the treasure! An absolute classic.
Shirley Jackson's story "Paranoia" is probably the one that disturbs me the most. She is probably the only writer who's non-supernatural horror works are as memorable as her supernatural ones, and "Paranoia" is the best of her short stories (followed by "The Summer People")
Randolph wrote: "Rafael wrote: "Randolph wrote: "Rafael wrote: "I actually don't be really scared with stories, well, at least so far. But some of them get me a sort of chills. A good one that I can remember now is..."Don't worry.
Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) wrote: "So what story really impressed you as far as being very scary? Why did it scare you so much?I'm taking notes because I love a really good scare!"
One of the stories that really creeped me out when I read it was The Man In The Black Suit by Stephen King.
Pickman's Model - H.P. LovecraftThe Boogeyman - Stephen King
The Lottery - Shirley Jackson
Jerusalem's Lott - Stephen King
There are plenty more out there to choose from but these stories are tops for me.
Probably anything Edgar Allan Poe related although I'm reading Dracula at the moment so that may overtake my answer lol.
Classic Horror Lovers
Books mentioned in this topic
Follow the River (other topics)The Cask of Amontillado (other topics)
Bag of Bones (other topics)
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You (other topics)
The Haunting of Gad's Hall (other topics)
More...
During an online book competition where the participants had to guess a story and its writer, I gave the clues to "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu. One of the participants guessed it early and proceeded to go into how the book was disgusting as it had a lesbian as its main protagonist. I defended but the players did not, and probably never would, appreciate such mastery. Oh well. Next time I chose the story of Themistokles from "Parallel Lives" as written by Plutarch. None of the participants guessed it and were dazzled by my knowledge. Pfffttt!
The scariest story is "Green Tea" by Sheridan Le Fanu. The reader and protagonist are kept in a trap of Le Fanu's design. The length of his sentences and his brilliant vocabulary enthral. During this Le Fanu is able to change gear instantly and lure his readers away from the comfort of his initial path. He doesn't use a lead up technique, he doesn't need to. He just grabs you when you least expect it. Once he has you, he does not let you go. He is one of the few writers who can entertain and terrify with skilful manipulation of your imagination .
I also enjoy H.P. Lovecraft's stories. In particular the one (I can't remember the name) where a fishing village is inhabited by human/fish entities. Ever since I read it, many years ago, I have seen those features in people around me. Lovecraft's gift, for me anyway, is that he can make the horrific subtle and real. The primeval themes he writes about are our beginnings.