Can anyone reccomend me some good horror books?

[Specter Von Baren]

I listened to Lovecraft's entire works a couple months ago on audiobook and since then I've been trying to find good horror stories for me to read. I came across Dark Matter (Fantastic story), The Wendigo (Also fantastic), Darkfall and Phantoms which were good, and then it started going downhill with things like The Black, which was okay, and bad books like The Terror, and Blindsight (The Terror ruined its atmosphere with flashbacks and Blindsight is so incomprehensible that I can?t get farther than the first couple pages).

So does anyone have any recommendations for good horror books? In particular, stories about monsters or that take place in remote places like Antarctica, on the open ocean, in the depths of space, ect. I?m open to looking into any kind of horror book but prefer horror that deals with things that aren?t normal (So horror base on a creature or ghost, or alien, or maybe just a crazy bear, and not just a murderer on the loose).

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Check out "14" by Peter Clines. It's as much a mystery novel as a horror novel, but it's a breezy read and extremely entertaining.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Check out "14" by Peter Clines. It's as much a mystery novel as a horror novel, but it's a breezy read and extremely entertaining.

Ooo, I see what you mean about the mystery, looks worth a try, I'll check it out. Thank you.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Ooo, I see what you mean about the mystery, looks worth a try, I'll check it out. Thank you.

Yeah I don't want to say too much because the mystery elements are half the fun. If you like it, check out "Fold". It's something of a follow up.

 

[SquidVicious]

Seeing as how Penguin Publishing has recently released it, you should be able to find a copy of Thomas Ligotti's Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe in your local book store or on Amazon. Ligotti is a very interesting horror writer who manages to really capture the uneasy and feeling of insignificance found in Lovecraft's work.

I would also recommend Laird Barron's The Imago Sequence, which is another collection of short stories and a novella which is a more modern take on the feel of Lovecraft, but still captures the essence.

 

[Silvanus]

I would recommend The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, a fairly short but classic horror novel with a tremendously unnerving premise. Paranormal, but understated. Great book.

I'd also recommend Misery by Stephen King. It's probably my favourite of his. Longer than it needs to be, but a very strong story nonetheless. It's claustrophobic, stressful, genuinely disturbing, but it's not a monster book and contains no supernatural elements, so it might not be your cup of tea.

The Shining is also a tremendously strong book, highly different from the film, with a supernatural element that doesn't conform to any existing archetype. It's not just a story about ghosts. Not at all.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Anything by Lovecraft. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is very good. His short stories as well.
The Narrative of Arthurt Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Poe, though not an outright horror novel, I found to be equally harrowing.
The Yellow King by Robert W. Chambers, though the quality of the stories plummets considerably halfway into the book.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Check out "14" by Peter Clines. It's as much a mystery novel as a horror novel, but it's a breezy read and extremely entertaining.

I second this. Didn't know what to expect going in and it turned out to be bloody brilliant.

I recommend Stephen King's 'The Shining'. He was at the top of his game when he wrote that. You could always chase that up with 'Doctor Sleep' if you like it.
Also if you want a quick read, Clive Barker's 'The Hellbound Heart' is really good. His other stuff like 'Everville' and 'Imagica' is really long and involved.

 

[the December King]

I just finished a compilation by Stephen King which was very entertaining- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. A little of everything in there- smashing stuff for King, I thought. For King's work I also really enjoyed Lisey's Story, but I think I might be in a minority here, though the main reason I liked it was because it has one of the most truly creepy monsters he's ever written about- a creature simply called The Long Boy. Fabulous!

I would recommend Something Red by Douglas Nicholas if you'd enjoy a low fantasy medieval pseudo-historical horror fiction with a strong female protagonist - I didn't care much for the story, as in the end that's not my sort of escapism, but the writing is top notch, it sets the mood elegantly and pulls you right in initially, and it's a first in a series focused on the featured protagonist characters.

For writing like Lovecraft but with a more modern pacing and sensibility (though I'm aware that even these stories are now quite dated!) I found T.E.D Klein to be the best in the genre. Sadly, he only wrote five horror pieces- a collection of 4 shorts called Dark Gods and a novel,The Ceremonies.

 

[Kotaro]

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. To quote one review of the novel:
"It's a book about a book about a film about a house that is a labyrinth. In short, it's a book that is a labyrinth."
To say anything more would spoil the impact somewhat. It's a bit difficult to read, with a massive index, footnotes that go on for multiple pages, and footnotes within footnotes, but if you put in the effort to absorb all of its text, it's a brilliant work of post-modern meta-fictional horror.

 

[DragonofDecay86]

I'd have to say I just finished a book titled Suffer the Children by Craig Dilouie and it wasn't half bad. Not nearly as good as Stephen King or H.P mind you, but not too shabby of a freaky book.

 

[Cowabungaa]

World War Z has some real bone chilling moments, because the human element feels so genuine. Note the bit with the girl in a mental institution. That made my spine shiver alright.

And you can't ignore Edgar Allan Poe's horror work, naturally. But while it might not be traditionally scary for us, it heralds horror as done by Lovecraft. Lovecraft of course being a huge Poe fan used him as a great source of inspiration.

 

[Mr.Savage]

I found The Last Apprentice series (The Wardstone Chronicles in England) by Joseph Delaney to be quite superb. They're categorized as young adult fiction, but I feel they absolutely transcend that classification, considering the horrors described within. They're genuinely scary.

They deal with supernatural beasts, spirits, demons...All with superb characters, an interesting world, and some gorgeously grotesque illustrations (in the American versions, at least).

Spoiler

I highly recommend them.

Also, there was a movie adaption of the series called Seventh Son starring Jeff Bridges. Avoid this at ALL COSTS. It's a horrible movie in its own right, put in context with the book series, it becomes a true travesty.

 

[Flathole]

Spoiler

classic horror, gruesome, frightening, sad and downright disturbing.

For something more modern, try "Rise of the Warrior Cop" by Radley Balko. It might make you afraid of being murdered, or worse, at anytime and anyplace though.

 

[Vanilla ISIS]

The classic Bram Stoker's Dracula is really good.
After reading it recently, I realized how unfaithful all the movie adaptations are.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

I recommend Shadowland by Peter Straub.

Its protagonists are two boarding school boys who want to become stage magicians. The story starts out as a mundane series of perfectly normal events in their lives as they eagerly await their summer holiday, which they will be spending at the titular Shadowland - the secluded estate of one boy's uncle: A famous stage magician, who is looking to take on an apprentice.

Once the scary bits start creeping up on you, you don't notice right away. The effect is hard to describe, but this is a story that Stephen King couldn't have pulled off.

No, I'm serious. This book is a true masterpiece. There's nothing else like it. Read it - and see for yourself!

 

[Rebel_Raven]

Scary Stories to tell in the dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones. Be sure to get the ones with the original artwork, not the re-releases.
Enjoy your traumatization.

 

[Don Incognito]

Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, is a much better writer than his father, if his first few novels are any indication.

Horns is funny, romantic, and creepy.
Heart-Shaped Box is scary and sad.
N0S4A2 is utterly terrifying, my favorite horror novel ever.
His comic series/graphic novel, Locke and Key, is also phenomenal.

 

[cdemares]

I second Stephen King and Thomas Ligotti. Thomas Ligotti basically has his own mythos.
Read the short story "Jerusalem's Lot" by Stephen King. It's his one Lovecraft story and it's good.
Try the short story "The Barrens" by F. Paul Wilson.
Maybe "The Keep" by F. Paul Wilson.