Recommend a scarey book

[Kaledor]

Hi all,
I was hoping that the good people here on ENWorld could recommend a couple of really good scarey books.

Any thoughts would be very appreciated.

 

[Pielorinho]

Can you give an example of something that's scared you in the past?

The scariest Stephen King I've read was Pet Sematery, although his novella The Long Walk (written under the pen name Richard Bachman) was pretty good.

Clive Barker's got some good stuff out there; I prefer his short stories, especially one called The Body Politic. It's in one of his Books of Blood.

The annual anthology called The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror has some great stories in it every year; look for it.

Certain scenes in Perdido Street Station are full of great terror, and it's generally a very good book.

Or, if you want unrelentingly grim horror, you should pick up the literate and brutal Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy--it's cowboys and Indians done nightmare-style.

Daniel

 

[theburningman]

Ooh, Blood Meridian, yeah!

And to add: Stephen King's Salem's Lot is the only vampire book that's ever actually scared me. It's the book that I have to put in the freezer.

And Song of Kali by Dan Simmons. I read it after I read something where Harlan Ellison said it was the creepiest book he'd ever read (or something like that). He was right. But you might have to search a used book store or special order it.

 

[Cannibal_Kender]

The Shining by Stephen King. A family spends the winter as caretakers at the isolated Overlook Hotel.

The Color Out of Space and The Shadow Over Innsmouth both by H.P. Lovecraft.

 

[Krieg]

Song of Kali by Dan Simmons

 

[The_Universe]

I'll second 'Salem's Lot.

 

[NeoSamurai]

House of Leaves is a decent chiller. Forgot who wrote it.

 

[Mistwell]

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Not sure it is "scarey", but it made my skin crawl...others will know what I mean.

 

[Kaledor]

Can you give an example of something that's scared you in the past?

Good question. Different people have different levels. It's very subjective and I should've clarified. To put it in perspective:
I've read a bit of Stephen King and I really like his work...
but I'd like something scarier

I read House of Leaves on the recommendation of another and felt it was more erie (sp?) than scarey... I want a "freezer book"... something to make me not want to turn off the lights


Thanks for the recommendations so far, please keep them coming!!

 

[Pielorinho]

I want a "freezer book"

That reminds me of another book. This one is not in the horror genre, more in the "rich New England Kids" genre than anything else, but my brother-in-law called my sister to tell her that he was keeping the book in the freezer, and I definitely understand why.

In the first two paragraphs, the protagonist participates in a cold-blooded murder. The book elaborates. Very creepy, and absolutely gripping.

Daniel

PS I almost forgot to mention the book's title, didn't I? Oops: it's called The Secret History.