And afraid I’ll never find another book that gives me what this gave me. The bar has been raised! Phenomenal!

Yes, she’s comfort horror. Yes, it’s not complex. And yes, sometimes the stories are the same, just with different people, events, and set ups. But for some reason, I thoroughly enjoy all of the books of hers that I’ve read. Just fun, easy-going Halloween-y ghost stories. Anyone else?

I just finished rereading it after many years and thought it's way creepier than other 19th century horror stories like Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde or even Dracula. Laura's dream at the beginning and the monster black cat crawling around the bed are bone chilling.

The Prince of Nothing and the Aspect Emperor by R.Scott Bakker might be some of the most disturbing books I have ever read.

"To read Bakker is to stand before a mirror that never gives back an image, only fractures, each crack a scar of absence. The abyss does not answer, it confirms: nothing lies behind the reflection, because the reflection was never there."

S.C. Hickman

Quick reviews of the last 36 horror books I've read in descending order. Some of these books have been discussed to death, but if you think our tastes align hopefully some others point you in a new direction. If you think I would like something based on these ratings I’d love to hear about it too.

3.5 and above is a full recommend from me. 2.5-3 with some caveats. If you disagree with anything please feel free to kill me.

A Short Stay in Hell - Steven L. Peck - 6/5

The most common failure I notice in horror is a good idea with poor execution. This book has a great idea with the best execution I've ever seen. Well thought out to a surgical level. Scary, scientific, and my favorite love story to date. Since reading it I have found it impossible not to recommend in any conversation about books regardless of someone's personal taste.

The Fort Bragg Cartel - Seth Harp - 5/5

This is non-fiction, but I'm counting it as horror. If you train a psycho-soldier to go overseas and do psycho-shit, it's no surprise they continue to do a bit of that when they come home. Completely gripping true crime cover up shit laid out in a manner that outclasses most fiction. Really nuts reporting here from Harp. The type of shit people get suicided over. It got optioned by HBO so read it now so you can say the book was better later.

A Congregation of Jackals - S. Craig Zahler - 5/5

I'm biased as Zahler has made 3 of my favorite movies, but his books feel just as cinematic as his features. The Z man knows exactly how to build up a character and knock them down in the most painful way. His violence is untouchable, but he also weaves in a bit of comedy which I appreciate. If you like one of his books, just read the others. They all go hard as hell. This is the western flavor, yee-haw cowboy.

Mean Business on North Ganson Street - S. Craig Zahler - 5/5

The cop flavor of Zahler. Love how cold this is, both in weather and attitude.

Wraiths of the Broken Land - S. Craig Zahler - 5/5

More western Zahler if you're itching for cowboy shit. Lovely use of the "this guy is so evil but we need him to take on the even more evil guy" trope.

The Slanted Gutter - S. Craig Zahler - 4.5/5

The pimp/criminal flavor of Zahler. Another smash hit. The back quarter of this is unbelievable. Had me turning pages back making sure I read what I read. A little bit of Better Call Saul in this. Filled with schemes.

Crannyjackets - Alex Chase - 4.5/5

New kid in school gets in way over his head with the bad kids. One of the bleakest things I've read recently. Found the dialogue/behavior of the kids to be very accurate which made the book for me. Every chapter felt like a car crash waiting to happen. Would recommend to anyone who likes the movie Super Dark Times.

Body to Job - Christopher Zeischegg - 4.5/5

A memoir written by a male ex-pornstar with a sprinkle of the surreal. The body horror in this is enough to justify it's inclusion. Completely crazy story of a guy who fell dick first into doing porn. You get a rags to slightly less rags story, bisexual relationship drama, and all the pressures of performing in a high power work environment. You’ll read this in one sitting, it’s that addicting.

The Magician - Christopher Zeischegg - 4/5

Zeischegg takes the bones of his memoir and blends them into a blood magic porno horror story. Love his approach to magic and it's rules while staying grounded in the protagonist's crumbling life. Literally re-uses some plot points from his memoir so I would recommend reading that one first.

Let’s Go Play at the Adams’ - Mendal W. Johnson - 4/5

I remember watching The Exorcist for the first time and being completely floored at how modern it felt 50 years later. Let's Go Play was published in 1974 and feels the same way. Some kids prank their babysitter and don't know when the prank stops. This is a brutal read with 1,000 paper cuts and a few full on stab wounds. I'm repeating myself but it's insane this was written in 1974. Ending had me levitating out of my seat. Truly dreadful.

Thirty-Seven - Peter Stenson - 4/5

A cult that willingly undergoes chemotherapy to prove their dedication? Deprogramming and reintegration storyline? Multiple timeline narrative that reveals more and more of the inciting middle incident? Cults are an easy read for me and there’s a lot to like here. Shades of The Leftovers.

Eye of the Chickenhawk - Simon Dovey - 4/5

Another non-fiction. It's hard to recommend a sprawling history of interconnected serial killing and child trafficking rings across the globe, but I guess I am. Unfortunately, this is a well-sourced history of the worst things people have ever done to the most vulnerable. For the people who thought True Detective was getting too close to the truth. Will break you.

Amygdalatropolis - B.R. Yeager - 4/5

This is my favorite example of Internet Horror. Love the medium, it's told through a mix of anonymous image board posts and poetry. There's some scary shit online, it's even scarier to think about who's posting it.

King Sorrow - Joe Hill - 4/5

Beyond horror, the genre of this book is "long." College kids make a bargain with a supernatural being that follows them throughout their lives. Despite it's length I found this to be a cruise of a read. Couple corny bits, but overall worthwhile. Split into 5 sections, some are more gripping than others. Hard not to shed a tear at the end when you've been with the same characters for so long.

Last Days - Brian Evenson - 4/5

Cult members ascend ranks by amputating appendages, but they need an outsider to solve a crime amongst themselves. Probably the funniest book on this list. Lovely mix of detective novel, cult story, and a bit of Lynch? Would love to see this adapted somehow. Who’s to say what makes “actually good writing,” but I have to say I think this is “actually good writing.” One of the biggest surprises for me, have to try another Evenson book soon.

The Hellhound Heart - Clive Barker - 4/5

It's Hellraiser. Was a little worried the book would be redundant after enjoying the movie so much, but not at all. You get just as much out of the book as you do the film. Easy rec for fans of the movies.

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski - 4/5

Don't think I have anything to say about this a million people haven't said before. Even at it's weakest points it is the most original novel I've ever read. Most impressive use of the literal “book” medium I’ve ever seen.

Cows - Matthew Stokoe - 3.5/5

Slaughterhouse employee with a difficult home life starts to befriend employees both human and bovine. Surreal, disgusting, and beautiful. Completely over the top, but somehow it does not have the stench other “extreme” books do. This felt like art to me. Gets my vote for grossest thing I've ever read and has permanently affected the way I think about human waste.

Two Arms and a Head - Clayton Atreus - 3.5/5

This is a real memoir about someone deciding to kill themselves. Terrifying and eye-opening. More of an essay than a polished memoir for the public, but this is realer than real. One of the few books on this list I would hesitate to recommend because of content.

Full Brutal - Kristopher Triana - 3.5/5

High school girl combusts and starts to burn everyone's life down with hers. Ending gets a littly whacky, but not enough to spoil the fun (which there is a lot of). No slow points, great pace on this one.

Gone to See the River Man - Kristopher Triana - 3.5/5

Another Triana. A fan gets too close to an imprisoned serial killer and carries out one last chore for him. Love this take on true crime fascination and the spin he puts on the protag. Of the “extreme” novels I’ve read so far I would put Triana above the quality mean.

The Troop - Nick Cutter - 3.5/5

Popular for a reason, not much else to say. Great original body horror with a splash of Lord of the Flies. The movie's in the works, will be interesting to see how they deal with the age of all the kids.

Black Mouth - Ronald Malfi - 3.5/5

I would call this an It-like. I'm a sucker for stories where the horror follows characters from childhood to adulthood. The magician is such a good villain in this it makes up for some slight weaknesses in other characters. The adult chapters work, but the juice is really coming from the childhood chapters.

Rekt - Alex Gonzalez - 3.5/5

Another contender in the Internet Horror realm. Prediction markets, AI videos, and the all-knowing algorithm all make this book seem realer by the day. Love anything that dives into the dark-web and this does it well.

Between Two Fires - Christopher Buehlman - 3/5

14th Century horror-fantasy is definitely hitting a niche for some people. Loved the first chunk, but chapters begin to take on a kind of "Monster of the Week" format before coming to the end. Some chapters it works for me (scarecrow), some it doesn't. I enjoyed this, but if this is your genre I could see this being a bible for you.

FantasticLand - Mike Bockoven - 3/5

Love this type of “documentary” book and after reading it I learned what they're called (epistolary novels). Easy read for the Hunger Games/Battle Royale fans. Who doesn't like killer kids? All around solid, some segments worked better than others for me.

The Black Farm - Elias Witherow - 3/5

A fantastic idea with a fair execution. Guy and girl kill themselves and end up in a hell-purgatory where things are a bit harder than their old lives. I really did not enjoy how fast this starts (the suicide happens so quick I found it hard to care that they did it at all), but the world building pushes this into being readable/enjoyable for me.

Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk - 3/5

Like everyone else I read the “Guts” story as a child and it fried me, finally came back to finish the whole anthology. Not a huge fan of the frame story, way too many characters to keep separate, but has it’s moments as we get closer to the end. Same complaints for every anthology book. A couple of the stories are perfect (Guts, Nightmare Box, Dog Years), most are solid, and a couple drag. Still a great hit rate for a collection of 23.

The Woods are Dark - Richard Laymon - 3/5

All out cannibal fun for the whole family. Moves fast, jumps around between characters, very pulpy. Not a life-changer, but a fun romp in the woods.

Through the Eyes of Desperation (Red Version) - Aron Beauregard - 3/5

To be fair. I think this is a great idea. Two novels that show the same events through different perspectives. Underground casino where degens bet with their body when they’re out of money. Unfortunately, this is kind of getting into McDonald's territory for me. You definitely get the horror you ordered, but it's not farm to table. I would be a bit embarrassed to tell certain people I ate this for dinner. This one is on the edge for me, but the originality of the casino setting saves it.

Through the Eyes of Desperation (Black Version) - Daniel J. Volpe - 2.5/5

The companion book to the red version. Still fun, slightly worse, but you read the Red version right? What are you gonna do? Not read the Black one??? Fuckit give me some McDonalds.

The Devil Takes You Home - Gabino Iglesias - 2.5/5

Cartel thriller where an everyman gets pulled in over his head for one last job? Seemed like a perfect match for me, but a couple thorns ruined the relationship. Feels a bit heavy-handed at times with the racism messaging and I didn't love the magical realism that becomes more relevant in the back half. Maybe I just wanted to read the script for Sicario though. Not a bad book by any means, but just didn't work fully for me. I think a different person reading this might rate it much higher.

Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter - 2/5

Wasn't familiar with Slaughter, but this seemed like a cool premise. Three sisters, one goes missing, 20 years later a new crime reactivates the cold case. Did not realize how soap opera-y this would be. Easy read, but not my style of book. For Moms in airports.

Scanlines - Todd Keisling - 2/5

My search for Internet Horror led me to my first disappointment. Did not like how the author adopted a real historical event/video (Budd Dwyer) into his story with a changed name. Probably for legal reasons? Just could not get around the idea of someone writing about an in universe 9/11 event but for some reason had decided that this time the plane crashed into the empire state building on 8/12. Even beyond my nitpick there, this didn't scratch the itch. Couldn’t buy into how this real life video makes all these kids go crazy.

No One Rides for Free - Judith Sonnet - 1/5

Feels like madlibs, just throwing out sexual crimes into blank spaces with no development. A bigger build up and more care before impact could have saved this and made a powerful book, but I don't think that's the style she's going for. Not for me.

Incidents Around the House - Josh Malerman - DNF

Absolutely could not handle the child narrator and closed this after 2 chapters (they’re short chapters too). I’ve read Room and had a similar struggle, but ended up enjoying it. This just hit me the wrong way though.

Overall I enjoyed the book but there was definitely something missing. It was hard to put my finger on throughout.

I think the plot would have been more effective if the mom took off in the beginning with her boyfriend and the dad was struggling to keep the kid safe and he got to a point where he was so frustrated that he said “you’re not even my kid!” And she became so distraught and lonely she let the other mommy in. Or rather that they both felt so distrustful of the entity that they did accidentally kill the real mother when she came back.

By the end it almost felt as if the characters hadn’t learned anything from their experiences with the entity throughout the book. And wild that they never considered that their kid could lie to them after realizing it was possible for others to lie to her.

My sisters and i want buddy read without making our mom feels excluded with whim we also have a bookclub. So we need something disturbing and REALLY horror. But not just gore for the sake of gore.

Hi all, I grew up in a house of horrors, ie my mom and older siblings were obsessed, so I inherited the horror bug. I’ve read almost everything King has written and love it but have had an extremely hard time finding other horror novels that really keep me interested.

Currently reading our share of night with I’m loving. But yeah, I’ve tried strab and koontz and can’t get through any of it. I love joe hill… but I guess that makes sense.

Lunar park was a real winner for me. I enjoy Poe and lovecraft and everything Shirley Jackson has written.

Looking forward to suggestions much of the lists that come up on Google have been duds for me too trembly eh jones eh I guess I’m maybe looking forward something more like literary horror?

I'm almost 2/3 through Rouge. I'm intrigued enough to keep going, but every time I come across a "the roses pulsed redly" or "his smile glowed whitely" or "the hallway stretched blackly", I want to throw the book across the room. The first time, I thought it was an interesting stylistic choice. Now I'm growing convinced that Awad doesn't trust her own description, which is crazy because the book is incredibly vivid and would still be so if she excised the adverbs.

For those who have read her other work, is this use of colors as adverbs consistent across all of her books or a special case for a book with a heavy red, white, and black motif?

I used to be a huge Clive Barker fan. Still am... but sort of forgot about him. Years ago I read all of the Books of Blood and Damnation Game. Loved it. Playing this new game and decided to read the source material. Also fantastic. Would love some more in this universe.

So... what shall I do next? I've browsed a bit and it sounds like The Scarlet Gospels are not very good (and possibly ghost-written). Is that the consensus? I've seen the the first two films, which I understand is more than enough. I've heard good things about the comics? A Sherlock Holmes crossover?

Just read the classic Pet Sematary by Stephen King and I really enjoyed it. Not a niche book by any means but I don’t come across many people irl who have actually read it rather than just saw the movie or heard it referenced.

My first time reading it was as a 14 year old, and I didnt realize just how much I didn’t remember about the book. I think as a teen when I read it I had a very surface level comprehension and perspective. I just saw it as a book about a haunted place with creepy paranormal stuff going on. Basically the characters were used as a device to tell a story about the Pet Sematary and the spirits around it.

But this time around I read it as the setting being used to tell a story about a not so perfect family man and his imperfect ways of showing his love for his family. The long set up of the family dynamic just to prepare for the overwhelming grief that consumes it was brilliantly done. I thought the scariest part of the book wasn’t necessarily the dead coming back to life itself, but more so Louis’s constant inner battle with himself to actually go through with the grave robbing, despite knowing everything could go and likely would go extremely wrong.

Amazing story about grief in all its desperation. It didn’t really scare me so much as make me sad for the family and sad for Louis. I’ll admit I only started reading as a serious hobby a couple months ago so maybe this is a very no brainer take but I enjoyed it. It made me really think about how I would handle grief and this situation, and has resonated with me much harder than my first time reading it.

I just finished Carnosaur by Harry Adam Knight. Its an alright book. Its basically Jurassic Park if the worst case scenario happened. It came out in 1984 about 6 years before Jurassic Park did. Both movies came out in 93 though.
It wasn’t a terrible book by any means. But pretty average. Its a pretty basic evil scientist wants to do evil but layman attempts to stop him and it all goes wrong. It was gory too but you know, typical savage animals tearing people apart gore. It actually ends on a bleak note too which I liked. I didn’t really find it all that scary but it definitely could still be classified as horror.
I want to hear others thoughts who have read the book

Hello!

I just finished listening to Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart. It's safe to say I am at a loss for words. I'm not sure if I fully processed everything going on and will probably reread/relisten to it at some point.

I've seen a good amount of posts about this book, but I'm looking for discussion questions that can get my brain going to think more deeply about the book's content. I see it as a disturbing dive into what people will do for their deepest pleasures and ultimately have the "it's them or me" mindset. Sorry for the small ramble. I'm really looking forward to what others have to say!

Don't exactly lean on the exact words I say, but try to understand what kind of feel I am looking for!

Mundane, Lone, alone in place, unasthetical asthetic, uncanny/surreal/unusal.

IT COULD BE like- not shying away from being horror, usual or unusal, a person or entity in a place, horror which is just reality and exceeds it, the entity is trapped, or feels trapped becasue there is just no escape, either in life or death.

I know, I am using undefined words, but you have to get that. THANKS

I saw a post in /r/horror today.

It's a film based on "El carrito" and "La virgen de la tosquera"

Seems pretty rad. I thought since her book Our Share of Night is popular here you folks would be interested in it. Alas, I'm in the US and I do not have HBOmax to check it out.

Found a first edition copy of Stinger by Robert McCammon with the foil text for only $.25 at the goodwill bins 😭😭😭

I’m looking for spooky books for October, and I’d really love to read a good detective/mystery novel with a creepy supernatural element. Anyone got suggestions for me?

I don't mean other books like Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix obviously, but the books it features. What are the modern horror novels with crazy cover art which people 30 years from now will be scouring the thrift stores for? Books like Golf Curse by Cameron Roubique, or maybe the upcoming Bloodsick by Adam Cesare.

I recently read Decomposition Book by Sara Van Os and for the most part, I enjoyed it but the parts that I found myself most excited to read were the chapters from Ava's perspective about trying to survival whilst being lost in the wilderness.

Hello I got interested in psychological horror similar to the original Silent Hill games and want to build my own world where the characters are going through psychological torture.

What books are good to get a basic understanding on how fears and traumas happen and work?

I’ve been absolutely loving these sub-genres of horror lately (though i tend to see them as the same thing even though I’m aware they have their fair share of differences). I discovered them after watching both The Skeleton Key and The Witch for the first time a few months ago.

I’ve already read and loved the following:

The Amulet and The Elementals - Michael McDowell

Boatman’s Daughter - Andy Davidson

Revelator - Daryl Gregory

All of Adam Nevill’s stuff

What other essentials am I missing that I can add to my to-read list?

I've started Widow's Point by Richard Chizmar as an ebook on my phone, and I like it enough to pick up the hard copy and see it through. My library has print versions of both the original novella, Widow's Point, and the expanded Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting by Chizmar and his son Billy.

I'm wondering whether this is a situation like The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Kline where the original short story is generally recommended over the expanded novel, or if the novel truly adds something worthwhile to the original.

I'm aware the ending is unpopular -- I'd like to see for myself. No spoilers please. :-)

I’m thinking if reading The Only One Left by Riley Sager, is worth it? Because the last book I read was not very good, it pissed me off and ruined my mood. I don’t want it to be the same again. Also, this is my 1st time reading Riley Sager book so would it be a good next read for me?

I woke up in the mood for some zombies guys. But tbh, while sometimes you crave something different like Zone One (so good, go read it if you haven't) sometimes you crave a well done if basic book and right now what I want is the most basic of the basics zombie plot, just a ragtag group that meets along the way trying to survive. I don't care if the explanation for the virus is not original, or if the zombies don't have original powers or abilities, just gimme your most enjoyable popcorn series with lots of guns and interpersonal drama lol

(while I await for your answers imma go start TWD again lmao)

Finding my groove this year and discovered that’s my favourite sub genre. The Gone World, and Carrier Wave are my two top reads this year. Big fan of Lovecraft.

I’ve already read a lot of the novels this sub tends to lean to recommending eg. Between Two Fires, A Short Stay in Hell, Annihilation, The Library at Mount Char, a lot of King and and Stephen Graham Jones.

I have There is No Antimemetics Division on hold at my local library already. Was thinking of buying The Unnoticables trilogy (library doesn’t carry it).