Scary Books

[Susan]

Now I know we had a thread going on it awhile back ago that died out but this one I wanted to really gear towards the horror/sci-fi genre. The one I feel most of us here are really partial to.

What is the scariest book of all time?

I don't mean by critics, or perhaps just declaring the "popular" books, but what books have left you ...the reader truly afraid? Now unless you're a weanie, not many books really can leave you standing in a dark room after switching off the lights with the horrid feeling that something else is in there with you - or a sudden noise leaves you jumpy. I'm making more book purchases soon and thought it might be good to get some ideas of what the average reader likes vs the literary snobs. I'm always scouting for something I haven't read. On my list so far is "I am legend".

I sometimes steer toward a collection of short stories but I think i've had my fill of king, poe, rice and lovecraft. It doesn't necessarily have to be conventional horror either (ie: The Hot zone left me paranoid for a good year afterward) I considered Dracula (amazing I haven't read that one) because I absolutely love the myth of dracula, but my concern was it wasn't really scary..some books are legend but their "fear factor" has a shelf life. That could be said about Lovecraft for those who grew up spoiled by the writing style of King, not to mention many authors since have shaped and molded their stories from his.

What stories linger in your consciousness like an unpleasant dream?



Post Edited (12-27-03 16:44)

[ulthar]

Since you mentioned having your fill of King, I won't mention any of his that have 'stuck with me' over the years.

I would recommend "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub - that book was creepy when I read it, and most of what I remember about reading it is not wanting to turn the light off to go to sleep.

In a bit different direction, the first time I tried to read "All Quiet on the Western Front," I was having nightmares and had to quit reading it.  On my second try (a few months ago) I got through it okay, though it is still pretty intense.  (Think the open 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan in narrative, written through the eyes of a teenager in WWI - it's not really horro/sci fi, but it is pretty scary).

[Susan]

>>Since you mentioned having your fill of King, I won't mention any of his that have 'stuck with me' over the years.<<

Well I meant as far as me purchasing - but I would love to hear which have been your favorites. I was a pretty avid king reader which is why I've read nearly all, but found his earlier books packed the most punch and I was more partial to his shorter stories. I could never get into the dark tower series and some of his larger books were pretty winded with their typical king ending. (probably what turned me off entirely was dreamcatcher)

I've been hearing alot about "Ghost Story". I wasn't sure if it was strictly coming from die-hard straub fans...which makes them biased. I love ghost stories in general, but I guess with me the older books like "Amityville" became dated in that either having seen the movie first or books being more graphic in general sorta made it a boring read. I guess that's why i'm skeptical yet of hell house or the haunting of hill house..etc. "Ghost story" was actually one of the books I was considering.

I have to wonder tho - why do so few books these days have really good illustrations? I have an old Poe book that I used to read and then before turning the page would completely be absorbed in the nightmarish color and art on the page.

[Scott]

I have only five Horror/Sci-Fi  books

1) H.P. Lovecraft: More Annotated

2) Edgar Allen Poe: Complete Tales & Poems

3) Before the Golden Age: A Science Fiction Anthology of the 1930's

4) Starship Troopers

5) Clive Barker - History of Horror in Film

I have another Sci-Fi one in the basement. Can't remember the name of it. It's kinda like an Encyclopedia of Sci-Fi illistrations and story summaries.

[Deej]

Pet Semetary really scared hell out of me when I first read it at around age 12. Probably not his strongest work, but the bit in the ER with the dead jogger or bicyclist was creepy as a mofo.

I read a book a few years ago about a hounted house on a beach somewhere and all the creepy crap that happened to the people vacationing there. I think it was supposed to be a true story. I remember it scared me, it was so creepy, I got nervy reading it alone at night(and I was a full grown adult). I can't remember the stinkin' title though! I'd really love to read it again, because, ya know, I just don't have enough stress in my life.

[Ellie]

Stephen Kings "It" scared me.

[onionhead]

Stanley Shapiro was a scriptwriter in the  50's who penned such engrossing matter as Pillow Talk and Operation Petticoat.  Hmmmmm, odd that from such benign grey stuff should spring the likes of Simon's Soul, about a group of arrogant doctors who decide to see what lies beyond the black curtain of death.  Doctor Simon is the soul who sacrifices himself for study, and the experiment brings forth some mind-blowing demon that slays 6 people and upsets the balance of Heaven and Hell, and it is up to the last surviving doc in the original group to slay 6 more to set things right.  God, Satan, Jesus, demons add up to a read that scared me shirtless the first time I read it--if you can find a copy, READ IT.

[Ash]

Not a whole book but a single story by King....

"1408" which is a short story in the "Everything's Eventual" book truly scared the hell out of me.  And that's definitely saying something as I'm not easily frightened by literature.

It's about a so-called writer of the supernatural who thinks he has what it takes to spend the night in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel.

He lasts about seventy minutes inside it and narrowly escapes with his life.

If you've read it then you know what I'm talking about.

There is more than just a presence in that room....
The room is alive.


I've heard that a film of this story is currently in the works.....do a Google search to find out more.



Post Edited (12-28-03 04:37)

[Susan]

>>It's about a so-called writer of the supernatural who thinks he has what it takes to spend the night in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel.<<

disney has a dolphin hotel in florida - it has over 2000 rooms so if i were you i'd book my reservation today for room 1408! Don't forget to take your book....

Actually what I think is fun about a scary read is one the reader can easily imagine happening, mixing a little of realism with the irrational. One of his short stories "The boogyman" (from "night Shift") used to get to me and for the longest time even tho i could rationalize my fear, i still couldn't turn out the lights at night knowing the closet door was open...just a crack

I have the everything's eventual book and haven't read that one, I like to savor my short stories over a span of time.  I'd like to read a story that puts the reader at unease like they are part of the story (somewhat like "The ring" does)

Btw I never read "IT" (i liked the clown in the movie but as all king novels tend to be it got pretty ridiculous toward the end) "Pet Semetary" on the other hand is one i haven't read in some time but remember at the time enjoying. I really enjoyed watching his acceptance speech at the National Book Awards Ceremony - he really can drive a point. For anyone who is interested it's on his site: King Speech
Scroll down a little till you see the latest news - he's always been a great speaker



Post Edited (12-28-03 12:32)

[Neville]

I can think of some...

- Stephen King's "Bag of bones". IMHO the best book he has ever written.

- Dean Koontz's "The bad place". I usually find Koontz pretty bad, but this one gave me the creeps.

- Clive Barker's "Books of blood". Stay away from his long novels, his short tales are fantastic, and really disturbing.

- Ian Fleming's "Dr. No". Seriously. I almost had a heart attack when I read about Bond's adventures in Dr. No's island. Creepy.

[ulthar]

Okay, some of my more memorable King reads (I admit the novels get long and have somewhat typical endings, but the way he builds up is fantastic):

The Stand
It
Pet Semetary
Desolation
DreamCatcher

Gerald's Game was cool because IT COULD HAPPEN - no wierd monsters or whatever in that one.

Any of the short stories from Night Shift.  I actually think his style is better suited to short stories - he can build up and bam.  On to the next one.

If you've seen the movie Ghost Story, don't judge the book by that.  The book is MUCH creepier.

If you want some horror that is fun to read, you might look into the "Hot Blood" collections of short stories, or "Shudder At Your Touch" which is also a collection of short stories (the follow-up, "Shudder Again" is in my opinion pale to the original).  These two collections emphasize a genre of horror that include strong sexual components - kind of sexual horror.  It's pretty cool stuff and a few of the stories are genuinely disturbing.

[Chopper]

i remember Blatty's novel of the Exorcist scaring the hell out of me, although it's been a while since i read it and my religous views and belief in the paranormal have significantly wained since then. Another novel that scared me was the Mark of the Assasin by Daniel Silva, it's fiction but the conspiracy in the story really gets under your skin.

  "There is no whole
     there is a hole in the world." -Thursday

[daveblackeye15]

After reading "Who Goes There" I was a little nervous about going to bed, but it wasn't so bad the next night. The scaryiest for me though was Stephen King's Cujo, I read a little bit of it before bed and my god! I had such a hard time sleeping that night (I did finish the book, good book) I really like dogs but I always get nervous when I see a leashless dog that I don't know. For second place I think it was also Stephen King's....um can't remeber the title but it was a novella and was featured in "Four Past Midnight" the story was about a vampire/witch creature that was scaring children so the monster ( her name was Ardelina Lotes) sucked out there fear. The thing that scared me most was how a old man tells the story of when he was younger and he lived as her slave for about 10 years I think. *Phew* scaairy. I really must get to reading Dracula a adult once told me it scared the hell out of him. I'll read it at night..heehee.

[trekgeezer]

I've been scared by a few fictional books, but the one that got to me the most was  a true story. It's Helter Skelter by Vincent  Bugliosi ,  the story of the Sharon Tate murders and the trial.  The sheer control that Charles Manson had over his 'family' and the things they were doing to practice for the murders are beyond creepy. (They would break into houses and rearrange the furniture and stuff while the occupants were asleep.)

Bugliosi was the prosecuter in the case and tells a little story about his watch stopping one day in court. This puzzled him and when he looked up Manson was staring at him from the defense table smiling.

If you haven't read it try to find it . Scary true stuff is all I can say.

[Evil Matt]

"The Boogeyman" is the goddamned scariest thing I've ever read in my life.  At some point it was adapted for television, and made its way to video on some "Stephen King's Night Shift: Double Feature" tape with an adaptation of "The Woman in the Room".  And yes, the film version is just as scary as the book.