I fancy reading something scary...

[bedelia]

I used to love the horror genre in my youth, but haven't really read anything scary for a while.

Ideally I'd like to read something by a great storyteller (in the form of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, etc), and not too lengthy, though not a collection of short stories either.

Any recommendations?

[Tiredemma]

Have you read 'The Woman in Black'?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Was going to say the same

[SilverMachine]

I would recommend The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The Sundial and The Lottery by the same author are also very good.

Also, Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

And, The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnott

Both of these are not too long and quite gripping. Stephen King's short story compilations are also very good - Full Dark, No Stars is my personal favourite.

[TeaMeBasil]

Dark matter was excellent - and her next one, Thin Air was just as good.

Shes excellent at creating atmosphere!

[Middleoftheroad]

I revisted Stephen.King after years away....the first book I read as an adult was spooky but cant revall title. its about a guy who has an accident goes to a seaside town where he starts painting loads of crazy pictures. If somebody knows what im describing please let me know!!!!!

[Middleoftheroad]

Duma Key!

[PenguinOfDoom]

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. Also Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe. The Wanderer in Unknown Realms by John Connolly is pretty scary too.

[Time40]

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

Not too long. Very, very scary.

[annandale]

Have you read Carrie?

[Clawdy]

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters - chilling but brilliantly written.

[BoobleMcB]

There's a double book by Richard Laymon, the main story is called 'The Travelling Vampire Show' which is quite good in itself, a slow burner but pretty good. But the second is a series of short stories, some of those are SCARY. Some play on your mind for days, weeks, even months or years. Some are so bizarre and chilling it's unreal. A couple are awful but my god I'd recommend anyone to read them lol

[TheSecondOfHerName]

I found Bird Box (Josh Malerman) quite scary, and I grew up reading Stephen King as a teenager.

[Colyngbourne]

Definitely "Dark Matter" and "Thin Air" by Michelle Paver. Plus "The Little Stranger".

[neonrainbow]

Theres a series aimed at young adults by someone called JL Bryan, the series is Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper. Seriously scary stuff!

[Mumchance]

Hilary Mantel's Beyond Black.

[Goldfishjane]

Loved Little Stranger so much!

Susan Hill, as well as Woman in Black, suggest Dolly, The Man in the Picture...pretty much any of hers.

And Dark Matter. Didn't read Thin Air as people said it was too similar but maybe I should.

[JoyceDivision]

The girl on the landing isn't horror as such but bloody fantastic suspense, really made me panic for main character!

Also the loney is good...

[MissJC]

The Exorcist by Blatty. Finished it the other night and found it brill. I have also finished every King novel and found the Exorcist lived up to the master of horror.

[TulipsInAJug]

Yep, the Little Stranger is a brilliant ghost sorry and it's unputdownable.

[Goldfishjane]

I think of these books as supernatural rather than horror so hope they suit, op. Also agree Shirley Jackson books are v good.

[orangefolly]

Noting down all these recommendations! I found The Ritual by Adam Nevill very scary. Also, A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - still creeps me out thinking of it!

[JeffJarrett]

Ooh, horror is my favourite genre

YY Clive Barker, his Books of Blood were great too.

Richard Laymon is my favourite horror author. They are massively trashy but so exciting, so many twists and turns and lots of action, he was a great storyteller. After Midnight is my favourite and I shall be re-reading it soon.

Let the Right One In is one of my favourite books, so gripping at the end I was walking round doing housework with the book in one hand still reading it.

Also, from Stephen King (or rather, Richard Bachman) The Long Walk and The Mist are my favourites. Spent many years in my youth reading his books.

[JeffJarrett]

Oh, forgot Graham Masterton! He has written books on all kinds of horror subjects, vampires, ghosts, cannibals, Lovecraftian. You name it he's done it. They are very good too. Doorkeepers is the best (imo). Doors in London to a parallel dystopian universe.. won't spoil the rest.

[redannie118]

Heart shaped box by joe hill (stephen kings son and imho a even better writer) is very very creepy and reasonably short
Haunted by James Herbert. A fantastic good old fashioned haunted house story with a brilliant twist. Again short and you will definite be sleepung with the lights on after it !!

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Go back to basics and read Dracula. I had to leave the lights on at, it was that scary.
Or Frankenstein.