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Original poster

Scariest book you have ever read!

117 replies

BookshowthatIcandrawupsidedown · 24/02/2024 15:04

I have just discovered discovered two new authors. Cj cooke and Michelle Paver..ghostly thrillers. Like their books but I would like to read something really scary. I read a couple of james herbert many years ago. The fog and possibly one about a magic cottage. Don't remember them being really scary.

Any recommendations?

OP posts:
Screamingabdabz · 27/02/2024 19:35

I love horror stories and have read a fair few of the ones mentioned here. However the ones that I found scary were:
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
The House at Phantom Park by Graham Masterton
The Vessel by Adam Nevill

Psychoville78 · 27/02/2024 19:35

Grew up on James Herbert and Shaun Hutson books,found Hutson's very visceral,especially Breeding Ground( think Herbert's The Rats but with giant slugs!!l)
I would recommend Rosemary's Baby & The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin.Not gory but excellent and very sinister.
Love the old Pan Books of Horror..excellent cover art from 60s&70s as well.

Whenwillthewashingend · 27/02/2024 19:34

Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells.
I read it around the age of 13. It's about a young boy's survival during a nuclear war.
As if that wasn't scary enough, it was based around my City, so I was aware of where places were.
Every time we drive over the moors, I think of it.

Soonthen · 27/02/2024 19:24

A window breaks CM Lewin

Lovetotravel123 · 27/02/2024 19:23

The Nothing Man. Also The Shards, by Brett Easton Ellis is very creepy.

ToriTheStoryteller · 27/02/2024 18:56

Like a pp, I went through a horror phase around 12-13 and scared myself witless with Amityville Horror and Stephen King but hands down the scariest was Domain by James Herbert. It was hideous and absolutely terrifying.

MySpi · 27/02/2024 18:46

Also The Last Days of Jack Sparks
Not only terrifying but an inventive and a brilliant read. Can’t recommend it enough.
Im a massive fan of horror, books and film, and it’s one of the only books that’s made me cry laughing and really frightened me.

WorkingFromHomeShite · 27/02/2024 18:42

A book by Gerald Durrell called ‘The picnic and suchlike pandemonium’ is ‘A third book of reminiscences describing the hilariously chaotic life of the Durrell family , and other matters’ according to Amazon. Whoever wrote that review did not read the final story in the book which traumatised me as a child. There is a certain aspect of it (I can’t say as it’s a spoiler) that affects me even now and I unconsciously avoid this thing in some situations. It genuinely put me off horror films and books for life.

MaudGone · 27/02/2024 18:33

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson

The Horla - Maupassant (Short Story)

Kattenburg · 27/02/2024 18:33

The Road - kind of ruined a lovely holiday.

CrunchyCarrot · 27/02/2024 18:19

The Wendigo - short story by Algernon Blackwood

efeslight · 27/02/2024 18:11

Read quite a few of these books, recently I reread And then there were none, and like a PP, I found it quite scary.
The Road is very bleak, American Psycho I found very dark and violent.

HuntingoftheSnark · 27/02/2024 17:17

The Road
The Wasp Factory
American Psycho
The Picture of Dorian Gray

(Different types of scary.)

eandz13 · 27/02/2024 16:07

GenerousGardener · 27/02/2024 15:41

Years ago I read a book called The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It was a true story and it still scares the crap out of me just thinking about it now.

Oh my word yes! Hands down the scariest book I've ever read. Didn't think to mention it with it being based on true events.

StellaOlivetti · 27/02/2024 15:48

As a child, And Then There Were None, which I found terrifying. As an adult, The Little Stranger the first time I read it was pretty scary. I don’t think I’ve ever read an actual horror book.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 27/02/2024 15:48

The turning of the screw. Had to read it at uni but couldn't get past the first 40 pages.

GenerousGardener · 27/02/2024 15:41

Years ago I read a book called The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It was a true story and it still scares the crap out of me just thinking about it now.

LadyPlasters · 27/02/2024 15:10

MabelMaybe · 27/02/2024 14:43

@LadyPlasters I came on to say the same, Ritual, Pig Island, I love her books. Just palin evil rather than spooky.

🙂. I still think of certain scenes in her books which make me shudder!

MabelMaybe · 27/02/2024 14:43

@LadyPlasters I came on to say the same, Ritual, Pig Island, I love her books. Just palin evil rather than spooky.

HurrahWuff · 27/02/2024 13:11

Let's go play at the Adams' Psychological horror, which I read as a young teen. Terrifying.

JediKnightingale · 27/02/2024 12:12

The Cellar by Minette Walters - creepy on many different levels.

Pet Semetary and The Long Walk are my two favourite Stephen King stories.

TabbyM · 27/02/2024 12:02

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 25/02/2024 20:56

Christine, cujo and misery by Stephen king.

UtterlyButterly2048 · 25/02/2024 20:33

We Need to Talk about Kevin. By Lionel Shriver. Terrifying but absolutely possible, in no way is it science fiction! The film was crap (I read the book years before) but the book is amazing and the basic premise? Shit scary.

LassoOfTruth · 25/02/2024 20:27

I think I’ve read nearly everything by Stephen King and would recommend many of them but the one that made me lose sleep was Revival. It’s more bleak than scary mostly. A bit too disturbing tbh!

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