Do you have a favourite spooky story/film/series/book?

[WhoWants2Know]

I love the type of scary story that's based around atmosphere or surprising twists on reality, as opposed to chainsaw-wielding maniacs chasing a bunch of teenagers.

My overall favourite series is probably The Haunting of Hill House, but I'm always on the lookout for more. Book wise, Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt and Nancy Forest-Flier is the one that gripped me most over the past year.

Anyone have any favourites that they want to share?

All M R James’s short stories are well paced and brilliantly creepy. Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is a classic too.

Have you seen The Others? Brilliant film. Subtly atmospheric, scary and a twist I didnt see coming

I also came on to say Ghost Story for Christmas 'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You' the original, is spinechilling.

The Monkey's Paw, a short horror story, terrified me.

@RonniePickering

The Monkey's Paw, a short horror story, terrified me.

Yes. Our English teacher read this to us and it stuck with me.

Love the Stephen King short stories like 'Sometimes They Come Back'.

The Bette Davies film 'The Watcher in the Woods' always spooked me.

American Horror Story

I have one more spooky than anything: The Changeling with George C. Scott ( 1980) Don't watch it alone!!!!

@Twatling

Have you seen The Others? Brilliant film. Subtly atmospheric, scary and a twist I didnt see coming

I do love The Others, it's a great one.

Loving 'The Battersea Poltergeist' and 'Uncanny' on bbc sounds.

I think you'd love The Night House, a recent film with Rebecca Hall in. Very spooky with some jump scares and really innovative camerawork

The Innocents. A 1960s film that is so subtle and terrifying. Based on The Turn Of The Screw.

I like Barbara Erskine books, especially House of Echoes.

I really enjoyed Archive 81 on Netflix recently. I don’t get scared easily but found it really creepy.

Oooh me too OP

Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger is a great book. They did make a film of it but no idea what it was like . . . I think you need the slow build up of scariness you get in the book for maximum effect.

I came on here to say Archive81, I've only watched a couple but v good so far.

Love Battersea Poltergeist/Uncanny, so sad it's the last episode this week.

The Mezzotint that was on a Christmas was great.

There was a fab series on BBC a few years ago called The Living and the Dead which I loved if you've not seen it.

I also love a spooky story but not an axe welding maniac.

@augustusglupe

I like Barbara Erskine books, especially House of Echoes.

Another BE one, ‘Midnight Is A Lonely Place’. I gave it to a dd one Christmas years ago, and we couldn’t get her nose out of it all Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

I’ve read somewhere that she only produces a new one every 4 years. So when I used to work in a library, and another staff member was wanting to withdraw one of hers (the only copy we had) because it was getting slightly tatty, I stopped her - anyone who’d just discovered BE and was hooked, wouldn’t care how tatty it was!

Ditto to The Mezzotint that was on the Beeb on Christmas Eve. An M R James one, and very well done.

@BalloonSlayer

Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger is a great book. They did make a film of it but no idea what it was like . . . I think you need the slow build up of scariness you get in the book for maximum effect.

I didn't think it was great, despite the casting being good (especially Charlotte Rampling as Mrs Ayres). As you say, the slow build-up in the book is what makes it so effective and that's very difficult to convey in film format. It is one of my favourite books of any genre.

I agree about Archive 81, it creeped me out in a way that I haven't been in a long time. The BBC adaptation of Tractate Middoth a few years ago did the job too.

For films, Ghost Story (the Andy Nyman one) is great, as is a three-parter called Crooked House that Mark Gatiss did for the BBC a while ago. Not to be confused with a similarly named film that was on Netflix recently. I still get shivers when I think about the reveal of The Abomination.

I recommend a book of short stories called The Travelling Bag by Susan Hill and another one called Fireside Gothic by Gary Sargent.
Love me a spooky tale. Much better than chainsaw massacres etc.

I really enjoyed Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver and A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris, both are very atmospheric.

Also the audiobook of Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand is free on audible if you've got a subscription, it's in the form of interviews about a folk band in the 70s. It's only about 4 hours long but it's great.

@LastResponder

American Horror Story

Second this. You may like Nurse Ratchett. Sarah Paulson is in both.

Another vote for The Others!