What's the scariest book you've read?

[imaginative]

My two are 'the woman in Black' by Susan Hill - sooo creepy, and much more recently, and probably frightened me a bit more - 'What Laura Saw' by Sarah King. This one has a couple of really great twists and a very sympathetic lead character.

So which books scared you the most? I am looking for another one to read alongside 'The State We're In'. I like to have a couple of books on the go depending on my mood. Thanks

Don't Look Now; short story by Daphne Du maurier; terrified me. Was living at my parents house at time and nearly asked to get in bed with them (age 21).then stupidly watched the film. Shiver. My son (22) suggested we watch it a while ago; I went to bed and he watched it on his own, a great lover of gore and horror; he slept on the settee with the lights on. My sister has a very nice red duffel coat but she has learnt not to wear it when she is with me.

Oh heck, yes, 'Don't look now' must rank as one of the top creepiest films ever.

And then there was the sex scene in "Don't Look Now." Donald Sutherland naked: yikes.

I find Mo Hayder's books quite disturbing and chilling. She has a rather twisted imagination that really stirs up your subconscious fears. Especially The Treatment [shudders]

The Little House by Philippa Gregory is quite disturbing too. It seems a quite innocent story of rivalry between a woman and her MIL but the more you read the more macabre it gets, and the ending is quite chilling.

What's really scary about it is that it's so subtle with the characters being polite on the surface but underneath there's some really twisted under-currents going on. Clever stuff.

Pet Semetary, IT - Stephen King

Reading 'The Shining Girls', Lauren Beukes atm. Is giving me a few chills...

Pet sematary. Just an awful, awful book. The one Stephen King book I haven't reread dozens of times - just too scared of it. Especially now I'm a parent.

The scariest book that I have ever read was Slayride by Dick Francis. I think it was the suddenness of bodies being discovered that shook me and I have never been tempted to re read it.

I found Gerald's Game, The Woman in Black and Little Stranger all scary.

The only book that has made me scream out loud when reading it was The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan. Really scary and upsetting.

Eleven terrible months, can't remember the author at the moment, very creepy, sort of like a diary from different family members giving their account of living in a "haunted" house.
My sister borrowed it when i had read it and was freaked out by it, she then gave it away as she didn't want it in her house as she felt uncomfortable having it in her possession, always a good sign when a book gets under your skin i think!

I'm going to look up that one!

My tastes go toward the creepy supernatural novels so I agree with a lot of the recommendations on this thread so far. Dark Matter, Naomi's Room, The Shining and House of Leaves left me with a creeping sort of dread.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill is great. The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen and The Willows by Algernon Blackwood are also good.

John Connolly is wonderful. I love his Charlie Parker series, but I'd probably recommend Nocturnes as a starting point. As an aside, The Book of Lost things is a wonderful, creepy adult fairy tale.

Lovecraft is good, though for creepy reads I recommend The Haunter of the Dark and Pickman's Model. Also worth checking out the Welcome to Nightvale podcast as that has echoes of Lovecraft.

If you like the sound of M.R James then my favourites of his were Lost Hearts, Whistle and I'll Come to You and The Mezzotint.

I saw someone recommend a Dean Koontz book. The only book of his that has ever scared me was the first half of The Taking. I wasn't a big fan of the end, but I had to put the book down for a while.

Richard Matheson writes some really good stuff too.

Film wise, I tend to prefer foreign horror these days. My recommendations are Shutter (the original, not American remake), Rec and the De Toro films (Orphanage, Devil's Backbone etc).

If anyone likes podcasts then Knifepoint Horror is quite good.

Wow this is long. Sorry. Can't you tell I love scary stuff?

The Chalice by Phil Rickman. Great writer. I stayed up til 4am reading it because I was too scared to put it down without some closure.

When I was in my teens I read Herbert Van Thal Pan books of horror, Amityville horror, Pet cemetery and more recently Into the darkest corner - Elizabeth Haynes which scared me.

Loving this thread. For me:

Woman in Black
Don't Look Now

Read both of these in my late teens and they scared the shit out of me like nothing has since. Literally couldn't turn the page for last page of Don't Look Now. Also agree with When the Wind Blows - but then I was a child of the 70's so I spent the 80's in a permanent state of terror thinking nuclear war was going to break out. WTWB disturbed me so much when I first read it and continues to do so 30 years on...

Can't wait to try Dark Matter based on these recommendations and also the one about the abusive boyfriend! Never read any Sarah Walters but you have all peeked my interest in trying some of them out....

Another vote for Dark Matter.

But be warned you will not sleep. You will be too scared to turn the lights off.

I had to give this book away to my sister after I had read it. It was so dark and scary that I couldn't keep it in the house.

'The Exorcist' by William Peter Blatty - far scarier than the film. I was in my teens at the time though so probably far more susceptible to being scared. I remember lying in bed rigid with fear after reading it. I think it's based on a true story and it's the sense of realism that makes it so scary.

Do you mind if I sub? Love scary books - am looking for some to download and there are some great suggestions.

Dean Koontz books used to TERRIFY me; don't know why I read them really!

sanquhar I was just going to recommend those two Adam Nevill books.

The forest one is Ritual and the cult one is Last Days (I think) and both had some very creepy moments in them. I preferred Ritual because I just like the idea of being stalked through the woods (although not really, I mean from the safety of the pages of the book).

Has anyone suggested FG Cottam yet? I liked The Waiting Room best I think, and Dark Echo. There's something old fashioned about the creepiness of his books in places. House of Lost Souls was also good.

I saw someone suggest Bird Box and I read it recently, it was very good. Apart from one bit that was so ridiculous it annoyed me, but the idea of having to walk about outside with closed eyes or blindfolds gave me the creeps right from the start.

re Dark Matter. I did a very silly thing. I included it in a bag of books I gave to my 84 year old DF when he was going into hospital for a longish stay. He started reading it late one night on the ward, alone, facing a dark uncurtained window. He told me the next day it really freaked him out and he had to hide it in the drawer

Your poor dad Duchess, but you were just trying to be thoughtful. It shows the power of a good book on an active mind though. I hope your dad's hospital stay was otherwise uneventful.

Ash by James Herbert

He's fine now :) and I think I'm forgiven for spooking him. He did say it was a good book, which he finished in daylight :o

I remember being frightened by Dracula the first time I read it but no longer.

Do people really find The Woman in Black scary? Maybe I've taught it too many times but I don't remember ever being remotely frightened by it.