With death, insanity and bizarre burial rituals, this book is indeed one of the scariest books of all the time. The four scariest books among the ones ever written in english scary books have immense power over their readers. Youth services associate chelsea swinfordjohantges says, it isnt a traditional horror story, but blood meridian by cormac mccarthy disturbed me so much that i stopped reading it and dropped the class that assigned it. But, if you are looking for a good scare, these books will certainly get you started. If your summer months are more for scary stories around the campfire than breezy first love, happily ever after tales, this list of 10 of the creepiest books of all time will fulfill all your warm. The true story of an american ghostbuster who discovered. As its halloween, we wanted to compile a list of the scariest books to ever grace the page.
Savaging the dark may be one of the scariest if only because of its. When originally published in 1971, the exorcist became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. Written in 1954, it was ahead of its time, perhaps. No amount of special effects, creepy soundtracks, and camera tricks can outdo a chilling story written by those who lived through the horror and survived to tell the tale. Best scariest horror books of all time cosmopolitan.
But if youve already read such standbys as dracula. Aug 30, 2018 the 50 best horror novels of all time. And, as stephen king commented, hell house is the scariest haunted house novel ever written. With the allnew film adaptation sweeping box offices across the country in 2017, theres no better time to read stephen kings scariest novel. Were talking intense, profound, lesser known literary gems. Pick up this novel written by stephen kings oldest son before the movie comes out, and you can only picture daniel radcliffe as the newly horned. The best horror books of all time penguin random house. Column by richard thomas october 4, 20 41 comments. The book was nominated for a world fantasy award for best novel in 1984. Danielewski put simply, house of leaves is one of the most frightening books ever written. What are the most frightening books youve ever read. Well, luckily weve been fortunate enough to interview some of the worlds scariest authors.
If youre in the mood for a fright, here are some of the scariest books ever written. The 10 scariest goosebumps books of all time glamour. The shining by stephen king the overlook isnt a house, but its more thoroughly haunted than any place in the fictional universe. So, if youre looking for a hairraising read or two, check out our list of the scariest nonfiction books based on truelife hauntings and paranormal cases. Pick up this novel written by stephen kings oldest son before the movie comes out, and you. The ten scariest books of all time strand magazine. In kings creepy story of possession, aspiring writer and. Mar 30, 2020 these are the best horror books to gorge on, the scariest books ever printed. Space is so absolutely petrifying, its surprising that more scifi novels dont dig deep into the possibilities it presents for a good horror yarnbut those that do exist are truly scary, including these seven books, which stand with the most terrifying scifi novels ever written. Has anyone here found a book so scary you almost had to stop reading it. Jul 18, 2019 kings hotel horror classicand stanley kubricks 1980 movie adaptation, the shiningare masterpieces of the genre.
Feel free to grab your free reading challenge checklist and read through them all. What i got back is a list of curious that i got back. In particular, her book about serial killer ted bundy is bone chilling, due in part to her closeness with him beforehand. Scariest books ever written books that raise gooseflesh and keep you up all night. This is the scariest type of horror, horror of the heart.
Jun 25, 2018 this novel is easily numbers among the scariest psychological horror novels ive ever read, despite its being published three hundred years ago. Mainly because it shows how accessible we make our lives online. Jun 03, 2016 10 of the creepiest books of all time. Sep 22, 2017 with the allnew film adaptation sweeping box offices across the country in 2017, theres no better time to read stephen kings scariest novel. This is probably the most frightening novel stephen king has ever written. The scares come not just from the malevolent actions of a house. Featured image by zacarias pereira da matashutterstock. Unlike stine, ive never equated scary with funny my guttural reaction to reading a scary book is to dwell on the images conjured from its pages as i shift around in bed, unable to sleep. Written in 1816 when she was only nineteen, mary shelleys novel of the modern prometheus chillingly dramatized the dangerous potential of life begotten upon a laboratory table. Jacob lambert october 31, 2016 10 books mentioned 6 3 min read. The 10 scariest books of all time read at your own risk. When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made.
The 100 scariest horror novels of all time horror novel. Dec, 2019 celebrate this chilly friday the th in december with one of these seven books, which stand with the most terrifying scifi novels ever written. The true story of an american ghostbuster who discovered real vampires, satanic human sacrifices, deadly black magic, a haunted hotel, sadistic poltergeists, and more. The 20 scariest books of all time salems lot by stephen king. Horror comes in many forms but when it is on the page it is truly the scariest king.
Published in 1983, king himself declared this book as his scariest work. By contrast, horror novels have hours upon hours to develop their characters and ramp up the suspense, which means youre practically shaking. The characters are deep, and they have complicated emotions, i find myself relating to many of them. Theres no grand magical battles or super powers, and because of that the fights are absolutely brutal. Creepy stories are as old as mankind, and the really good ones will continue to frighten generations to come.
The true story of an american ghostbuster who discovered real vampires, satanic human sacrifices, deadly black magic. Inspired by a true story of a child who was possessed by demons in the 1940s, blatty created a novel that focuses on regan, an 11year old girl who has the same fate. So, without further ado, and with a little fanfare, we present to you our pick of scariest books ever written, the best horror books no matter what. Its one of the scariest books ever because of its suggestion that, no matter how civilized we might think ourselves, it wouldnt take much to bring. If your summer months are more for scary stories around the campfire than breezy first love, happily ever after tales, this list of 10 of the creepiest books of.
It was fresh and new when it was written, and nobodys devil has ever topped it. The best horror books of all time horror books have been part of the literary world for years, but it seems like horror in all its mediums has been on the upswing in recent times. The ten scariest books of all time as a seasoned horror author, im often asked not only what books i find the scariest, but also what novels have inspired me the most. This book is so terrifying it made it onto stephen kings list of the best horror novels ever written, which certainly makes it strong enough to earn a spot on the list of the most disturbing books. What is the most terrifying book you have ever read. That book left a loooooong impression on my brain because we lived out in the country. One chilling novel that is unique in that it ended up being a companion novel to a book written by kings alter ego, richard bachman, was none other than desperation. Aug 16, 2018 100 best horror novels and stories in honor of frankensteins 200th birthday, this years summer reader poll is all about horror from classics like mary shelleys monster to new favorites, we. The funniest, and scariest, book ever written writer charles baxter offers praise for flann obriens the third policeman, which can. If its meant purely to scare, then some of the heftier books on this list would have wracked up a body count, terrifying readers to death over 700 pages or more. I suggest house of leaves house of leaves without spoiling the plot, there are three nested stories, of which the core is about the finding of a set of documents and videos about a house that becomes slightly longer on the inside than the outs. These books are unlike any other fantasy ive ever read. Aug 22, 2006 the funniest, and scariest, book ever written writer charles baxter offers praise for flann obriens the third policeman, which can be confusing, comical and harrowing. The first book that sent my heartrate soaring higher than after a decent cardio workout was the witches of worm by zilpha keatley snyder, which i listened to on audiobook while.
With halloween upon us, now is the perfect time to curl up with a good, scary book. Oct 08, 2019 this 1959 gothic novel, which was the inspiration for the terrifying netflix series of the same name, is considered by many to be the best hauntedhouse story ever written. The metamorphosis by franz kafka the metamorphosis by kafka is pretty fucking dark. Stephen king is a household name when it comes to both fiction and horror. But, as readers, we love the sensation of being scaredit is adrenalineinducing and addictive. So, i put it out the those who know my friends, family, and readers. This 1959 gothic novel, which was the inspiration for the terrifying netflix series of the same name, is considered by many to be the best. From a fairly standard horror premise a house is revealed to be slightly larger on the inside than is strictly possible danielewski spins out a dizzying tale involving multiple unreliable narrators, typographic mysteries, and looping footnotes that manage to drag the reader. The scariest book everread aloudtwinkle teaches youtube.
The reason this was made into one of the scariest movies of all time is because it was one of the scariest novels of all time. Were looking back through the scariest books of the past two centuriesfrom gripping horror books to chilling gothic classics and postapocalyptic tales of caution. My scariest books have been ones by ann rule, a true crime writer. This is not only one of my favorite books ever, but also a book that scared the life out of me when i first read it, many years ago. The story of a 12yearold girl, regan, being possessed by the devil certainly gets a spot on the list of most disturbing books. And after all, the primary task of a scary novel is to scare. They build in that slow, suspenseful way that has you sitting on the edge of your chair, furiously flipping pages to see what happens. Not hugely well known, but also not the darkest book ever but it is the most beautiful book ive read about a child serial killer. These scary horror novels are books you dont want to read at night or by yourself because theyre just a little too scary. What are the scariest books in the english language.
Best horror books of all time list of scariest novels. Stines spookiest, scariest characters from his famous goosebumps books will come to life on the big screenand were over here. The goriest books ever these books have untold amounts of pure, gaginducing, abominated gore. Any story that can be considered the best ever written on the most horrifying time the world has ever seen deserves a spot on this list. Im sure there are many, many more creepy books that could make the scariest books of all time list. Pet sematary by stephen king pet sematary is a horror novel by stephen king. Cold and flu season is the perfect time to read this postapocalyptic scenario. The exorcist is one of the scariest books of all time and remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. Jul 16, 2018 the scariest book ive ever read is the autobiography of my mother, by jamaica kincaid. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you a list of the most disturbing books ever written. This story focuses on four characters, one of which is on a mission to prove the existence of the supernatural in hill house. Oooooooh, those that ive read are definitely scary. Kings hotel horror classicand stanley kubricks 1980 movie adaptation, the shiningare masterpieces of the genre.
Horror books have been part of the literary world for years, but it seems like horror in all its mediums has been on the upswing in. Horror most terrifying books of all time hewlettwoodmere. It was fresh and new when it was written, and nobodys devil has. The haunting of hill house is simply the best haunted house story ever written. I had a secondstory bedroom overlooking the driveway, and anytime i heard a noise at night i had to look out the window to make sure a car full of vicious murderers hadnt.
Dec 07, 2018 what are the scariest books ever written. Were looking back through the scariest books of the past two centuriesfrom gripping horror books to chilling gothic classics and. Add books to this list that have disgusted or twisted you in some way. And were not talking about bseries zombies, shockforshockvalue cheap literature. Not only does it discuss the terrors of corrupt religion, but it also deals with a mans existential crisis, whether he is predestined for heaven, and whether his new friend with the bible written. The greatest horror books of all time are books that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up just from the rustle of turning the pages. This novel is easily numbers among the scariest psychological horror novels ive ever read, despite its being published three hundred years ago. A frightening creation myth for our own time, frankenstein remains one of the greatest horror stories ever written and is an undisputed classic of its kind. In fact, this haunting tale is so popular, that the colorado hotel that originally inspired kingestes parks the stanleyhas now become a major travel destination for horror aficionados. There is nothing quite like sitting down to read one of the scariest books on the planet. Its worth noting, as you will see in this best horror book guide, the genre isnt just about. Jul 25, 2014 the scariest books horror authors have ever read bookish we asked nine horror aficionados including charlaine harris, jack ketchum, mira grant and fangoria magazine to choose the one book. Oct 26, 2012 but my alltime scariest book i read was in cold blood by truman capote. The countless film adaptations and reimaginings have rendered those classics impotent in our amygdalas.
Inspired by a true story of a child who was possessed by demons in the 1940s, blatty created a novel that focuses on. Oct 09, 20 here, for your horrifying pleasure, are 50 of the scariest books ever written in the english language, whether horror, nonfiction, or speculative futures you never want to see. If its meant purely to scare, then some of the heftier books on this list would have wracked up a body count, terrifying readers to. A read aloud of the book the scariest book ever written by bob shea with mrs. So herewith, the literary mans top ten scariest books of all time. Feb 26, 2017 the exorcist is one of the scariest books of all time and remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. Without further ado, i give you a handful of my favorites, though, when i say favorites, there are a few selections here that id only tackle once. Maybe people are realizing just how satisfying it is to settle into a scary story, feel the rush of adrenaline, and then close the book, turn off the movie, or walk. Nobody whos read the shining can forget the images from its pagesthe twin girls at the end of the hallway, the magically stocked bar, the topiary animals, the party hat in the elevator, the bloodsmeared walls, the naked woman from.
So, not being a fan of creepy books, i didnt know where to start when trying to compile a scariest books of all time list. The scariest book ive ever read the one that made me lose sleep and hide under the covers crying for dawn was actually a collection of short stories by stephen king. And if they get to be a little too much, just do what i do. I know scary books are possible and would be really good, but im yet to find anything thats had me wanting to hide under the covers. According to 5 bcpl staff members, the books below are the scariest theyve ever read. Lovecraft, these terrifying books will all leave a chill down your spine. Its categorized as literary fiction, but its a horror novel, too.
Without a doubt, its the most unsettling thing ive ever read. It was tough to put hell house above i am legend, but hey, the world is full of choices, and this writer finds haunted houses scarier than vampires. Brian evenson has been frightening readers for over two decades with books like altmanns tongue, the open curtain, and, most recently, song for the unraveling of the world, a collection of 22. One of the scariest books i ever read thats not on the list was it by stephen king.