Horror literature has this special way of crawling into our heads, lighting up those dark fears from within us and increasing the pace at which our hearts beat. Whether you’re a seasoned horror fan or new to the genre and want to experience the best that horror has to offer, this list of top 10 Horror books is sure to send shivers down your spine. Max Gladstone, author of The Empress of Forever and coauthor with Amal El-Mohtar of This Is How You Lose the Time War (June 2019) “Each novel feels like a masterwork in its own particular niche or subgenre: whether you’re dying to be terrified by dead things climbing out from under wet rocks, ghosts knocking at windows in rotting houses on endless windy nights, blasphemous purple prose dripping molten ink across vellum; miserable missives penned to forgotten gods nightly, soul undone page by bleeding page…” —Max Gladstone Shall we take that deep dive into the chilling underbelly of horror fiction?
The Shining, Stephen King. This classic is the cornerstone of all modern horror literature. * Jack Torrance (played by J.D. Duell) – An earlier writer and former alcoholic who becomes winter caretaker of the Overlook Inn, hoping to cure his author’s block and struggling marriage with wife Wendy; He is touched. After accepting the job offer, Jack relocates his family to the secluded hotel and things take a turn for worse as apparitions inside the hotel start taking a toll on his mental health. The hotel’s sinister history and its influence on Jack resulted in a horrifying tale of isolation, insanity, and the connection between family members.
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is the quintessential vampire novel that has defined the genre for over a century. That’s to be expected when something as popular and well-received stays in print for over a century It’s an epistolary novel that recounts the Count Dracula’s efforts to re-locate from Transylvania to England to find new blood and distribute the curse of the undead. Told in journal entries, letters and newspaper articles it gives us a variety of perspectives on the whole chilling story. Stoker’s take on Dracula would go on to inspire numerous adaptations and is still cited as a classic of horror fiction.
Pet Sematary A classic by Stephen King. What it’s about: The harrowing results of fiddling with the balance between life and death. Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two children Gage and Ellie move to a rural home where they are welcomed and enlightened about the eerie pet cemetery located near their home After a tragic moment, Lous finds out that there is a burial ground behind the pet cemetery in which can bring back to life the dead ones—at how dark prize. A haunting story of grief, loss and the unbridled need to understand our darkest fears.
Misery by Stephen King. A creepy, dark psychological horror about the bond between author Paul Sheldon and dedicated fan Annie Wilkes. Rescued from a car accident and then imprisoned by demented nurse Annie, the writer Paul must do whatever it takes to create his next masterpiece according to her deviant standards. Its heavy focus on interpersonal dynamics and the claustrophobic environment is what makes Misery such a tension-gripping novel; exploring themes of imprisonment, fixation, and tyranny through art.
The Exorcist written by William Peter Blatty is the scariest book ever, a novel based on an actual real exorcism. The entire narrative deals with the possession of a little girl Regan MacNeil, and everything her mother and two priests do to have her back. Blatty’s depiction of demonic possession and the struggle between good and evil is horrifying and captivating. The success of the novel was so great that it would chill the bones of cinema audience members again in its equally classic adaptation.
Not only a masterful study in the supernatural, but also an exemplary step by step guide to writing and delivering psychological horror. Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House remains one of my favorite horror novels; it does not disappoint! It was about one group’s inquiry into the paranormal happenings at Hill House, an evil historical house, carried out by four people. The tone was set by Jackson’s own atmospheric prose and her dive into the characters’ thoughts with a tension that produced a gut-wrenching scene of horror. — The ambiguity of the novel leaves its readers challenging whether the haunting is in reality, making it a deep and disturbing read.
“Carrie” was Stephen King’s first novel and is still one of his most famous. Based about the novel of identical name through Stephen King, Carrie will be a high institution girl bullied simply by her peers prior to finally going on a killing rampage at her prom. The story is all concerning this girl (Carrie White) and also where’s she’s caused from being telekinetic powers that find in almost all connected with it thanks for you to the woman whackjob mother as well as cruel kids within school which eventually force your ex right into isolationism along with a state regarding deep shock just after they’ll have 1 stage too far using disastrously unfunny fitness center class prank. A bullied at high school and pushed to the limits, Carrie unleashes a telekinetic havoc in retaliation for her prom night. Carrie not only is, obviously and unassailably, a sympathetic tragic figure but it also holds up as an examination of adolescence, cruelty, the power of intrinsic pent-up rage.
Ghost Story by Peter Straub: In this spine-chilling book, we follow a variety of stories that come together to show the effect past sins have on our present realities. About a group of old men in a small town who get together every so often to share ghost stories, only for them to realize their own past is coming back after each one of them. I’d highly recommend Ghost Story, thanks to Straub’s ability at detailed plotting and vividly rendered prose for a rich read that deals with themes of guilt, revenge and the other-worldly
Joe Hill’s “Heart-Shaped Box” is a modern horror classic about aging rock star Judas Coyne and his collection of macabre objects. When he purchases a phantom online, he inadvertently delivers an underhanded soul to his doorstep. A vengeful ghost subsequently takes Judas and his girlfriend on a nightmarish journey to face their dark past, battling the sins they have instigated. Hill’s plotting is razor-sharp, and his narrative sculptures a page turner that wrestles with redemption and the ghosts of our past.
House of Leaves: an experimental horror novel that challenges what a book can be, by Mark Z. Danielewski Multiple narrators, footnotes and unconventional typography are all parts of this book’s multi-layered structure. Its central story would’ve followed a family who moves into a house that is somehow bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. And terrifying, inexplicable manifestations and phenomena lurk in its labyrinthine interior, a paragraph I’m tempted to overwrite … House Of Leaves is a fever dream of a novel that wreaks havoc on your senses and urges you to reconsider what you know about reality and fear.
Conclusion
All of these top 10 horror books have something unique, but with one thing in common. They will all make you lose sleepopppeee insubstantial if it’s under or over say? PSYCHOLOGICAL horror, SUPERNATURAL terror and GOTHIC chills: these novels all have something to offer the discerning horror fan… Visit 13 Horror Street as well, where we always have a vast selection of horror books and collectibles at exceptional prices. We guarantee you’ll rest easy knowing we have compiled a list of “good” horror genres to keep the dead at bay. Grab a blanket, keep the lights low–or high if that helps calm you–and get ready for some of the best horror literature ever written.
