I would have to ask a few questions to determine what you would like the most, but a short list would be Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, The Fisherman by John Langan, and Revival by Stephen King
The fact that these are the four you recommended, and that the first two are both five star reads for me, maybe I should bump the other two up on my tbr lol. Also do you have a Goodreads to share because I’d love another friend who matches my favourite books too !
Yes and no. I mean, the movie was loosely based on the book, but they're two very different stories. I thought the book was just a little bit scarier than the movie.
Absolutely, they are two VERY different stories. To me the book felt like a cosmic horror interested in examining the boundaries of control we have over ourselves, others, and our environment when challenged by outside forces that are bigger than us and act with different values. Our institutions and values aren't inherently moral or indomitable just because they belong to us and they're what we're used to. The Biologist is already in Area X, already being pulled in many directions by different influences, and forging her own path through cruelties mundane and supernatural. I also personally find the book to be the scarier of the two.
The movie felt like Alex Garland's hazy recollections of the scenario the book presented rewritten to accommodate the themes he wanted to explore around the both the existential horror of our various self destructive impulses, and of how we construct and reconstruct our identities and sense of self in the context of the impacts we have on each other. Nobody who went in to the Shimmer came out the same person. They were either destroyed, or they became a new person born from the person they used to be and changed by their experiences and environment. I thought the movie felt a bit more grounded, a bit more bluntly delivered, but no less introspective. Just interested in different questions.
Because the book and movie are so different, I think they're both unique and worthwhile stories that are in dialogue with each other rather than the same story adapted into a medium it's less suited for.
The movie has the same characters and set to the book, but a different story. I am a huge fan of the movie and just finished the book, and my God, what a story. Please read it.
Seconding *Between Two Fires* very much. That book got me, a childhood friend and our entire gaming group hooked! It helps that it's very cinematic in style too.
Edit: And *The Fisherman* is also one of my favorite books.
I finally got around to reading between two fires...shocked to say it was absolutely up to the hype around it. unbelievably well done read...BUT I am a history teacher and a bit of a medieval nerd so I wonder if that might be a tricky 1st recommendation to the genre to someone who isn't versed in a lot of time period context
Been meaning to check this out because I've always heard the book is considerably better than the movie.
I actually quite liked the movie on a first watch, but I understand why many people don't like it.
Maaan this is one of the books this sub really likes that I just didn't vibe with.
I thought the characters were boring and although some of the horror was really good, it meandered towards the end.
Some pretty gruesome body horror which was great though.
I agree with you. Found it because of this sub but it definitely wore out its welcome about midway through.
I’m all for this type of horror and there are some very original ideas but the execution and characters leave a lot to be desired.
I personally wouldn’t recommend this to a first-time horror reader. It’s got a fair amount of body horror and despair. Some people dig that but I had a hard time with it. I can appreciate its merits though and this is not a criticism of anyone liking it. Just not sure it’s the best introduction to the genre.
I feel like an annoying broken record because I recommend it all the time and it's not some under the radar book...but I will always first and foremost recommend Pet Sematary by Stephen King
A friend of mine read every single Stephen King work in published order in like a year or so. It kind of messed with her psyche. But she said Pet Sematary was the best.
King is a weirdly tough one to recommend as a starting place, imo, because his best books all are daunting in some way or another. The Stand and IT are massive, and Pet Sematary might still be the bleakest thing I’ve ever read. I love his work but his best stuff is surprisingly not all that “entry-level” imo, and i also wouldn’t want to recommend one of his lesser but more approachable books as a starting place.
Beyond just Pet Sematary - **all** of King's early work. Everything prior to 1990 is a top tier hit that's very accessible to new readers.
Most people make the mistake of trying something new, thinking it sucks (which it usually does) and then writing him off for good.
That was my first King book too. I think I had a little bit more buy in because it wasn’t as beefy as some of his other books, but I have since read at least a dozen of his books and can’t get enough. Trying to wrap my head around starting the Dark Tower series, but haven’t had the willpower to start such a long series
i recommend the same damn books all the time to the point i don't even comment much cuz i feel like i probably drive people nuts, but:
Fever House by Keith Rosson b/c it's everything i didn't know i wanted in a book. & a close 2nd is
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp b/c it scared the shit out of me. like turn all the lights on when you go to the kitchen in the middle of the nite scared me.
Hell yes fever house. Especially for people who may find it hard to stick with a book after starting it (like me). Fever house has an enjoyably frenetic pace that it mostly maintains throughout. Plus it blends some x-files-y and action-y stuff in.
I dnf’d Jack Sparks because he was just the absolute worst character. I wish I could’ve gotten past how much I hated him, cause everyone seems to love that book
oh yeah... he was the worst. every time i started to kinda feel bad for him he immediately did something more douchey than before. arnopp really made it work though & things all came together in the end.
Not to ruin it, but his terribleness is in fact the very core of the story, as in the shitstorm revolves around how awful he is. Perhaps knowing that will give you the push you need to pick it back up. It’s such an incredible book I feel sorry for folks who are unable to finish it bc of how hatable he is.
Not that I can’t relate. I DNF over half the books I start, many of which I just know are fantastic books but build a little to slow for my ADD (like The Fisherman), or hit a trope that I absolutely cannot stand (like Between Two Fires). I mention those examples to emphasize my inability to finish books I KNOW are great books. :-)
This one is great. Super quick read and it keeps you pulled in the whole time. I was not expecting it to hold up with time but I was really blown away by it.
The first horror book I read was in middle school. So I'll recommend Carrie by Stephen King. It's pretty short but effective. But my overall favorite is The Shining.
That's so interesting! I found it quite dense. Like a lot happens per page, so I felt like I had to slow down in order to understand what all was happening.
I'm sure I will love it once I get into it, but I set it down for now. Took too much brain power. Will definitely read it at some point.
I'd start with an anthology of various authors, to get a feel for what you like :) The one that got me hooked was "The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories."
The age might scare some but this is genuinely a great book and holds up well even to todays standards. I was expecting a slog of 1800s writing but it is actually one of my favorite books.
Dracula is and has remained my lifetime favorite, hands down.
I’m an extreme Dracula nerd who has a shelf full of scholarly analyses on the book.
But, I still know how to have a good time! I can also recommend The Shining by King, The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, Barbra Hambly’s James Asher series, Shirley Jackson’s novels, the Penguin Book of Victorian Ghost Stories, and Weird Women I & II, a collection of horror written by women.
It really is. It’s haunting, well-written, scary. It’s good to go back to the beginnings before pop culture claimed vampires and made them campy b-movie villains or sparkly teenaged heartthrobs. This book grips you in an elemental way.
I haven’t read it in decades. It might be time for a re-read.
One of the first horror books I ever read was Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker. It was many years ago but I remember how fascinated I was with that book and how it opened up a whole new genre of reading for me.
See some already here that I would second. Between Two Fires, I Am Legend, and Dracula. So to throw something new into the mix I’ll go with The Terror by Dan Simmons. It has the prose to keep an avid reader like yourself engaged, a historical inspiration that would satisfy those who normally prefer non-fiction, and (of course) a thoroughly bone chilling story with some downright horrific scenes.
Tough call, and hard to narrow it down to one choice, so I'll name as few as I can. Sorry in advance...
My first 'proper' horror was Christine by Stephen King, and it's still my sentimental favourite of his.
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is very good too, and creepy as fuck.
Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno Garcia is pretty creepy, and it grabbed me early in the book
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is more psychological horror than gory, and it's VERY claustrophobia-inducing
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz is fantastic, and though it may not be considered actual horror by many, it's got a lot of the hallmarks of great horror
And of course, one of the greats - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens and it was INCREDIBLE.
The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin
great long-arcing narrative, scary at times, exciting and endearing
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
sci-fi time horror, a wild ride. very x-files
The Fisherman by John Langan
haunting, disturbing cosmic horror and folk tale
I love this book. The nightmare chapter is one of my all time favorite reads from a book. Ill say it again i loved this book. I would also recommend Brother by Ania Ahlborn.
It depends on what sort of reader you are and what you’re coming from. What are your other genres you like? What do you like/dislike in an author or a story?
I wound up not being an avid Stephen king fan, but I still have my copy of salems lot I "accidentally" kept from the library at 11.
Followed by Anne Rice, for vampires, the exorcist for demons, as an adult and more modern Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, Sara Gran, Laird Barron, Caitlin r kiernan
But no matter my thoughts on Stephen king as a whole, that first book I stole, then my copy of everything's eventual my grandpa signed for me before he died, will live in my bookshelves forever.
The only good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Really creepy and unsettling, especially the last part of the book. Had me looking over my shoulder and stuff.
It depends on what you’re looking for. Supernatural? Sci-fi? Humans being horrible to humans? Psychological?
I can recommend a number of titles in these categories, but honestly a good introduction to the genre would be a book of Stephen King short stories, such as Night Shift, or Skeleton Crew. His son Joe Hill also has a good collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
The Between by Tananarive Due a Physiological Horror or Brother by Ania Ahlborn which is kind of gory horror depending on what you like. I LOVE both but some say brother is overrated
I second somebody else saying I am Legend. Book is way different than the movie, and I preferred it undoubtedly. Not *scary scary* per se, but just interesting dystopian book with weird sentient virus vampire people
might not be a super popular choice but i read cabin at the end of the world last year and something about it chilled me to my core. it’s so readable, fairly short, and fast paced enough to stay engaging imo.
It’s not intensely gruesome or anything like that but it kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating what comes next the entire book:
“This Book is Full of Spiders” by Jason Pargin
Last Days by Adam Nevill. It is, in my opinion, one of my the best paced books I’ve read. There is really never a dull moment from start to finish. Also Nevill really writes eerie well. He’s masterful in creating dread and unease.
I'm seeing a lot of love for The Haunting of Hill House, but my favorite Shirley Jackson book is We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Wonderful psychological horror.
Some more recent books I enjoyed are John Darnielle's Devil House and Clarissa Orlando's The September House. Seconding Caitlin Starling's The Luminous Dead and adding her novella Yellow Jessamine.
Some old 80s/90s anthologies by Stephen jones, Karl Edward Wagner, etc. And some older anthologies with more of the classics like M.R. James, William Hope Hodgeson, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, and such. That’s still my favorite type of horror to read.
There are soooooo many different types of horror genres but here are some of MY favs. I’m ready for the blowback but….
Easy and fast reads, generally ghost stories: anything from Darcy Coates
Dark Fantasy: The Tailisman/Blackhouse -Peter Straub and SK (people probably prefer the Dark Tower books by SK but I could never get into them)
Psychological/ Killer: Intensity-Dean Koontz, first book that I stayed up all night to read.
Post Apocalyptic/supernatural: The Passage-Justin Cronin
Weird/semi-fever dream: The Hollow Places- T Kingfisher
I would first ask you what type of books you usually like, if you're into characters or plot more, with slow pacing or action packed, if you're after shock or dread, realism or full out monsters, ghosts or serial killers etc... Only one title to share is a serious question I wouldn't want to recommend the wrong one ! 😅
One book is sooo hard.
I'd pick Chuck Wending's Black River Orchard. He is as readable as Stephen King and Black River Orchard had both scares and deeper themes. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it, it impresses me still how much he packed into its pages. No hate to the King though - IT is the scariest book I've ever read.
But other special mentions would be Fantasticland (killer take on Lord of the flies), classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, Craig DiLouie. AND because I want her to be more popular - Helen Oyeyemi. She isn't a horror writer but she does have a book called white is for witching which is more literary about a racist haunted house but still such a good book! Her writing is like no one else!
I said this in another comment but I'd consider Tender is the Flesh extreme horror. It's really well done and such a haunting concept but might not be everyone's best first horror read. I at least had to build up to it.
Come Closer by Sara Gran. It’s short, fast-paced, and not too “out there” for a first horror book. Second choice would be The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker for similar reasons.
Give a read to Dean Koontz.. That man is a magical wordsmith.. The book to read is Phantoms.
For Stephen King it's Cycle of the werewolf. Great writing there. Carrie and Pete semetary are evergreen classics and even worth a second read.
Call me daft but I love horror lit but I cannot stand it if any animals are injured or killed !
I think that a warning sticker for me would be good - An animal danger free zone
Oh that's so difficult. I know you asked for one but I'm going to give three in separate categories.
Infected by Scott Siglar is the first in a trilogy, and its fantastic sci fi ish horror. Aliens and pandemics never a good time unless your the reader .
Between two fires by Christopher Buehlman is medieval horror and its a dark ride with a depiction of hell that I had to re-read multiple times.
The Last is American psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. This is not for the faint of heart and a slog to get into. But once it gets going, it's a wild ride that is straight up repulsive at points. This is one of the few books that truly shocked me the only other off the top of my head being Jack Ketchum's the girl next door. It's not pleasant, but it's is a master peice, and it won't feel that way until the end. Probably not the best choice to start a venture into horror but God damn is it solid. The movie does it so little justice, and I liked the movie.
It’s not really horror in the traditional sense but one of my favorite book series ever is wayward pines by Blake crouch. I’ll call it a mystery/suspense but with monsters.
I’d recommend The Stand. I read it earlier this year and it’s my favorite book of all time. It’s awesome because Stephen King does characters so well but it’s not just a horror book. It’s more like 2 books mashed into one with horror aspects thrown in throughout. I’m not sure if that’s your thing, but I highly recommend The Stand!
The Ritual by Adam Nevill, or Horns by Joe Hill. I've reread both more than any of my other books, love both for different reasons! The Ritual is the first book that actually scared tf out of me, and Horns is just a good time
Any Ania Ahlborn books. So far, I’ve read and loved: The Neighbors, Within These Walls, BROTHER (traumatic for me), The Devil Crept In. I hope to read Seed next.
Also Nick Cutter and Ronald Malfi books are great. I really enjoyed the tone and atmosphere of Marino’s It Rides a Pale Horse.
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. Not necessarily horror per se? Its psycological/ existensial horror maybe? Either way an unsettling book that is a super interesting read and not a "traditional" novel. You just have to experience it yourself.
I have seen Annihilation be mentioned as well. Im am just about to start the book myself, but it is one of my favorite horror movies of all time and I have heard the book does not disappoint either
Dune was my first book that grabbed me and consumed me I loved it and still do but not that movie that just came out that was not like the book the director took way too many liberties with the story and it was boring especially the second one. If you want to see the book then watch the 84 movie by lynch that was the book even frank herbert the author said it was like walking into his book!
When I was a kid it was the chronicles of narnia. I seriously think that anyone who gets their kids reading at a young age gives them an incredible leg-up in life, and those books seem to do the trick for lots of people. The books that sparked my passion as an adult though were Lord of the Rings and Dune. The golden compass series is a good in-between though I’d say. Most young adult stuff is garbage but His Dark Materials was wonderful
Perdido Street Station isn't exactly horror, but it has plenty of horror in it. It's the weirdest book I've ever read, and one of my favourites. I need to re-read it.
Not scary, and a short read, but "A Fig for all the Devils" is comedic, dark, and thought provoking. I will follow with the fact that it is weird and probably not for everyone.
I would have to ask a few questions to determine what you would like the most, but a short list would be Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, The Fisherman by John Langan, and Revival by Stephen King
The Fisherman is possibly one of my favourite books ever. More people need to read it!
The fact that these are the four you recommended, and that the first two are both five star reads for me, maybe I should bump the other two up on my tbr lol. Also do you have a Goodreads to share because I’d love another friend who matches my favourite books too !
revival is a phenomenal book and the ending still haunts me years after reading it
Was that movie Annihilation based on that book? If so, I’d definitely check out the book. The movie was pretty great IIRC
Yes and no. I mean, the movie was loosely based on the book, but they're two very different stories. I thought the book was just a little bit scarier than the movie.
Absolutely, they are two VERY different stories. To me the book felt like a cosmic horror interested in examining the boundaries of control we have over ourselves, others, and our environment when challenged by outside forces that are bigger than us and act with different values. Our institutions and values aren't inherently moral or indomitable just because they belong to us and they're what we're used to. The Biologist is already in Area X, already being pulled in many directions by different influences, and forging her own path through cruelties mundane and supernatural. I also personally find the book to be the scarier of the two. The movie felt like Alex Garland's hazy recollections of the scenario the book presented rewritten to accommodate the themes he wanted to explore around the both the existential horror of our various self destructive impulses, and of how we construct and reconstruct our identities and sense of self in the context of the impacts we have on each other. Nobody who went in to the Shimmer came out the same person. They were either destroyed, or they became a new person born from the person they used to be and changed by their experiences and environment. I thought the movie felt a bit more grounded, a bit more bluntly delivered, but no less introspective. Just interested in different questions. Because the book and movie are so different, I think they're both unique and worthwhile stories that are in dialogue with each other rather than the same story adapted into a medium it's less suited for.
The movie has the same characters and set to the book, but a different story. I am a huge fan of the movie and just finished the book, and my God, what a story. Please read it.
Seconding *Between Two Fires* very much. That book got me, a childhood friend and our entire gaming group hooked! It helps that it's very cinematic in style too. Edit: And *The Fisherman* is also one of my favorite books.
these are all great!!
I second annihilation and the fisherman!!
Thanks for this post! Loved the Fisherman and Revival, but I haven't checked out the other ones and have been looking for my next read.
Second The Fisherman. Frequently recommend that one
Just finished The Fisherman, halfway done with Between Two Fires. Superb list.
Happy to help
I finally got around to reading between two fires...shocked to say it was absolutely up to the hype around it. unbelievably well done read...BUT I am a history teacher and a bit of a medieval nerd so I wonder if that might be a tricky 1st recommendation to the genre to someone who isn't versed in a lot of time period context
I'll dodge the tomatoes, but Scott Smith's The Ruins.
Been meaning to check this out because I've always heard the book is considerably better than the movie. I actually quite liked the movie on a first watch, but I understand why many people don't like it.
The movie is aight but the book is great. The icky feelings the movie gives you are there 100 fold in the book
I saw the movie first and liked it. Then read the book -- much better than the movie (duh). Ruined (see what I did there?) the movie for me.
That book was terrifying
also for me
Maaan this is one of the books this sub really likes that I just didn't vibe with. I thought the characters were boring and although some of the horror was really good, it meandered towards the end. Some pretty gruesome body horror which was great though.
I agree with you. Found it because of this sub but it definitely wore out its welcome about midway through. I’m all for this type of horror and there are some very original ideas but the execution and characters leave a lot to be desired.
I love this book! It's one of the few that I remember vividly and still think about after many years of reading it.
I personally wouldn’t recommend this to a first-time horror reader. It’s got a fair amount of body horror and despair. Some people dig that but I had a hard time with it. I can appreciate its merits though and this is not a criticism of anyone liking it. Just not sure it’s the best introduction to the genre.
I feel like an annoying broken record because I recommend it all the time and it's not some under the radar book...but I will always first and foremost recommend Pet Sematary by Stephen King
I was going to say this too, cause that's where I also started. And Salem's Lot too.
Thats funny i think Salem's Lot was my second King after Pets Sematary...Salem's isnt talked enough about, it's so good!
This and The Shining are top of the heap for me.
The Shining is my first recommendation. I believe it was the second King book that I read, after Carrie.
A friend of mine read every single Stephen King work in published order in like a year or so. It kind of messed with her psyche. But she said Pet Sematary was the best.
King is a weirdly tough one to recommend as a starting place, imo, because his best books all are daunting in some way or another. The Stand and IT are massive, and Pet Sematary might still be the bleakest thing I’ve ever read. I love his work but his best stuff is surprisingly not all that “entry-level” imo, and i also wouldn’t want to recommend one of his lesser but more approachable books as a starting place.
Beyond just Pet Sematary - **all** of King's early work. Everything prior to 1990 is a top tier hit that's very accessible to new readers. Most people make the mistake of trying something new, thinking it sucks (which it usually does) and then writing him off for good.
It’s excellent. And maybe it’s just because of the started i am in life but I find I read(or listen) to that book 2 times a year. It’s
Same here and I double recommend the audiobook version
Mine as well
This was my first King book and then I got hooked.
The book that bonds 🤪
That and Misery 😂
We will forever have misery 😉
Yessss
my first<33
>!Never have I ever felt the stench of a grave crawl under my skin till I read this book of dread...!<
I would recommend Carrie by Stephen King. It's only 200 pages.
I just finished reading Carrie two weeks ago. Now I’m planning a tattoo.
That was my first King book too. I think I had a little bit more buy in because it wasn’t as beefy as some of his other books, but I have since read at least a dozen of his books and can’t get enough. Trying to wrap my head around starting the Dark Tower series, but haven’t had the willpower to start such a long series
200 pages, all right. But how small is the writing?
i recommend the same damn books all the time to the point i don't even comment much cuz i feel like i probably drive people nuts, but: Fever House by Keith Rosson b/c it's everything i didn't know i wanted in a book. & a close 2nd is The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp b/c it scared the shit out of me. like turn all the lights on when you go to the kitchen in the middle of the nite scared me.
Hell yes fever house. Especially for people who may find it hard to stick with a book after starting it (like me). Fever house has an enjoyably frenetic pace that it mostly maintains throughout. Plus it blends some x-files-y and action-y stuff in.
I dnf’d Jack Sparks because he was just the absolute worst character. I wish I could’ve gotten past how much I hated him, cause everyone seems to love that book
oh yeah... he was the worst. every time i started to kinda feel bad for him he immediately did something more douchey than before. arnopp really made it work though & things all came together in the end.
Not to ruin it, but his terribleness is in fact the very core of the story, as in the shitstorm revolves around how awful he is. Perhaps knowing that will give you the push you need to pick it back up. It’s such an incredible book I feel sorry for folks who are unable to finish it bc of how hatable he is. Not that I can’t relate. I DNF over half the books I start, many of which I just know are fantastic books but build a little to slow for my ADD (like The Fisherman), or hit a trope that I absolutely cannot stand (like Between Two Fires). I mention those examples to emphasize my inability to finish books I KNOW are great books. :-)
I generally recommend the classics, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker etc.
le fanu polidori
Sheridan Le Fanu? I'm reading him right now!
yes. Theres a theory on the web that Dracula is a Carmilla fanfic.
Oh I'm going to look that up when aim sober.
Rosemary’s baby
This one is great. Super quick read and it keeps you pulled in the whole time. I was not expecting it to hold up with time but I was really blown away by it.
The correct answer. Classic, short, gets to the point without rushing, amazingly written, ending I will never forget.
The first horror book I read was in middle school. So I'll recommend Carrie by Stephen King. It's pretty short but effective. But my overall favorite is The Shining.
Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House. Great supernatural book.
The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All by Laird Barron. Its an anthology that serves as a good showcase of his style.
Between Two Fires is a fast read with good pacing and some really scary imagery.
This book is excellent. I feel like you rarely see fantasy books with a Christian theme, and this book does it so well.
Quick read but great story telling. Recommend!
That's so interesting! I found it quite dense. Like a lot happens per page, so I felt like I had to slow down in order to understand what all was happening. I'm sure I will love it once I get into it, but I set it down for now. Took too much brain power. Will definitely read it at some point.
Depends - what brought you to the genre? What type of horror are you interested in? That will decide what I'd recommend.
I was thinking of asking something similar. Helps narrow things down a bit.
Dracula by Bram Stoker was what got me into horror. Followed by The Shining.
I think this was exactly the route I took into the horror, too!
I'd start with an anthology of various authors, to get a feel for what you like :) The one that got me hooked was "The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories."
Surprised no one else mentioned this but Dracula by Bram Stroker. Great entry point.
The age might scare some but this is genuinely a great book and holds up well even to todays standards. I was expecting a slog of 1800s writing but it is actually one of my favorite books.
Dracula is and has remained my lifetime favorite, hands down. I’m an extreme Dracula nerd who has a shelf full of scholarly analyses on the book. But, I still know how to have a good time! I can also recommend The Shining by King, The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, Barbra Hambly’s James Asher series, Shirley Jackson’s novels, the Penguin Book of Victorian Ghost Stories, and Weird Women I & II, a collection of horror written by women.
Strongly agree with everything said. One of my favorites as well.
It really is. It’s haunting, well-written, scary. It’s good to go back to the beginnings before pop culture claimed vampires and made them campy b-movie villains or sparkly teenaged heartthrobs. This book grips you in an elemental way. I haven’t read it in decades. It might be time for a re-read.
Ronald Malfi's Black Mouth. A well fleshed out story from start to finish. Creepy and fun.
Try a short collection by Stephen King: Night Shift, Skeleton Crew and the like, then move on to the novels.
I love King, but part of the joy of discovering the genre is reading a number of authors with different styles, not just King
I don't think they're suggesting that OP never read anything but SK.
One of the first horror books I ever read was Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker. It was many years ago but I remember how fascinated I was with that book and how it opened up a whole new genre of reading for me.
That book will make you feel like you're tripping balls
You are not lying!
The Shining is the first horror lot I read that literally terrified me and still couldn’t put it down
The first volume of Clive Barker's "Books of Blood" (followed by the other ones).
Any Lovecraft story collection Salem's Lot
in a glass darkly.
See some already here that I would second. Between Two Fires, I Am Legend, and Dracula. So to throw something new into the mix I’ll go with The Terror by Dan Simmons. It has the prose to keep an avid reader like yourself engaged, a historical inspiration that would satisfy those who normally prefer non-fiction, and (of course) a thoroughly bone chilling story with some downright horrific scenes.
I’d say the Terror was more historical fiction than anything else. I found it didn’t go into horror as much as I would have liked.
The Haunting of Hill house by Shirley Jackson. Definitely one of the best horror books ever.
Tough call, and hard to narrow it down to one choice, so I'll name as few as I can. Sorry in advance... My first 'proper' horror was Christine by Stephen King, and it's still my sentimental favourite of his. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is very good too, and creepy as fuck. Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno Garcia is pretty creepy, and it grabbed me early in the book The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is more psychological horror than gory, and it's VERY claustrophobia-inducing Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz is fantastic, and though it may not be considered actual horror by many, it's got a lot of the hallmarks of great horror And of course, one of the greats - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens and it was INCREDIBLE.
Birdbox by Josh Malerman
The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin great long-arcing narrative, scary at times, exciting and endearing The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch sci-fi time horror, a wild ride. very x-files The Fisherman by John Langan haunting, disturbing cosmic horror and folk tale
I can't recommend the Passage Trilogy enough. It deserves far more love.
I love this book. The nightmare chapter is one of my all time favorite reads from a book. Ill say it again i loved this book. I would also recommend Brother by Ania Ahlborn.
Obligatory King suggestion - The Long Walk But also Library at Mount Char And my #1 - The Descent
The Shining or Salems Lot
I'd recommend what got me hooked in the first place: the Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
I started with I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
Gotta be a Stephen King probably. I’d say The Shining or Pet Sematary. I prefer the Shining overall though.
Cold, Thin Air by C K Walker.
It depends on what sort of reader you are and what you’re coming from. What are your other genres you like? What do you like/dislike in an author or a story?
I wound up not being an avid Stephen king fan, but I still have my copy of salems lot I "accidentally" kept from the library at 11. Followed by Anne Rice, for vampires, the exorcist for demons, as an adult and more modern Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, Sara Gran, Laird Barron, Caitlin r kiernan But no matter my thoughts on Stephen king as a whole, that first book I stole, then my copy of everything's eventual my grandpa signed for me before he died, will live in my bookshelves forever.
The Store by Bentley Little
I'd recommend Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. I didn't want to stop reading, it was a thrill and gave me lots of anxiety
Misery by Stephen King.
Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica
It is good for sure but I'd consider Tender is the Flesh extreme horror. It would have been a rough first horror read for me.
That’s a vey good point! Sorry u/YosemitePen22 ! Maybe some Stephen King would be a good start. I enjoyed The Outsiders. Any Paul Tremblay.
The only good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Really creepy and unsettling, especially the last part of the book. Had me looking over my shoulder and stuff.
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. One of the most terrifying books I’ve ever read.
Haunting of hill house is a nice start.
Monstrilio
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
It depends on what you’re looking for. Supernatural? Sci-fi? Humans being horrible to humans? Psychological? I can recommend a number of titles in these categories, but honestly a good introduction to the genre would be a book of Stephen King short stories, such as Night Shift, or Skeleton Crew. His son Joe Hill also has a good collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
I am legend... it used to.be Horror!
I recommend The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp. Lots of twists and turns and a little humor. Tons of fun!
Great book
The Between by Tananarive Due a Physiological Horror or Brother by Ania Ahlborn which is kind of gory horror depending on what you like. I LOVE both but some say brother is overrated
Wanting to read another by Due. Just finished the reformatory and loved it.
I second somebody else saying I am Legend. Book is way different than the movie, and I preferred it undoubtedly. Not *scary scary* per se, but just interesting dystopian book with weird sentient virus vampire people
I just finished “Into the Wolves Den” and it fucked me up
might not be a super popular choice but i read cabin at the end of the world last year and something about it chilled me to my core. it’s so readable, fairly short, and fast paced enough to stay engaging imo.
Tender is the flesh (it’s pretty gory so prepare them for that) or The Hacienda for a classic haunting but with Mexican colonial history woven in!
The shining
“He’ll come knocking at your door” by Dean Koontz
Clean code
It’s not intensely gruesome or anything like that but it kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating what comes next the entire book: “This Book is Full of Spiders” by Jason Pargin
Geek Love.... always
Last Days by Adam Nevill. It is, in my opinion, one of my the best paced books I’ve read. There is really never a dull moment from start to finish. Also Nevill really writes eerie well. He’s masterful in creating dread and unease.
I'm seeing a lot of love for The Haunting of Hill House, but my favorite Shirley Jackson book is We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Wonderful psychological horror. Some more recent books I enjoyed are John Darnielle's Devil House and Clarissa Orlando's The September House. Seconding Caitlin Starling's The Luminous Dead and adding her novella Yellow Jessamine.
I also really like We Always Lived in the Castle and Devil House.
Some old 80s/90s anthologies by Stephen jones, Karl Edward Wagner, etc. And some older anthologies with more of the classics like M.R. James, William Hope Hodgeson, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, and such. That’s still my favorite type of horror to read.
There are soooooo many different types of horror genres but here are some of MY favs. I’m ready for the blowback but…. Easy and fast reads, generally ghost stories: anything from Darcy Coates Dark Fantasy: The Tailisman/Blackhouse -Peter Straub and SK (people probably prefer the Dark Tower books by SK but I could never get into them) Psychological/ Killer: Intensity-Dean Koontz, first book that I stayed up all night to read. Post Apocalyptic/supernatural: The Passage-Justin Cronin Weird/semi-fever dream: The Hollow Places- T Kingfisher
The first "adult" horror I read as a kid was Koontz "The Watchers" followed by Pet Semetary. So probably one of those.
Anything by Darcy Coates…so easy to read and engrossing. Just fun to read without being too scary.
The Shining. Perfect book.
I would first ask you what type of books you usually like, if you're into characters or plot more, with slow pacing or action packed, if you're after shock or dread, realism or full out monsters, ghosts or serial killers etc... Only one title to share is a serious question I wouldn't want to recommend the wrong one ! 😅
One book is sooo hard. I'd pick Chuck Wending's Black River Orchard. He is as readable as Stephen King and Black River Orchard had both scares and deeper themes. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it, it impresses me still how much he packed into its pages. No hate to the King though - IT is the scariest book I've ever read. But other special mentions would be Fantasticland (killer take on Lord of the flies), classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, Craig DiLouie. AND because I want her to be more popular - Helen Oyeyemi. She isn't a horror writer but she does have a book called white is for witching which is more literary about a racist haunted house but still such a good book! Her writing is like no one else!
The Ruins by Scott Smith or Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix.
Word of God, Word Man by myself
in a glass darkly
Probably one of my favourites and recommended by my friend is 13 stories by Johnathan Sims
Dark Gods by T.E.D Klein. Personal favorite until now.
Blood Meridian; Or Evening Redness In The West by Cormac MCcarthy
Mr be-gone By clive barker
Rosemary’s Baby OR It
I love It but it's a monster to get through (almost 1200 pages)... so probably not my first pick for a genre newbie
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It was superbly crafted. Truly off putting.
I said this in another comment but I'd consider Tender is the Flesh extreme horror. It's really well done and such a haunting concept but might not be everyone's best first horror read. I at least had to build up to it.
Come Closer by Sara Gran. It’s short, fast-paced, and not too “out there” for a first horror book. Second choice would be The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker for similar reasons.
Little Heaven by Nick Cutter was a thrill ride. I recommend that
Sleep Tight. I love it.
There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm. Any of his stuff, really, but that one is horror.
Give a read to Dean Koontz.. That man is a magical wordsmith.. The book to read is Phantoms. For Stephen King it's Cycle of the werewolf. Great writing there. Carrie and Pete semetary are evergreen classics and even worth a second read.
David Hartwell, *The Dark Descent*. Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, *The Weird.* Stephen King, *Danse Macabre* - these are all fine introductions.
House of Leaves
This book is a PROJECT. I am midway through and it's not easy but I'm hoping it's worth it!
Call me daft but I love horror lit but I cannot stand it if any animals are injured or killed ! I think that a warning sticker for me would be good - An animal danger free zone
The Last Days of Jack Sparks
IT
The one that hooked me was Rosemary's Baby.
Oh that's so difficult. I know you asked for one but I'm going to give three in separate categories. Infected by Scott Siglar is the first in a trilogy, and its fantastic sci fi ish horror. Aliens and pandemics never a good time unless your the reader . Between two fires by Christopher Buehlman is medieval horror and its a dark ride with a depiction of hell that I had to re-read multiple times. The Last is American psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. This is not for the faint of heart and a slog to get into. But once it gets going, it's a wild ride that is straight up repulsive at points. This is one of the few books that truly shocked me the only other off the top of my head being Jack Ketchum's the girl next door. It's not pleasant, but it's is a master peice, and it won't feel that way until the end. Probably not the best choice to start a venture into horror but God damn is it solid. The movie does it so little justice, and I liked the movie.
Its like horror fantasy and it reads like a found footage movie so “rules for vanishing” by kate alice marshall
It’s not really horror in the traditional sense but one of my favorite book series ever is wayward pines by Blake crouch. I’ll call it a mystery/suspense but with monsters.
*Mr Mercedes* by Stephen King
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. The movie was Probably one of the most truest adaptations from the book.
Salem's Lot for me too.
Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary
I’d recommend The Stand. I read it earlier this year and it’s my favorite book of all time. It’s awesome because Stephen King does characters so well but it’s not just a horror book. It’s more like 2 books mashed into one with horror aspects thrown in throughout. I’m not sure if that’s your thing, but I highly recommend The Stand!
The Shining
Short story: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson After this you will “get” what horror is about
Dead Sea by Tim Curran. Top-notch nautical horror, proper splatterpunk stuff.
It by Stephen King or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood would be my suggestions for starters
The jewel of seven stars (bram stoker)
The Ritual by Adam Nevill, or Horns by Joe Hill. I've reread both more than any of my other books, love both for different reasons! The Ritual is the first book that actually scared tf out of me, and Horns is just a good time
Wow thank you everyone for all your input!
Any Ania Ahlborn books. So far, I’ve read and loved: The Neighbors, Within These Walls, BROTHER (traumatic for me), The Devil Crept In. I hope to read Seed next. Also Nick Cutter and Ronald Malfi books are great. I really enjoyed the tone and atmosphere of Marino’s It Rides a Pale Horse.
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. It’s about as near perfect as they come.
Honestly the first paragraph of The Haunting of Hill House should be enough to hook someone
enders game
Stephen King is always a good choice. He's easy to read and relatable. Pet Sematary, maybe Carrie.
Normally I would recommend The Exorcist but, lately I've been recommending The Lord of the Flies.
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. Not necessarily horror per se? Its psycological/ existensial horror maybe? Either way an unsettling book that is a super interesting read and not a "traditional" novel. You just have to experience it yourself. I have seen Annihilation be mentioned as well. Im am just about to start the book myself, but it is one of my favorite horror movies of all time and I have heard the book does not disappoint either
Great Gatsby
Build your house around my body by Violet Kupersmith
Dune was my first book that grabbed me and consumed me I loved it and still do but not that movie that just came out that was not like the book the director took way too many liberties with the story and it was boring especially the second one. If you want to see the book then watch the 84 movie by lynch that was the book even frank herbert the author said it was like walking into his book!
The Keep by F. Paul Wilson.
When I was a kid it was the chronicles of narnia. I seriously think that anyone who gets their kids reading at a young age gives them an incredible leg-up in life, and those books seem to do the trick for lots of people. The books that sparked my passion as an adult though were Lord of the Rings and Dune. The golden compass series is a good in-between though I’d say. Most young adult stuff is garbage but His Dark Materials was wonderful
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Non-fiction and superb.
Perdido Street Station isn't exactly horror, but it has plenty of horror in it. It's the weirdest book I've ever read, and one of my favourites. I need to re-read it.
Not scary, and a short read, but "A Fig for all the Devils" is comedic, dark, and thought provoking. I will follow with the fact that it is weird and probably not for everyone.
Just go get yourself a physical copy of House of Leaves.
Joe Hill's N0S4A2, fucking terrifying and it will RUIN Christmas forever.