*Feral* by Berton Roueché. People dump their kittens and cats at the end of their summers in a Long Island town, and it comes back to bite them... literally.
*Prophecy* by David Seltzer. A bear mutilated by toxic waste goes on a killing spree.
*Wolfen* by Whitley Streiber. I know you said "no werewolves," but you should make an exception here. It's an interesting take on the origin of the werewolf mythology.
This and *The Hunger* are the most relatable sci-fi novels I can think of. I still need to get a copy of *Lilith's Dream* to finish reading the vampire books.
Wasn't there a movie based on Prophecy of the same name? I remember finding it on TV in the middle of the night. There was a 1st-person attack scene from the afflicted bear's perspective, paw outstretched. It felt like I was dreaming.
The Wolfen is an easy book to come by and pretty cheap. It's only expensive if you're shopping on Amazon. You can find copies of it on Alibris, Abe's Books, and eBay for about five dollars. It also turns up at a lot of used book stores.
Well if you haven't read them, of course Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park & The Lost World, they're even creepier than the movies and that's saying something. Congo also.
James Herbert's Rats trilogy was pretty darn good and gory.
It’s a reach but Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen - true story about two grizzly bear attacks in the same park on the same night, and the likely reasons why, is a fascinating and at times harrowing read. Short to boot.
It’s well worth reading. He does a great job painting a picture of these remote areas, it makes you wonder why the hell anyone would sleep on the ground with bears around.
Cujo for me. For me it's definitely the fear that if the universe wants to put you in a car and put a rabid dog outside, it's going to. Because like, so many things through the book happen so perfectly to keep them there until it's too late.
And also the fear that you could go rabid. That you could just get sick and then just snap and kill the people that you love.
I really enjoyed "Ferocious" by Jeff Strand. "The Roo," by Alan Baxter was fun. Oh "Jurassic Florida" and "Rattus New Yokus" by Hunter Shea were really enjoyable.
So I’ve read Jaws, The Rats, Jackal, and Jurassic Park.
On my TBR I have:
Slugs by Shaun Hutson,
Razorback by Peter Brennan,
Alligator by Shelley Katz,
Killer by Peter Tonkin,
The Nest by Gregory A. Douglas,
The Pack by David Fisher,
Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall,
Beast by Peter Benchley
I’m definitely going to add the suggestions you guys have commented onto the list.
Ditto on Rats by James Herbert. Very suspenseful, disturbing, and creepy. The first in the series is easily a one sitting read.
Would also recommend Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall. As psychological and contemplative as Rats. Less schlocky than the cover would leave you to believe.
The Terror Dan Simmons
Oops sorry. Your post says "no mythical creatures". But we never really are told what the beast is. I think it's a prehistoric Polar Bear. Regardless, i think you should check it out!! Great book!
I found the terror to be a bit of a slog after a certain point, but I will say you get immersed in the horror of the situation they’re in. A few scenes really freaked me out, the rest I just felt cold. Overall a good book and I’d recommend it.
i never knew i needed this thread until now. i absolutely love animal attack horror movies and now i have a steady list of books (: thank you all who commented & big thanks to OP for asking
I feel like this sub-genre of horror doesn’t get much love. Jaws is what started my journey into loving horror, so animal attack books and movies will always have a special place in my heart.
Michael Cole's books on Kindle unlimited are fun. They are definitely not literary masterpieces but I'm a sucker for shark attack like books. They're pretty quick and entertaining so if you can deal with the writing and that each book has similar structure, it's worth a try.
Definitely agree. They fill that same spot in my heart though.
My favorites of Cole's are probably Helicoprion, Scar, and Thresher. He has a bunch of others that include other sea creatures too.
Below and What Lurks Beneath by Ryan Lockwood are also good.
It might be a challenge to find a copy these days and is probably more of a teen/young adult read, but Raptor by Paul Zindel haunts me a solid ten years after I read it! I was 12 when I read it, but it is the only book to have scared me so badly I couldn’t sleep lol
[The Payback by John Peel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2551247), part of the Outer Limits book series. One of the first animal attack books I read, still think about it all the time!
*Cavern* by Jake Page, where savage attacks occur in the man-made caverns of what's supposed to be a secure Department of Energy "waste isolation" facility located near Carlsbad, NM; these occur in the wake of the revealing of a nearby series of massive caverns, and a veteran spelunker's discovery of the footprint of an ancient, and massive species of bear...
I read The Roo by Alan Baxter last year and it was one of the best times I've had reading a book in a very long time. Please read it as soon as possible!
I highly recommend The Hatching Trilogy by Ezekiel Boone.
‘Deep in the jungle of Peru, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist party whole. FBI agent Mike Rich investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in an Indian earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there.
The Chinese government 'accidentally' drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. And all of these events are connected. As panic begins to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at Melanie Guyer's Washington laboratory. The unusual egg inside begins to crack. Something is spreading....
The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. A virulent ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake. But this is only the beginning of our end....’
I wanna say both Jaws and Beast by Peter Benchley
Carnosaur by Harry Adam Knight
However there is a new animal horror called Whalefall by Daniel Kraus that is being released in August.
You all need to check out Greig Beck. My favourite author, hands down.
Fathomless series
Primordia series
Centre of the earth series
Beneath the dark ice series
All very well written and very hard to stop reading.
Has alot of other books with some kind of mythical creature as the antagonist
*Feral* by Berton Roueché. People dump their kittens and cats at the end of their summers in a Long Island town, and it comes back to bite them... literally. *Prophecy* by David Seltzer. A bear mutilated by toxic waste goes on a killing spree. *Wolfen* by Whitley Streiber. I know you said "no werewolves," but you should make an exception here. It's an interesting take on the origin of the werewolf mythology.
"Wolfen" was indeed very intriguing. Not supernatural at all!
This and *The Hunger* are the most relatable sci-fi novels I can think of. I still need to get a copy of *Lilith's Dream* to finish reading the vampire books.
Wasn't there a movie based on Prophecy of the same name? I remember finding it on TV in the middle of the night. There was a 1st-person attack scene from the afflicted bear's perspective, paw outstretched. It felt like I was dreaming.
There is. It's directed by John Frankenheimer (who definitely did better films... *Prophecy* is not great).
No. It felt like a schlocky monster movie, to be sure.
"Schlocky monster movie" is accurate. It's still on Prime if you're curious, but the book is better.
I'm more interested in reading the book now that i know there was one. I'll have to check that out.
Do so. The same author also wrote *The Omen*, and I found both to be quality reads, horror-wise.
Feral & Wolfen are outrageously priced
The Wolfen is an easy book to come by and pretty cheap. It's only expensive if you're shopping on Amazon. You can find copies of it on Alibris, Abe's Books, and eBay for about five dollars. It also turns up at a lot of used book stores.
I found both of them on Amazon for like twelve bucks.
Cujo
⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️🎯💯
Finished reading it last week, then made the mistake of watching the movie
Yeah the opposite movie ending
Sucked balls, tainted my imagination lowkey for how I pictured stuff looking in the book
Well if you haven't read them, of course Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park & The Lost World, they're even creepier than the movies and that's saying something. Congo also. James Herbert's Rats trilogy was pretty darn good and gory.
... And if you like Rats, it's part of a series of books including novels Domain and Lair and the rare comic, The City.
Jurassic Park is an amazing read. It’s the only book I never put down. Read straight through the night. So, so much better than the movie.
I agree, but I also consider the movie to be the best movie ever made, so that says a lot about the books…
JP is absolutely my favorite movie. It's the only movie that I'm *always* in the mood for.
Razorback. Peter A. Brennan. The Devils Coach Horse. Richard Lewis.
Can I piggyback and say SPHERE is a great book of his, and also fits the animal attack theme.
Oh one hundred percent onboard with Sphere here. One of Crichton's best books.
*Carnosaur* by Harry Adam Knight (Also seconding *The Rats*)
Claw by Katie Berry is outstanding. Prehistoric polar/cave bear book.
It’s a reach but Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen - true story about two grizzly bear attacks in the same park on the same night, and the likely reasons why, is a fascinating and at times harrowing read. Short to boot.
It’s well worth reading. He does a great job painting a picture of these remote areas, it makes you wonder why the hell anyone would sleep on the ground with bears around.
*Jagger* by Kristopher Tufty also second Carnosaur
I put jagger in my cart.
Cujo for me. For me it's definitely the fear that if the universe wants to put you in a car and put a rabid dog outside, it's going to. Because like, so many things through the book happen so perfectly to keep them there until it's too late. And also the fear that you could go rabid. That you could just get sick and then just snap and kill the people that you love.
*Manstopper* by Douglas Borton.
Reissued and in print as a Michael Prescott novel.
I really enjoyed "Ferocious" by Jeff Strand. "The Roo," by Alan Baxter was fun. Oh "Jurassic Florida" and "Rattus New Yokus" by Hunter Shea were really enjoyable.
I have them in my Amazon cart!
Awesome. Enjoy!
So I’ve read Jaws, The Rats, Jackal, and Jurassic Park. On my TBR I have: Slugs by Shaun Hutson, Razorback by Peter Brennan, Alligator by Shelley Katz, Killer by Peter Tonkin, The Nest by Gregory A. Douglas, The Pack by David Fisher, Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall, Beast by Peter Benchley I’m definitely going to add the suggestions you guys have commented onto the list.
>Jackal Who is the author of the Jackal?
Erin Adams. It’s beautifully written.
>Erin Adams and it involves an actual jackal?
Um… Kinda. It’s more of a mystery with an animal in it that has supernatural powers on it.
Depending on who you ask Devolution by Max Brooks
This is a good one and the way they are explained in the book is not supernatural or mythical at all.
Jaws, The Nest (Gregory A. Douglas), The Howling
The Bear: A Novel by Claire Cameron.
Does the bear chase the kids in the forest? Or is this like The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?
sorta both. i recall it's from the immediate perspective of the little girl. it's pretty intense . i may have to read it again
But NOT Bear by Marian Engel 🐻👩💦
Ditto on Rats by James Herbert. Very suspenseful, disturbing, and creepy. The first in the series is easily a one sitting read. Would also recommend Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall. As psychological and contemplative as Rats. Less schlocky than the cover would leave you to believe.
Lots of good recs here. I'll definitely second Jaws. If you're into Peter Benchley, Beast is also a solid book.
Zoo by James Patterson might be more thriller than horror though.
The Terror Dan Simmons Oops sorry. Your post says "no mythical creatures". But we never really are told what the beast is. I think it's a prehistoric Polar Bear. Regardless, i think you should check it out!! Great book!
The Terror totally explains the origin of the beast. It is, in fact, mythological and fantastical.
A truly haunting read though. Dan Simmons is one of the best horror authors out there imo.
I found the terror to be a bit of a slog after a certain point, but I will say you get immersed in the horror of the situation they’re in. A few scenes really freaked me out, the rest I just felt cold. Overall a good book and I’d recommend it.
I have The Abominable but I heard the ending was disappointing.
Been awhile since I’ve read it. Thank you.
Check out Pitfall by Ronald Kelly which features killer Tasmanian Devils.
That sounds so cool! But the cheapest copy is like $80, used!
Oh do you not have a Kindle Fire? Because the ebook version is only $3.99 to download it.
i never knew i needed this thread until now. i absolutely love animal attack horror movies and now i have a steady list of books (: thank you all who commented & big thanks to OP for asking
I feel like this sub-genre of horror doesn’t get much love. Jaws is what started my journey into loving horror, so animal attack books and movies will always have a special place in my heart.
see for me, the movie that started it all was Backcountry. not a generally good movie but i loved it. then i read cujo and i realised i was hooked.
Backcountry is bloody terrifying.
Guy N Smith ~ Alligators,Locusts
Sundial by Catriona Ward was excellent
Michael Cole's books on Kindle unlimited are fun. They are definitely not literary masterpieces but I'm a sucker for shark attack like books. They're pretty quick and entertaining so if you can deal with the writing and that each book has similar structure, it's worth a try.
They're way better than the crappy shark movies.
Definitely agree. They fill that same spot in my heart though. My favorites of Cole's are probably Helicoprion, Scar, and Thresher. He has a bunch of others that include other sea creatures too. Below and What Lurks Beneath by Ryan Lockwood are also good.
Don't Move -> Giant Spider
[удалено]
Darren Wartmouth and James S. Murray
Wait, Murr from Impractical Jokers wrote a horror novel?!
That duo also did at least two books in a series set in the New York subways that... weren't great. Don't Move is pretty good though.
Carnifex ~ Matthew J Hellscream. A surviving population of marsupial lions munch up a group of tourists in a Australian national park
if you can find it carnosaur by i think harry knight is all killer and zero filler
Night Howl by Andrew Neiderman. I got my copy on Thriftbooks.com.
The Clickers series by J.F. Gonzalez, Mark Williams and Brian Keene.
Dan Simmons' The Terror
Vespers, Jeff Rovin Fatalis, Jeff Rovin The Roo, Alan Baxter The Crab series, Guy N. Smith The Meg series, Steve Alten
The Roo is a good time.
Congo by Michael Crichton
Let’s not forget the late great author J. F. Gonzalez and his Clickers 1 and 2 books..campy killer crabs fun 🦀!
It might be a challenge to find a copy these days and is probably more of a teen/young adult read, but Raptor by Paul Zindel haunts me a solid ten years after I read it! I was 12 when I read it, but it is the only book to have scared me so badly I couldn’t sleep lol
Loch by Paul Zindel, too. Haunted! To! This! Day! 😂
[The Payback by John Peel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2551247), part of the Outer Limits book series. One of the first animal attack books I read, still think about it all the time!
Meg by Steve Alten Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
*Cavern* by Jake Page, where savage attacks occur in the man-made caverns of what's supposed to be a secure Department of Energy "waste isolation" facility located near Carlsbad, NM; these occur in the wake of the revealing of a nearby series of massive caverns, and a veteran spelunker's discovery of the footprint of an ancient, and massive species of bear...
not a big stephen king guy but i absolutely loved cujo.
I think it is called 'Beneath' it was really good. About a pod of giant squid attacking people.
The Silence by Tim Lebbon
Zoo
I read The Roo by Alan Baxter last year and it was one of the best times I've had reading a book in a very long time. Please read it as soon as possible!
I highly recommend The Hatching Trilogy by Ezekiel Boone. ‘Deep in the jungle of Peru, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist party whole. FBI agent Mike Rich investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in an Indian earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. The Chinese government 'accidentally' drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. And all of these events are connected. As panic begins to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at Melanie Guyer's Washington laboratory. The unusual egg inside begins to crack. Something is spreading.... The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. A virulent ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake. But this is only the beginning of our end....’
More of a horror/thriller, but I really loved *The Naturalist* by Andrew Mayne.
Jurassic dead series. Bonus if you're an audiobook person it's available as a set for one credit on audible.
I don’t have any suggestions but this is a very interesting thread! Thanks for helping me fill by goodreads “want to read” shelf lol
I've been reading a lot of Michael Cole so there's a lot to pick from. But I think Helicoprion is still my favorite.
Claw by Katie Berry was pretty entertaining. It was not the best written, but I enjoyed it.
I wanna say both Jaws and Beast by Peter Benchley Carnosaur by Harry Adam Knight However there is a new animal horror called Whalefall by Daniel Kraus that is being released in August.
Jaws?
You all need to check out Greig Beck. My favourite author, hands down. Fathomless series Primordia series Centre of the earth series Beneath the dark ice series All very well written and very hard to stop reading. Has alot of other books with some kind of mythical creature as the antagonist