One of the traditions I have never had is to read something spooky or scary for Halloween. The idea has always enamored me, and why not? Reading ghostly books during Halloween, Christmas books in December, and romance books around the Valentine's day season simply enhances the holiday experience. Sure, there's nothing spooky about Halloween in the real world, but if the make-believe worlds in books and movies and TV shows are to be believed, then ghouls and ghosts are just waiting for a reason to rise from the dead and send the still-alive people running for their lives.
It's not that I haven't ever wanted to read horror fiction. It's just that I have had very little success with this genre. When I was a kid, my family used to watch all kinds of horror movies and TV shows, and I would watch with them. They would cover my eyes every time something nasty (or sexy) would happen on screen. Of course, that only made the genre scarier than it should be. So most of my memories of these horror-laden years include bodies buried in walls (to this day, I have an urge to go knocking on walls to make sure there are no spots that sound different and hence could have a body hidden behind), dogs ripping apart people's bodies by clawing through their stomachs (and splattered stomach goo matter for added effect), invisible men who can regain their bodies only by eating human flesh, entire families murdered and drained of blood by their vampire-in-residence landlord, and several other ghastly details that I won't regale with you yet. Even though today's horror movies and TV shows are just as spooky, they appear almost laughable to me, compared to my memory of the horror of whatever I watched during the 80s and 90s.
Considering how jumpy I can be when I am around this genre, I have mostly strayed away from horror books as well. Still, a few years back, I chanced upon David Morrell's Creepers, which wasn't a particularly good piece of literature but boy, was it creepy. That book kept me up at nights and made me highly sensitive to unexplained sounds. It took a while for the effects of that book to wash away. Since then, I haven't read a genuine horror fiction (The Walking Dead and other dystopia don't count).
So that brings me here. I do want to read something horror. Sure, it may keep me up at night, and sure, I may not read another book from this genre for a few years. But if I can read a book that's very good, even if it is very scary, and if I can say at the end that the book was well written and well-constructed, that would be worth it. I have a strong desire to read Stephen King, as he is considered the king of horror novels. When I checked the popular horror fiction list at Goodreads, 14 of the top 15 were books by him. His books can be very long though. Two other books I have been considering reading are Horrorstör and We have Always Lived in the Castle. But I'm also curious to know what other horror books have been particularly good - something YOU would recommend, something genuine and believable, something that has possibly kept you up, and made you feel as if you were experiencing it. I know I am asking for trouble here by looking for a book that's going to make me feel all the horrors that my 12-year old self watched. But, I realize that it's time my adult self revisited this genre and experienced it from a (hopefully) grown-up perspective.
What is the scariest book you ever read?
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It's not that I haven't ever wanted to read horror fiction. It's just that I have had very little success with this genre. When I was a kid, my family used to watch all kinds of horror movies and TV shows, and I would watch with them. They would cover my eyes every time something nasty (or sexy) would happen on screen. Of course, that only made the genre scarier than it should be. So most of my memories of these horror-laden years include bodies buried in walls (to this day, I have an urge to go knocking on walls to make sure there are no spots that sound different and hence could have a body hidden behind), dogs ripping apart people's bodies by clawing through their stomachs (and splattered stomach goo matter for added effect), invisible men who can regain their bodies only by eating human flesh, entire families murdered and drained of blood by their vampire-in-residence landlord, and several other ghastly details that I won't regale with you yet. Even though today's horror movies and TV shows are just as spooky, they appear almost laughable to me, compared to my memory of the horror of whatever I watched during the 80s and 90s.
Considering how jumpy I can be when I am around this genre, I have mostly strayed away from horror books as well. Still, a few years back, I chanced upon David Morrell's Creepers, which wasn't a particularly good piece of literature but boy, was it creepy. That book kept me up at nights and made me highly sensitive to unexplained sounds. It took a while for the effects of that book to wash away. Since then, I haven't read a genuine horror fiction (The Walking Dead and other dystopia don't count).
What is the scariest book you ever read?
Comments
I think American Psycho was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen or read.
You might give Dracula a try, if you haven't already. It's not a long book and it's more subtle than most horror novels. I was surprised at how much I liked it.