Since I listed my favorite horror films, I decided, why not list my favorite horror novels? I don’t consider myself any kind of “well read”; Most of my recent reading has been for my own novel research, and since I no longer write a lot of strict “horror,” I don’t read a lot of it. I will state this, however: I love [most of] Stephen King’s horror/supernatural work.
Now, having said that, there was one book of his I’d started and never finished, because I found it to be so mean-spirited I just didn’t want to read any further. That book was Full Dark, No Stars. Loved the title, but didn’t want to be subjected to what I was reading. It was too real. Too nasty. Mean. It surprised me that he’d written such a novel. It was about revenge and the nastiness that can reside inside people. As one Amazon reviewer said, it was “just gratuitous nastiness.” And that so many people loved this book is kinda unnerving. Really, people love reading about that kind of stuff? Granted, this question can be levied at horror fiction, in general, but holy shit. At least to me, reading horror (and supernatural) fiction is about a release from the real world, of entering a fantastic world of The Weird…about experiencing something that engages the fright mode in each of us—but in a comfortable way. Full Dark, No Stars, however, was like reading real accounts of Mankind’s Inhumanity To Mankind. Or getting inside the heads of these people who commit crimes, and that simply doesn’t interest me. I don’t read true crime and have no interest in getting inside any mean-minded individual’s heads. I don’t enjoy that kind of material…it’s not a release, not cathartic, and certainly not entertainment for me. Sometimes fiction can be too real, and while I applaud King’s ability to write like no other (and incite these feeling in me with his work), that doesn’t mean that I have to like everything he writes (same goes with any writer’s efforts—including mine).
So I returned the book, unfinished.
On to more fun reading!
Below is a list of those novels (no anthologies) I’ve read over the years and really enjoyed. Most I have not read again since the first read, sometimes, years and years ago, but, again, like the movies I’d written about, they stuck with me for some reason. In once case, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I’d read it four times, and still love it. There are also several books out there from King and some others, like Anne Rice and Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, I have yet to get to, so they may yet be included in future editions of this list….
And given my one extreme, with Full Dark, No Stars, I can honestly say that my other extreme, my most favorite horror read of all time (so far), was Pet Sematary. When I read it, it was the scariest horror novel I’d ever read, and everything I’ve read since, I measure against it! Nothing has come close…but again, I don’t consider myself “well read.” But, the feeling of utter creepiness was and still has stuck with me as the best all-time creepiness I’ve ever read. Dracula would tally in as the most atmospheric novel.
So, feel free to check out any of these great reads—and suggest some of your own favorites—maybe I’ve read them and simply forgotten about them, as I did with The Ring, in my favorite horror movies (I have a saying that “I’ve forgotten more than I ever knew…”)!
Now…enter my library…if you dare….
It was creepy – scary clown ugh! Pet Cemetery was a better book…the movie was TERRIBLE. 🙂
Yeah, I didn’t really like the movie either, but such is individual taste! The book creeped me out as I read it!
Some good choices here, Frank! I’ve read at least half of these. The selections from King are among my favorites. ‘Salem’s Lot was very creepy, and Pet Sematary was so look-over-your-shoulder good that I refused to watch the movie when I heard how bad it was. And the original “Dracula” is just terrific. I’ll have to check out some of the ones I’ve missed.
Have you ever read “Shutter Island”? Terrific book. Very absorbing and spooky in parts. I really enjoyed that one.
Great post!
No, have not read it. Might have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!
You’re right about “Dracula” – you can read it over and over again at different times in your life, and it’s like reading something new and brilliantly written. I have read it twice – once as a teenager and once in my 20s…I guess it’s about time I read it again!
Confession: I’ve never read a Stephen King book (I have seen some movies)! I know – *the horror*! I’m usually busy reading nonfiction history though! When not, I’ve been catching up on the “classics.” However, I have decided it’s time to get started this year – which one would you suggest for my very first Stephen King novel??
I’d recommend Pet Sematary! See if you get as creeped out as I did when I read it all those years ago! Let me know what you think when you’re done reading it! :-]
Reading Dracula again after all these years was cool. I’m glad I did it. I just love the atmosphere of that novel!
“Pet Sematary” is on my list then! I’ve only seen parts of the movie, but I like Fred Gwynne too much to watch something bad happen to him (even if it IS just a movie). I worked at a tiny animal shelter when i was 16 years old, and we had a shelter cat named Church. Is Church in the novel?? (Cats make everything better.)
Bien sur! “Church” is there! Do let us know what you think of the novel, once finished, Mandy! We’re…DYING…to find out…. ;-]
“The Shining” is my favourite book of all time. I’ve read it three times and it never gets old. I have a few bones to pick with Mr. King as far as his writing goes, but I’ve read many King books and enjoyed pretty much all of them. And at one time, he was my favourite author (until I discovered Kelley Armstrong!). “The Dark Half” was excellent. It’s not a straight up horror story like Pet Cemetery (which was very good), but it’s scary in its own right.
I was so surprised to see “The Haunted” made your list! Simply because I have never met anyone who was familiar with it before. It was a book I picked up at a local library sale (sometimes I just can’t walk past a hardcover horror book in great condition!). But I must say that while yes, it was a well-written book, it disturbed me deeply. It was good, however, I got to the end and I just felt unpleasant. Not sure what did it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. It stayed with me for quite some time.
“Interview With the Vampire” was a great book, although not my favourite of Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, which I read in full years ago.
Another interesting horror novel that you might enjoy is “The Immortal” by John Tigges.
Really enjoyed your post! 🙂
Thanks, Wendy!
I wish I could remember more about it, but I just remember it was a fun, uh, “haunting” read (and I kept the book)! :-] If I really can’t stand the books, I give them away; I still have this one. Thanks for the “Immortal” recommendation! I’ll try to check that out….