Modern Good Reads discussion

This thread is the one to define what this forum is about. What is the best horror novel you have read? Tell us about it and why.

I'll start this discussion off then. My choice would be Whispers by Dean Koontz. If I recall correctly, it was the first horror novel I ever read and it hooked me for life.

It was Koontz's usual cocktail of hero, hero's girl and psychopath which we see in many of his novels. The psycho in this book, Bruno Frye, was pretty scary to me. There was a great twist at the end to complement a really atmospheric and chilling story.

This was one example of where the book was WAY better than the movie.

The Book of Paul and Brookhaven are my best choices of recent times. Both are brilliantly creepy and underlined with subtle humour, as well as being beautifully written.


My classic fave has to be H P Lovecraft. I hate the racism in a lot of it but the enduring creepiness and wrought prose is haunting and evocative. I love curling up with some Lovecraft on a rainy day.

I have to say that Fear Nothing and Seize the night by Koontz scared the bejaysus out of me.

Hmmm.... I'm drawing a blank. Stephen King wrote a book about a twin that ate his other twin in the womb... I read it when I was 11 and it scarred me so much emotionally that I can never remember the rest of the story, or the name... But it was that scary good! At least, to my 11 year old self!

More recently I'd have to say Creepy Kitchen by Lee Newman (Sorry, that is a joke, it is a really cute book for kids and it made me laugh!)

But it is so hard to find good true horror anymore. I mean, do Zombie books count as horror? If so, Walking Dead Graphic novels are awesome (just started reading them!) but they don't really scare me, so I don't know that it counts.

To me, horror should leave you unable to turn out your lights, jumping at shadows. Thrillers do that to me more than horror. Meh...

That book was The Dark Half. When the protagonist in the story, a writer, buried his character in a mock funeral, the dead character came back to life as I think the twin that was eaten.

The books that get me are tales of demonic possession. Must be the Catholic in me :-/

Shane, yup that is the one! Ooh, I like demonic possession in movies! Can't really think of any books that I have read where that is a theme. Any suggestions? I miss cowering under my covers! (Movies just don't scare me. My imagination is far more scary ;) )

I read one based on true events somewhere in Massachusetts in 1948 that it is claimed The Exorcist was based on, but I can't remember what it was called or who wrote it. It was quite pedestrian in parts, but some scenes in the actual exorcism gave me real chills.

Koontz and King are among my favorites. The most recent book that scared the crap out of me was Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I do love a good ghost story.

Thanks, Elizabeth. I'll have to check it out.

The Exorcist was wonderfully scary, as well as It, by King. Pretty sure I avoided sewer grates for years after reading it lol!

Yep I can appreciate your reasons for that :-)

Shane wrote: "I'll start this discussion off then. My choice would be Whispers by Dean Koontz. If I recall correctly, it was the first horror novel I ever read and it hooked me for life.

It was Koontz's usual c..."

I LOVE Whispers! So few people seem to remember that book! I heard a rumor that Alfred Hitchcock was considering adapting it as a film when he died. How cool might that have been?

Yeah that would've been good because the book was nail-biting and brutal and neither the movie nor Bruno Frye in the movie were scary at all. Shame.

I'm reading the Exorcist now.

Shane wrote: "Yeah that would've been good because the book was nail-biting and brutal and neither the movie nor Bruno Frye in the movie were scary at all. Shame."

Agreed. That's one of my "Movies that could benefit from a good remake."

I can't say a favorite novel, but I do have favorite authors. King, McCammon, Poe, and Bentley Little come to mind. Oh, and Brian lumley as well, his vampires were my favorite series.

C.W. wrote: "I can't say a favorite novel, but I do have favorite authors. King, McCammon, Poe, and Bentley Little come to mind. Oh, and Brian lumley as well, his vampires were my favorite series."

Yes some of my favourites there. The first vampire book I read was by McCammon... They Thirst.

I don't know if its called horror, but


by Jeff Long
certainly got my hreart pumping.

My favorite horror book of all-time is It by Stephen King. It has the creepy clown-thing going for it, as well as all those constant elements of horror and the supernatural. Stephen King knows how to do horror.

Stephen King's IT was the worst for me. So bad in fact I couldn't finish it and was afraid to go outside in the dark alone for a long time and I was a teenager, I was supposed to be out in the dark a lot.

It creeped me out about that much as well. There was a gas station named "Pennywise;" I refused to ever stop there for fuel. I feared the clown might be lurking. I also was afraid to look to deeply into the drains in the bathroom sinks. It was tremendously frightening. But that's what made it so great. I couldn't finish Salem's Lot for years due to my fear of vampires. I've gotten over that now and devour everything vampiric I can find.

That is the true essence of horror :-)

It is, isn't it? Makes it fun, in that darkly overwhelming way.

Phantom Bigfoot gotta go with Salem's Lot with a close almost tie with Charnel House by Graham Masterton

That's an underrated horror author right there: Brian Lumley. His Necroscope series was awesome. That is actually the first vampire novel I read that had sex scenes.

The vamps had this flowing tentacle of vampire flesh that went up inside the woman ... and killed her ... ooooh. That was gruesome.

Gotta love Brian Lumley.

Travis wrote: "That's an underrated horror author right there: Brian Lumley. His Necroscope series was awesome. That is actually the first vampire novel I read that had sex scenes.

The vamps had this flowing t..." That's a name from my past Brian Lumley. Yes Travis, a great horror writer and Robert McCammon I thinks that's his name he wrote They Thirst, another underrated vampire novel.

Travis wrote: "That's an underrated horror author right there: Brian Lumley. His Necroscope series was awesome. That is actually the first vampire novel I read that had sex scenes.

The vamps had this flowing t..."

Lol yeah that is gruesome. I'm sure Shaun Hutson could match it though.

Simon wrote: "Travis wrote: "That's an underrated horror author right there: Brian Lumley. His Necroscope series was awesome. That is actually the first vampire novel I read that had sex scenes.

The vamps had..."

They Thirst was a great book. I have mentioned it on this site before.

Shane wrote: "Travis wrote: "That's an underrated horror author right there: Brian Lumley. His Necroscope series was awesome. That is actually the first vampire novel I read that had sex scenes.

The vamps had..." Wow, another name form my distant past, a great Brit horror writer elevated to another stratosphere by Terminator.

I forgot about Brian Lumley. A wonderful author.

I don't read a ton of horror, so I don't know that I have a particular favorite, but I really liked Bedbugs. Like a really compelling urban legend, it took something sorta common but kinda gross and ramped up the anxiety factor until it was pure horror.

Stephen King's older books are really the style that can creep me out - the Shining (the movie is not even close to the horror established in the book), Christine, and some of those short stories. Sheesh. Those clacking teeth were disturbing. Bentley Little's The Walking was another great one.

Michelle, I'm with you - King's older books were awesome. I still haven't gotten over figuring out what redrum meant!

Also McCammon - A Boy's Life is still one of my all time favorites. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor. Horror, but also a masterfully written coming of age book. I know what it's like to be a young boy (though I'm obviously not) just from reading it.

I'd have to dig deep to come up with my best ever pick. It's too bad that I haven't had a good scare since my early twenties when I read Anne Rice and before her the classics Stoker and Shelley.

The last really GREAT scare I had was not in a book but in a movie and this is going back to Ridley Scott's original Alien. I saw it in the theatre, yes I'm that old, and it was chilling.

For books I'd still give it to Dracula, largely because I was barely into my teens and didn't know how to rationalize my fears away.

Athanasios wrote: "I'd have to dig deep to come up with my best ever pick. It's too bad that I haven't had a good scare since my early twenties when I read Anne Rice and before her the classics Stoker and Shelley.
Have you read any Graham Masterton the real king of horror?
..."

John Dies at the End

I'm not done, but so far it has scared me more than any other Horror book has. I've had a problem lately with Horror books actually scaring me.

If I had to choose one I've finished, I'll pick one of the more recent reads

Summer of Night

It's a little long winded, but the immersion factor created a nostalgic effect that will probably make me read it again at some point. Exceptional characterization made me really care about what happened in the end, and I wasn't disappointed.

Shane wrote: "That book was The Dark Half. When the protagonist in the story, a writer, buried his character in a mock funeral, the dead character came back to life as I think the twin that was eaten.

The books..."

I am in no way catholic - or a believer of any kind - but possessions scare me FAR more than any vampire/zombie/insert chosen monster does.

Heidi wrote: "Shane, yup that is the one! Ooh, I like demonic possession in movies! Can't really think of any books that I have read where that is a theme. Any suggestions? I miss cowering under my covers! (Movi..."

This is a really good one, I think:
http://www.amazon.com/THE-POSSESSION-...

Danjal Jannik wrote: "Heidi wrote: "Shane, yup that is the one! Ooh, I like demonic possession in movies! Can't really think of any books that I have read where that is a theme. Any suggestions? I miss cowering under my..." most terrifying possession book is still the first - The Exorcist as it is true.

Some really good stuff here, thus far. I especially approve of Boys' Life and Summer of Night. Two great coming-of-age books mixed with horror.

Richard Laymon's Island combines childhood shipwreck yarns with brutal horror. It's trashy beyond description, and lays the adolescent sex fantasies on a little thick, but it's also a great story. I read it in a single sitting because I couldn't stop turning the pages.

A lesser-known gem: Cities of the Dead by Michael Paine. It's alt-history horror about archaeologist Howard Carter becoming embroiled in a plot about newly-discovered mummies in Egypt. More mystery than horror, but the horror elements are there and quite effective.

It by Stephen King is by far the scariest novel I have ever read.

Ben wrote: "It by Stephen King is by far the scariest novel I have ever read."

I agree. My worst nightmare came by way of It.

Christopher wrote: "Ben wrote: "It by Stephen King is by far the scariest novel I have ever read."

I agree. My worst nightmare came by way of It."

IT was definitely one of them for me!

Stephen king's IT will always be my favorite. Not only because it scared the living crap out of me when I was nine, but because it was the gateway to my love affair with horror.

I'm with you guys. Though I thought The Stand was the better book, It was far more terrifying.

Mercedes wrote: "Stephen King's IT was the worst for me. So bad in fact I couldn't finish it and was afraid to go outside in the dark alone for a long time and I was a teenager, I was supposed to be out in the dark..."

I love love love IT, read it in 1986 whan I was 18,I laughed, cried and flinched in terror. However, for books that made me scared to go out in the dark Whitley Streber's The Wolfen takes the cake.

Since I do not believe in life or any other form of existence after death, horror stories in general leave me cold (pun intended).

An acquaintance insisted that I at least give "The Shining" by Stephen King a try. I acqiesced and I am glad I did.

Since reading it, the word, "shiner" has taken on an entirely new meaning for me and once, when I was assigned to a hotel room numbered 217, it gave me the creeps.

I also thought IT was the scariest novel I have ever read--although I thought the resolution was a little silly. The Stand is my favorite King book.

Joel wrote: "I also thought IT was the scariest novel I have ever read--although I thought the resolution was a little silly. The Stand is my favorite King book."

I agree. In fact, I personally believe that "The Stand" is one of the best post-apocalyptic novels ever written.