Gore and More discussion

Any discussion about the world of horror wouldn't be complete without discussing the Slasher/Deranged Killer sub-genre. While movies like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and many more have grabbed more of the headlines than its counterpart on the written page. But, let's not overlook some of the gems that have been written through the years. What are your favorite books from this sub-genre and what is it about them that you like so much?

I know I mainly think of the movies too with this stuff. When it's written I tend to think of psychological serial killers rather than slasher, but slashers do exist too. I loved the Hannibal series but to me, again not a slasher.

I'm about to read Psycho II, as an example, which works as a slasher but I doubt it will be a favorite. Some of Edward Lee and Richard Laymon's stuff would fit in the slasher camp

Well it depends on the author for me for general slasher horror - like The Shining by Stephen King; The Island by Richard Laymon - then if I want to really get into reading slasher/serial killer books, I turn to true crime novels - there is nothing scarier than reading about real "slashers".

"One Rainy Night" by Laymon is nothing but blood and guts. Blades slash, bullets fly, and blood spatters every page.

One Rainy Night

To me, The Shining is not slasher horror, though Jack does spend some time running around with an ax. It's atmospheric, haunting and features the supernatural, which to me, makes it non-slasher.

Lots of Laymons, the splatterpunks like Skipp and Spector, Michael Slade-those were serious slasher type novels.

Now You See Me SJ Bolton comes to mind

As does most of Karin Slaughter books it seems.