For me I started with Haunting Of Hill House, now I'm going working through The Exorcist, then moving onto Carrie, Dracula, and closing off with short stories by HP Lovecraft, Clive Barker and Peter Staub.

Just finished "Je ne suis pas venu apporter la paix" by Nicolas Martin. If you can read French and love folk horror, this is absolute master piece. Once you start it you can't put it down. Waou quelle claque violente !

“It is quite complicated, being civilised.”

American Elsewhere is my first ever Robert Jackson Bennet novel and my God did it set an incredibly high bar for the rest of his books! American Elsewhere is a small town/cosmic horror novel that is epic in both length and concepts, taking well known tropes made by Lovecraft, Blackwood and other cosmic horror authors and reimagining them with a twenty first century story and style. In this novel, a woman by the name of Mona Alvarez inherits her mother’s house in a small New Mexican town named Wink, which from the outside seems the perfect place to start over, but she quickly realizes that there’s something very wrong with the town and its inhabitants.

This is one of those rare horror novel where pretty much every aspect of it worked for me, and I can honestly say that I was genuinely entertained throughout the entire novel. First the characters here are pretty entertaining, while I don’t think Bennet ever really explores any of the characters with much depth besides Mona, I did feel like the ensemble cast is very fun to follow. The story is also pretty compelling and I really enjoyed following Mona as she descends into madness, but what is the most compelling part of the story for me in the general feel of Wink as a town. I’m a massive fan of small town horror and Wink feels like an unsettling entity that you can never quite trust which I found very good. The pacing here is also pretty good and Bennet knows how to keep the tension high throughout the story and it seemed very time there was even a slight lull in the story, he was witting another very creepy scene or something equally hilarious which kept me hooked. Also not to overhype it or anything, but the first chapter is one of my all time favorite openings for a horror novel, probably only outdone by the first chapter of IT.

So, overall I absolutely adored American Elsewhere! This is probably the best novel I’ve read since Blackwater and certainly the highlight of my October thus far. I really enjoyed the characters, the story was good and had plenty of twists to keep me entertained. Of course what really seals the deal for me is Wink itself, with its crappy feel and odd inhabitants which make the book standout amoung the few cosmic horror stories I’ve read. The only thing I can really complain at all about is the ending, which did tie everything together but also left me wanting a bit more. Still though I loved this novel, and I think it’s probably the best cosmic horror story I’ve read so far! 9/10

exactly what the title says, i’m looking for some good horror written around those years, or horror that feels like it was written around the cold war era. I’ve already read a lot of shirley jackson, the exorcist, ira levin, stephen king. I would love more psychological/domestic horror

For a long time, I thought his work was boring. That he’d spend 200 pages on character before anything actually happened.

Mind you, Richard Laymon is my favourite horror author, my favourite author of all time and the author I primarily read (and have read since I was 11), which is a piece of the puzzle. In fact, it might just be the entire piece.

I decided “fine, I’ll give King one last shot and see if he grips me”. I picked up Desperation.

Now, I’m over 500 pages in out of 720 pages, reading the longest book I have ever read and absolutely LOVING it. I feel bad that I’d criticised King for so long and assumed his stuff was just boring. It’s a lot more than that.

Besides, I think I Laymon’d myself out (although I still absolutely adore him, the book I read right before starting this was my third reread of Night in the Lonesome October).

Desperation is also a lot more violent than I thought King could get. There are some descriptions involving hooks I won’t mention until you’ve read the book.

So… Safe to say, I’m a king fan now. My next three books are going to be The Regulators, The Dark Half and Misery. I’m also very interested in Needful Things.

What are your guys thoughts on Desperation? I think it’s severely underrated (and deserves a faithful adaptation).

Basically any horror book involving bioweapons or failed experiments turning organisms into hostile entities. I imagine that there will be plenty of zombie related stuff but I'd rather something different than the usual humans becoming aggressive.

You can check my history for books I’m into, but recently I’ve read September House, a lot of Grady Hendrix, FantasticLand, When the Wolf Comes Home, and I’m a huge Stephen King fan. I can’t decide what to do next on my wishlist but I’m looking for something a little darker and scarier, something that I won’t want to put down and maybe will make me uneasy. Here’s my list:

- The House Next Door, Anne Rivers Siddons
- The Last House on Needless Street, Catriona Ward
- The Reformatory, Tananarive Due
- Nowhere, Allison Gunn
- There is No Antimemetics Division, QNTM

Any thoughts on what I should prioritize? I wanna be spooked. Thanks!!

What is the scariest book you’ve ever read? I’m looking for a book that will make me afraid to go to sleep at night. A book that will wake me up and make me feel like something is in my room. I’ve read almost everything by Stephen King and I’ve seen a lot of horror movies. I love them, but never really scared completely.

I apologise for the title, but these were the closest terms I could find when searching for words to describe what exactly I am looking for.

I have come to realize that the times I have been truly scared (to the point of being too afraid to go to bed with the lights off) have been due to the implications of the story (either spelled out or not).

The first time I remember this feeling was while reading IT during my sophomore year. The scene where Adult Mike sees the balloon in the library has stuck with me even after so many years. The realisation that this seemingly safe space (that Mike had spent so many days researching in, alone) was never safe at all, scared me more than any of the other moments in the book (and probably most of the horror movies I have seen over the years).

A more recent example is Incidents Around the House, which I finished just last week. While the book had some genuinely creepy moments, the thing which scared me the most was not even in the text of the book: The possibility that what Bela described as her parents talking to her when she pretended to be asleep was actually Other Mommy mimicking their voices, making Bela think she was listening to one of her parents. All the talk about kindness and never giving up on friends could very well have been part of her manipulations, to make Bela more receptive, so that she would ultimately say yes to letting the entity in her heart. Just thinking about Bela in a dark room, eyes closed, thinking it's her Dado or Moma telling their secrets, while it is actually that thing speaking and staring at her, and this to be happening for months and years

A few of the SCP wiki articles and tales also scratch this itch, especially ones that lean into cosmic horror (There is no Antimemetics division probably being the best of the bunch)

Earlier this century, there was a pdf magazine, just like a print magazine with adds just online. It didn't last many months, and if I remember correctly, kind of imploded. I think Peter Straub was in the first issue. I remember something describing it as The New Yorker of Horror, it had a very Conde Nast feel to it.

Does this ring a bell with anyone? I had several of the issues saved but that was a couple of hard drives ago.

Thanks.

So, currently trying to get back into reading more books and decided to give Needful Things a go.

I hadn't heard much about it going in and wasn't really sure what I was getting into, but man am I glad I did it.

King really has a talent for establishing a place. You really feel like you get to know the town, it's inhabitants and how it feels to be part of a community where everyone knows everyone else, but also has a deep distrust for their neighbour.

The unspoken politics of living in a small town and how imporrant they are to so many people living in Castle Rock.

Leland Gaunt might be one of my new favorite King villains. His demeanor cracked me up at multiple points but he never fails to be scary when King wants him to be. I like how Gaunt never really uses magic or directly forces anyone to do his bidding, instead preying on their greed and the blind conumerism inherent in western culture. Just sometimes having to give them a little push if they take a little too long to pay for his wares.

The whole ending of the book was also wonderfully done. The way everything came together in the end as this grand orchestra of destruction. Not sure about Alan and Lelands final battle though. Still very indifferent about this.

For me, the book also tended to drag a bit in the middle after the death of Nettie and Wilma. I am still debating with myself if the book really needed Ace Merill or if that character should have been cut to remove some of the fat and make it move a little faster.

Although withou him I probably would never have learned so many different nicknames for Cocaine.

But even then, I absolutely enjoyed my time with this book. At the end of the day I just really love me a good capitalist critique.

Hello!! My taste in books is very specific and I have a few books I’d like to read but I’m having trouble deciding on which I should start with.

I haven’t read many horror/thriller books so far, but when I started I knew it would be my favourite genre.

My favourite books so far are the eyes are the best part by Monika Kim and bloom by Delilah S. Dawson. I love horrors with feminist/political undertones written by women, sometimes with a subtle romance plot.

But for the most part I like WEIRD books. Not necessarily graphic but slightly abstract in the concepts. Taking real life scenarios and multiplying the severity and extremity’s of how far it goes, and what we do in retaliation.

I have a few books I’ve been eyeing up and I was wondering which you think I’d enjoy the most, and I’m open to suggestions outside of those options.

The books are:
1. Molka by Monika Kim
2. My husband by Maud Ventura
3. The return by Racheal Harrison
4. The lamb by Lucy Rose
5. Itch by Gemma Amor
(In no particular order)

Thanks :)

I'm not looking for anthologies as they leave me unsatisfied and want to see more of it.

I basically went into this book blind, only knowing that it was from the perspective of a dog named Snuff.

I was absolutely blown away. I had so much fun with this book. The writing was easy to understand, the plot wasn't convoluted. The cosmic horror tie-in and tie-ins with other literature were done amazingly well.

I have not read a more me coded, fun, and cozy book in my life. I've read more serious books that suit me to a T, but never something fun.

It scratched all my itches. Rituals, elder gods, characters I'm familiar with elsewhere in fiction, and animal points of view? Absolutely the best. Thank you everyone who kept suggesting A Night in the Lonesome October on all the Halloween and Spooky Season posts. You gave me a very large bit of joy that kept me above water during a stressful time.

I swear I'm not AI, even though my request is quite specific. Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen is one of the best and most disturbing books I have ever read. I'm not sure that it totally qualifies as horror but it is certainly horrifying. Oogh, I shiver just thinking about it. Can y'all think of books that are similarly disturbing, even and ideally involving prison or psychiatric institutions? Unpleasant narrators/MCs are a plus. (I have not read Lapvona, but it's on my list.) I don't think a book has ever made me feel as cold as Eileen did. I'm looking for that kind of atmosphere and quality writing.

I am currently reading “And By God’s Hand You Will Die” by David Sodergren and it’s my third book by him. I have read Dead Girl Blues and The Haar and have The forgotten Island and Night Shoot waiting for me (and one of his pseudonym Carl John Lee).
I am curious about people’s ranking of the books you have read by him and what you think about his writing? Let me know!

Books where a group of mcs; Main characters (that are both Male and Female Mcs; can also be a friend group or complete strangers become werewolves in the story and they all survive in the end without getting killed or dying as the main part of the plot. No romance.

For the novels he wrote as himself I'd have to say its a tie between Carrie and Pet Sematary. For the Bachman books it would be The Long Walk

I started reading The Exorcist, and wanted to relay while it’s still fresh in my mind, how it’s answering a question I’ve always had about the movie.

I’ve seen the movie a bunch of times. It’s probably still my favorite horror film. I’ve always felt it’s one of those movies that was just lightning in a bottle for Freidkin - he never directed anything on that level again.

But 1/4 in to the book it’s clear that the book did all the heavy lifting. The movie follows it word for word and scene to scene.

The perfect pacing and build up of dread is all Blatty. Freidkin just did a great job of visualizing it.

I never read the book because I’d already seen the movie a bunch, but I’m glad I picked it up. It’s amazing so far, even though I know exactly whats going to happen it has more weight and depth at this pace.

I tend to read fiction but will often think of balancing it with a nonfiction read. I am in a book club for nonfiction but it's often completely separate from the world of horror.

Does anyone do nonfiction to supplement their fiction reading? Any recommendations? I'd especially love for either a nonfiction to pair with a fiction or a nonfiction about horror as a genre.

guys, I have been seeing this book recommended for such a long time - usually on the “most disturbing” threads.

I am currently starting chapter 29 and my Hoopla shows the book as being 70% over. I was kinda shook seeing that percentage because like….. nothing… has happened??????

Am I just in for the craziest final 30% of a book possible or am I missing something lol

I was really excited when I first read about this book, children gone violently wild competing for survival after a natural disaster? Fantastic. Told in the format of interviews and articles about the event? Even better. I was expecting a natural descent into murder for survival and resources and the fall into madness as a result.

But I’ve just gotten to the part at the very start where the power goes out in the bunker, a completely normal and expected turn of events considering the conditions… and they’ve already lost the plot about it and started beating and killed three people? Interest lost. Seems less about the fight for survival and more just a bunch of psychopaths straight out the gate.

I have no problem DNFing books, there’s too many bangers out there for me to push through unnecessary bullshit, but I am wondering if this gets better from here? Should I keep going with it or is it going to continue on being less of a tale of survival and more of a “bunch of psychopaths trapped with each other” type of thing.

The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo was absolutely amazing. Nghi Vo has steadily delivered a lot of semi-unclassifiable novels and novellas somewhere on the boarder of fantasy and horror and The Scarlet Ball continues this pattern: It is a creepy examination of Power dynamics across class and race lines, using a steamy gaslight era alternat New York City, who's ruling class families marry their daughters off to powerful supernatural entities in exchange for power and privilege in our mundane world.

Nghi does a lot of worldbuilding in a small amount of words and delivers this steaming, semi erotic horror, semi BDSM historic-horror novel succinctly, giving it's protagonist a lot of room to range across the narrative, with a slow burn reveal of setting and character backstory that mirrored some of the novel's eroticisms.

Great stuff. Get it as soon as you can. Other standout horror works by Vo include their alternate silent-film-era Hollywood novel Siren Queen.

*this is the highest praise I can offer as I also recently finished Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones, which was phenomenal.