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Topic: What is the scariest book you've ever read? I am looking for a new read!

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amandatorres avatar
Subject: What is the scariest book you've ever read? I am looking for a new read!
Date Posted: 5/18/2012 9:32 PM ET
Member Since: 8/12/2008
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I have read all of Dean Koontz' and Stephen King's books, along with Jack Ketchum's and Bentley Little's. I can't seem to find

much that scares me still! Do you guys have any good suggestions? I'm looking for a scary, creepy read. 

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Date Posted: 5/18/2012 11:13 PM ET
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I've yet to read any horror fiction that scared me, but I keep looking and hoping to find something.  The scariest book I ever read was The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.  It's the true account of an accidental Ebola virus outbreak in a lab in Virginia.  Scary stuff; Captain Trips has nothing on the Ebola virus!

shauns avatar
Date Posted: 5/25/2012 3:42 PM ET
Member Since: 7/24/2008
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brian keene - the rising

stacy270 avatar
Date Posted: 5/28/2012 12:57 PM ET
Member Since: 7/8/2006
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Clive Barker is really good.I have read all the authors you mentioned also.Coldheart Canyon is one of my favorites by him.If you can stomach Bentley Little uou can probably take Clive Barker:)
susieqmillsacoustics avatar
Date Posted: 6/21/2012 12:11 PM ET
Member Since: 9/19/2009
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Amanda,

 

It is hard to find a good scary book.  But I loved Jonathan Maberry's Pine Deep Trilogy-he is a really good horror writer!  Susan Hill's "Woman in Black" is a good, spooky ghost story and Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) is an excellent spooky story.

swampdonkey avatar
Date Posted: 6/22/2012 7:25 AM ET
Member Since: 8/17/2008
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J F Gonzales - Survivor.  I thought this was scary.  Especially when I heard that the beginning was based on something that actually happened to the author.

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Date Posted: 7/9/2012 12:07 AM ET
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I've read a bunch of the authors listed in this post, and I would say I haven't actually been "scared" by any of the novels.  For me (and I read a lot of horror), it is more the mood the author sets. If you want some gore and probably pain, go with Ketchum.  If you want person-beaten-and-dragged-around-by-badguys, Survivor.  If you are looking for sort of dark and demonic, Clive Barker.  Briane Keene is standard fare horror- not a ton of over-the-top anything, and I love him for that (cf. Stephen King, Dean Koontz).  For some reason, I don't like Bentley Little...  But none of this is about who scares me (none of them do), it's more about what mood I want to book to set when I sit down with it.  Sometimes you just want a little pulp redneck cannibal fiction (cf. Bryan Smith), and sometimes you just want a little vampire/werewolf pulp (cf. Ray Garton).

There are, however, a couple of other authors whom I consider to be quality writers who really draw you into their story (Like Stephen King - cf. It and Pet Semetary). I read "Summer of Night" by Dan Simmons and really liked it.  I also really like reading Peter Straub - he weaves a great story. I seem to have rambled a bit, but check out Dan Simmons' horror and Peter Straub - they are engrossing and set the right mood...

cleverlyg avatar
Subject: Some scary horror books
Date Posted: 8/8/2012 10:59 AM ET
Member Since: 12/24/2007
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http://www.squidoo.com/zombies6 and http://www.squidoo.com/great-horror-films-that-were-based-on-books

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Date Posted: 8/11/2012 9:46 PM ET
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I found that Hell House by Richard Matheson was a really creepy read. The details and moods are so well written that it just surrounds you. Definitely check it out.

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Date Posted: 9/19/2012 4:36 PM ET
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The best horror novel I've read in the past few years, by far, is Scott Sigler's Infected. (It also has a sequel, Contagious).

These books are extremely gory. But, they are also edge-of-your-seat books. I stayed up all night to read Infected, and then I gave it to my husband and made him read it right away so I could talk about it with him. Sigler has a way of putting you in the main character's head so that every crazy thing he does seems perfectly rational ... it's just really, really good writing. If you don't mind the gore.

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Date Posted: 9/30/2012 6:23 PM ET
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Richard Laymon

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Date Posted: 10/4/2012 11:08 PM ET
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Right on.  Richard Laymon is my favorite horror writer.  No one writes as fast paced as he does

 

Jason

areadingwoman avatar
Subject: Creepy or over the top
Date Posted: 1/21/2013 12:40 PM ET
Member Since: 9/5/2009
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For general creepy atmosphere, I loved Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell. For over the top horror, I really enjoyed Scott Smiths The Ruins. It was too icky for me to watch the movie, but it was a great read. I sat in front of the open window in summer and read well past midnight. I couldn't put it down. For a classic tale, the Haunting of hill house.
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Date Posted: 2/10/2016 8:25 PM ET
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Richard Laymon is one of my favorite authors! I like his books too because some of them are nice and long!

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Date Posted: 12/27/2021 8:54 PM ET
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Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (one of Steven King's sons)

Wow - what a ride!