readers advisory for all discussion

There are only two conditions on this one

1. It should be a novel (not short-stories)
2. Should be really scary.

I emphasized on the word 'really' because there are hundreds of books in the horror genre but almost all of them fail to scare people. I haven't read much into this genre but from all the reviews I have read, that seems to be the case. The only book that succeeded in scaring me (only for about five to ten pages) was The Shining.

I would prefer something that would last longer than that (much longer) and of course, the story should be good, too. (though I can't imagine a bad story being scary.)

Thanks in advance !

ooh, i am going to haunt this thread and hope for the best. i challenged people to find me something scary ages ago, and it just didn't pan out. pulkit, we are too brave!

Afraid by Jack Kilborn. Worked for me.

Have you read The Haunting of Hill House? I know some people haven't been scared by it, but it scares the crap out of me - a lot like The Shining does.

Janene wrote: "Afraid by Jack Kilborn. Worked for me."

is it scary like monster scary or more psychologically scary?? will i never sleep again??

hmm...both? :) Not monster as in Frankenstein or Freddy Krueger.. But yeah, I put the book down when I was finished & said, "F'ing A. There are no words." More like...'could this really happen?? OMG'.

It was one of my all time fav reads of 2009. 5 stars. A friend tried to read it and stopped, giving it one star...because it was 'too gory. too violent'. Well...she should have figured that after reading my review. Yes?

And I'm with you, Karen. Totally will be tracking this thread.

I have an idea for a thread, but I'm struggling to figure out how to even put into writing what it is I'm looking for. :-\

Janene wrote: "And I'm with you, Karen. Totally will be tracking this thread.

I have an idea for a thread, but I'm struggling to figure out how to even put into writing what it is I'm looking for. :-\"


you can PM me if you need help with it... basically, the more information you give hen asking for a book or responding to a request, the tighter and more accurate your suggestions should be. detail is always appreciated, so don't worry about too many details or even being contradictory. RA is all about details...

likewise. i need a good scare.
Psychological or monsters, i don't care.

i envy the people i know who walk out of theaters after screaming for a while..

Nightworld by F. Paul Wilson.. like you, I am rarely even creeped out by books, let alone actually scared, but this one literally gave me nightmares, and continues to scare the living daylights out of me every time I re-read it.

It's the sixth in a series, but I didn't know that when I got it, and had no trouble jumping right in. (The rest of the series, The Adversary Cycle, is good too, but not as scary. o.O)

Clive Barker scares the pants off me, try Hellraiser . The Silence of the Lambs--terrifying. And George Orwell's Animal Farm was scary in a different way--kind of cerebral and visceral at the same time. And there is always the creepmaster Edgar Allan Poe

Psychologically damaging brilliant book (not sure if this qualifies as a scare, but I've never been more disturbed by a book): A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan.

"Scare" is such a subjective term, but for my money, some of the best horror novels of (somewhat) recent years:

Lost boy, lost girl, Peter Straub
Pet Semetery, The Stand Stephen King
Perfect Circle, Sean Stewart
A Choir of Ill Children, Tom Piccirilli
Sharp Teeth, Toby Barlow
House of Leaves, Mark Danielewski

I agree with paul scare is totally subjective. I mean all the people who want scary books: WHAT SCARES YOU? I mean I'm scared when I read a book and a 12 year old get raped, but vampires make me laugh.

I found Asylum scary in a DOES THIS SHIT REALLY HAPPEN KIND OF WAY? apparently that's what I consider scary based on both of my posts.

It's about a psychiatric hospital in england and a patient who is clearly psychotic seducing the head doctors wife. very nice, but not horror movie kind of scary.

regarding books, i cant remember anything since i was 12-13 that had any perceivable "scare"

two movies that have made me "tense" in the last few years

- Session 9 had me very anxious
- The scenes in Descent that had them crawling through small places.

Besides those, i have been in a numb-ness slump.

i think my robot emotion ship is broken in some regards.

On your numbness comment, I gave up horror for many years (10-15). Now if I read some it really scares me and I can't watch really horrific movies anymore. So maybe one does get numb when over-exposed??

Deb wrote: "...I gave up horror for many years (10-15)..."

could be over saturation. all those violent video games have done me wrong!

Just dropping in links:
Lost Boy Lost Girl
Pet Sematary
Perfect Circle
A Choir of Ill Children
Sharp Teeth
House of Leaves

Here's my stock answer for "scary," and it also happens to be absolutely hilarious at the same time. It's a truly skilled author who can pull off scary AND funny, and I guarantee you'll experience both from page to page -- John Dies at the End

The House Next Door
Anne Rivers Siddons (NOT her usual type of writing)
excellent psychological horror

Are you familiar with Caitlín R. Kiernan? She writes dark fantasy and the kind of horror that is more about ambiance/internal dread than gore.

that's your friend?? i bought that book!!

thanks tomato!

Hello everyone, this is my first post and agree that nothing beats the "personalized" recommendations from real readers (not robots!)

Every time I'm asked this question by library patrons or friends, I'm always reminded of that famous scene from the Twilight Zone Movie - "Do you want to see something really scary?" Yes! Always!
Here's a few that top my list:

Ditto Pet Sematary - King has written LOTS but this still stands as one of his scariest novels for me. In it, he taps into a lot of our primal fears including ancient burial grounds, death, and worst of all, death of a child. What I love about this one is that it's a surprisingly emotional story for one whose main goal is to scare the life out of you! There's rich character development and real tragedy.

Let's Go Play at the Adams - I would not recommend this to everyone. It's very disturbing, psychological horror (no supernatural elements). Once started I could not put it down. I had to know how it was all going to end. The terror and tension of the last 50 pages just about did my head in. My heart was racing, I was filled with dread. I felt nauseous. I was consumed with rage. I wept. For pity. For the fact that I couldn’t help. For the senseless unapologetic tragedy of it all. Some comparisons can be made to Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, but I think Let's Go Play a far stronger and more memorable book for many reasons.

I would also ditto the rec for House of Leaves - it's just so weird and creepy. It almost convinces you that the book itself is haunted, and that the curse has now been passed onto you for reading it! A lot of it is jumbled text and incoherent footnotes, but still manages to keep your attention. It's one of those books that make you afraid to look over your shoulder while reading it!

Radiant Dawn or Perfect Union by Cody Goodfellow who does terrifying/horror like no one else I've ever read. If you have a weak stomach or can't get scary imagery out of your head don't go near this stuff.

this might interest you:

http://monsterlibrarian.com/horrorboo...

did you try any of the suggestions yet?

i haven't. but i am starting Anna Dressed in Blood today, because everyone is raving.