The scariest ghost stories from the depths of reddit. Horror most terrifying books of all time hewlettwoodmere. The overlook hotel is so alive, and finds a willing recruit in alcoholic, repressed domestic abuser john torrance. The 12 best ghost books to keep you up at night best ghost stories ever written. It was tough to put hell house above i am legend, but hey, the world is full of choices, and this writer finds haunted houses scarier than vampires. The devil in the white city by erik larson is a nonfiction book about the 1893 worlds fair in chicago and the serial killer who used it to find and kill more victims. This is probably the most frightening novel stephen king has ever written. In fact, this haunting tale is so popular, that the colorado hotel that originally inspired kingestes parks the stanleyhas now become a major travel destination for horror aficionados. The true story of an american ghostbuster who discovered r. Mar 30, 2020 these are the best horror books to gorge on, the scariest books ever printed. Jacobs one of the neatest, most concise, and chilling stories ever written, the monkeys paw isnt exactly a ghost storythough it does definitely deal. From crumbling gothic mansions to ghost infested suburban homes and houses with evil minds of their own, if youre looking for a spooky thrill or two weve compiled a list of the ten besthaunted.
One of literatures most gripping ghost stories depicts the sinister transformation of 2. Its possibly the best haunted house story ever written, and as such, we encourage all the adaptations hollywood wants to make. Jul 16, 2018 the scariest book ive ever read is the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson. Its worth noting, as you will see in this best horror book guide, the genre isnt just about. Colin dicky recounts the many haunted places he visited, ghost tours hes been on and tries to make sense of the human obsession with the supernatural based on the social implications and societal context.
That book left a loooooong impression on my brain because we lived out in the country. There is a scene involving a rat, that i think you will remember, and it really set me off. The true story of an american ghost buster who discovered real vampires, satanic human sacrifices, deadly black magic, a haunted hotel, sadistic poltergeists, and more. The houses spirits eventually possess one of its visitors, a quiet, reserved woman named eleanor. Oct 09, 20 here, for your horrifying pleasure, are 50 of the scariest books ever written in the english language, whether horror, nonfiction, or speculative futures you never want to see. Jackson didnt invent the haunted house story, but she perfected it, coupling the tropes of a home infested with a malevolent spirit and a group of curious minds there to investigate the supernatural with a narrator who becomes increasingly unreliable as the horror spirals higher. The best horror books of all time horror books have been part of the literary world for years, but it seems like horror in all its mediums has been on the upswing in recent times. Danielewski put simply, house of leaves is one of the most frightening books ever written.
Ghost story is a cleverly constructed novel that drags you right into its world. Oct 14, 20 there is nothing better than a good ghost story. Its proof that the scariest creatures in fiction are not ghosts or vampires, they are characters so twisted by grief and rage theyve become unrecognizable. The first book that sent my heartrate soaring higher than after a decent cardio workout was the witches of worm by zilpha keatley snyder, which i listened to on audiobook while. Oct 08, 2019 this 1959 gothic novel, which was the inspiration for the terrifying netflix series of the same name, is considered by many to be the best hauntedhouse story ever written. Jul 18, 2019 kings hotel horror classicand stanley kubricks 1980 movie adaptation, the shiningare masterpieces of the genre. Australian writer harwood earned the international horror guild award for best first novel for his first book, 2005s the ghost writer. From a fairly standard horror premise a house is revealed to be slightly larger on the inside than is strictly possible danielewski spins out a dizzying tale involving multiple unreliable narrators, typographic mysteries, and looping footnotes that manage to drag the reader. Ninja professional 72oz countertop blender with watt base and. If youre in the mood for a fright, here are some of the scariest books ever written. With that in mind, ive assembled a list of mustread horror novels past and present that take on the genre in different ways. Oct 04, 20 the story is a very unique mix of the manhattan social society, with long passages devoted to fashion, and all things elite, paired with some of the most brutal and horrific instances of violence ive ever read.
Inspired by a true story of a child who was possessed by demons in the 1940s, blatty created a novel that focuses on regan, an 11year old girl who has the same fate. If you want to read enthralling horror stories that can keep you tossing and turning in bed at night, here are scariest books ever written. Its been made into a movie once before and will be released again in. And if they get to be a little too much, just do what i do. What are the shortest and scariest stories or poems ever. The woman in black by susan hill, the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson, ghost story by peter straub, the historia. Its credited to septimus dale, but seems to have been written by the belfast childrens writer martin waddell who borrowed the pseudonym from. Weve done this post a few times, and these are seriously some of the craziest, scariest, most terrifying tales ive ever read.
I know scary books are possible and would be really good, but im yet to find anything thats had me wanting to hide under the covers. When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made. One part ghost story, one part travel guide, and one part memoir. The best horror books of all time penguin random house.
Aug 22, 2006 the funniest, and scariest, book ever written writer charles baxter offers praise for flann obriens the third policeman, which can be confusing, comical and harrowing. Oct 16, 2018 the haunting of hill house, by shirley jackson lets start with the obvious choice. Lets start with the biggest problem for anyone writing a ghost story. I had a secondstory bedroom overlooking the driveway, and anytime i heard a noise at night i had to look out the window to make sure a car full of vicious murderers hadnt. Shrivers well written, insightful story won the orange prize in 2005, which is a u. Feb 26, 2017 the exorcist is one of the scariest books of all time and remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. There isnt much better than curling up at night with a good book, a blanket. Once the first clues hit that eleanor may be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, we move through stages of denial, shock, and anxiety as jackson takes the horror from a simmer to a boil.
Pick up this novel written by stephen kings oldest son before the movie comes out, and you can only picture daniel radcliffe as the newly horned, deeply troubled protagonist. As you may know, im the author of the inheritance cycle, as well as the fork, the witch, and the worm short stories set in the world of eragon, and an adult scifi novel, to sleep in a sea of stars, which is publishing on september 15th this year. If you relish catching a dose of the heebiejeebies while reading. Still, kings classic remains one of the scariest books to follow the basic. The 10 scariest books of all time read at your own risk. Put simply, house of leaves is one of the most frightening books ever written.
The true story of an american ghostbuster who discovered real vampires, satanic human sacrifices, deadly black magic. Finding a good ghost story book isnt always easy, but when you do, oh, its incredible. To prove theres still a wealth of fresh, scary stories, we asked our dear readers and the good people at reddit to share their scariest ghost stories. Dec 27, 2019 horror stories are mainly written to give you a good scare. M s waddell the little girl eater 1964 a man is trapped by a falling girder under a pier on a beach. Whether they are self published books or traditionally published hardcovers, good ones can give you goosebumps due to fear and trepidation. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book. Jun 03, 2016 10 of the creepiest books of all time.
Thats why the best selling ghost story books on amazon are so amazingly addictive. Nathaniel hawthornes short story is the uramerican horror tale. Oct 27, 2012 the book was rereleased last year for its 30th anniversary with new illustrations, and theyre very well drawn exactly what youd commission for a kids book of ghost stories. When originally published in 1971, the exorcist became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. Its a strong contender for the scariest story ever written. What is the most terrifying book you have ever read.
Jun 25, 2018 this novel is easily numbers among the scariest psychological horror novels ive ever read, despite its being published three hundred years ago. Being the dog person that i am, it makes sense to me that one of the scariest horror books includes a possessed cat that, in turn, possesses its human owner. Literature of all eras abounds in ghosts stories, and there is a great crosssection in the big book of ghost stories. For truly creepy, you may want to try the, purportedly, true story. The true story of an american ghost buster who discovered real vampires, satanic human sacrifices, deadly black magic. As if i could leave off the creepiest book ever given to children. Its possibly the best haunted house story ever written, and as such, we. I found a dimpled spider, fat and white, on a white healall, holding up a moth like a white piece of rigid sa. Best scariest horror books of all time cosmopolitan. The exorcist by william peter blatty the reason this was made into one of the scariest movies of all time is because it was one of the scariest novels of all time. It was fresh and new when it was written, and nobodys devil has.
Featured image by zacarias pereira da matashutterstock. As far as scary goes, this is probably the tamest book on the list. A books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. One item was a great big bookshelf in the basement which remained laden with their old books. Highly regarded as one of the best literary ghost stories of the 20th century, the haunting of hill house. There is no scientific proof with which to bolster our claims. Still, kings classic remains one of the scariest books to follow the basic template of an innocent family consumed by intelligent, possessed edifice. Unlike stine, ive never equated scary with funny my guttural reaction to reading a scary book is to dwell on the images conjured from its pages as i shift around in bed, unable to sleep. Oct 26, 2012 but my alltime scariest book i read was in cold blood by truman capote. Brian evenson has been frightening readers for over two decades with books like altmanns tongue, the open curtain, and, most recently, song for. H aunted houses are a staple of any good ghost story, so its hardly a surprise that some of the scariest books ever to be penned on paper are all about haunted houses. It might be tempting to pop in one of your scarier movies when you want to get into the halloween spirit, but there are plenty of novels sure to.
Sep 22, 2017 with the allnew film adaptation sweeping box offices across the country in 2017, theres no better time to read stephen kings scariest novel. Scariest books ever written books that raise gooseflesh and keep you up all night. Ghost story books are, have been, and always will be captivating, because they make for some of the most disturbing books ever written. The scariest writing for me is not the bloodspattery, gorefilled prose. The 100 scariest horror novels of all time horror novel. Night things isnt merely about a ghost haunting the halls of an old. Oct 27, 2012 the 14 scariest ghost stories 10272012 09. But, as readers, we love the sensation of being scaredit is adrenalineinducing and addictive.
The 12 best ghost books 2019 best ghost stories ever written. These are the best horror books to gorge on, the scariest books ever printed. Jul 25, 2014 the scariest book ive ever read the one that made me lose sleep and hide under the covers crying for dawn was actually a collection of short stories by stephen king. I love a good scare, but the best horror novels dont just provide frights, they also comment on society or maybe riff on triedandtrue tropes. The haunting of hill house is simply the best haunted house story ever written. Books that raise gooseflesh and keep you up all night.
What is the scariest or creepiest book you have ever read. I read it one night next to my sleeping wife and found myself unable to move, unable to go to bed, unable. There is nothing quite like sitting down to read one of the scariest books on the planet. It was fresh and new when it was written, and nobodys devil has ever topped it. These are the top 10 scariest real ghost stories ever. As he fixates on an overweight man living in his neighborhood, the reader is forced to see the world consistently through his eyes. A frightening creation myth for our own time, frankenstein remains one of the greatest horror stories ever written and is an undisputed classic of its kind. These 19 real ghost stories will have you questioning that bump you hear in. The novel tells the story of three people who spend a night in the belasco house in maine, which has been sealed since 1949. The scariest book ive ever read the one that made me lose sleep and hide under the covers crying for dawn was actually a collection of short stories by stephen king. The ghost of rebecca haunts this gothic retelling of bluebeard, published in 1938. Horror comes in many forms but when it is on the page it is truly the scariest king. Written in 1816 when she was only nineteen, mary shelleys novel of the modern prometheus chillingly dramatized the dangerous potential of life begotten upon a laboratory table.
Soon after his arrival, the young boy learns that two children who. We also included a few firsthand ghost stories weve experienced on the mydomaine team. The 12 best ghost books to keep you up at night best ghost stories ever written 1. Not only does it discuss the terrors of corrupt religion, but it also deals with a mans existential crisis, whether he is predestined for heaven, and whether his new friend with the bible written. Inspired by a true story of a child who was possessed by demons in the 1940s, blatty created a novel that focuses on.
If youre a fan of all things spooky and paranormal and you probably are, if youre here, then the very best kind of book is a ghost book. Campbell wrote a number of books that are absolutely terrifying, but this one stands out in the way he forces the reader to completely inhabit the mind of a very sick man, horridge. A few items of furniture were left there by the previous occupants. A young husband travels through the dark woods and stumbles upon a satanic orgy. Highly regarded as one of the best literary ghost stories of the 20th century, the haunting of hill house tells of four characters that stay at the ominous mansion to explore the paranormal phenomena going on inside. Some are just plain scary, while others use their ghosts and ghouls as. Asked in books and literature, math and arithmetic. There isnt much better than curling up at night with a good book, a blanket and some hot chocolate. Isolating the 10 scariest novels of all time is essentially impossible. And, as stephen king commented, hell house is the scariest haunted house novel ever written. Stephen king has called richard mathesons novel hell house the scariest haunted house novel ever written. Pick up this novel written by stephen kings oldest son before the movie comes out, and you can only picture daniel radcliffe as the newly horned, deeply troubled protagonist ig. Mar 11, 2015 there are quite a few profoundly poems, but i think the most poetic, mostfinely constructed and most scary is robert frosts design.
Maybe people are realizing just how satisfying it is to settle into a scary story, feel the rush of adrenaline, and then close the book, turn off the movie, or walk. Its not just these scary stories that were so chilling, it was the epic artwork by. One of the greatest english ghost stories ever written, this acutely observed, utterly terrifying tale is tied for first place in my affectionsand perhaps appropriately, because howard, better. The scariest writing, to me, is the kind that incepts those intrusive thoughts, the macabre punchlines that dawn when im waiting in line at the grocery store and see something that reminds me of the. Shakespeare often used ghosts in his plays, most famously in hamlet and macbeth, and charles dickens wrote the greatest pure ghost story of all time in a christmas carol. It is not even the kind that keeps me up at night, wondering if a killer is lurking in the shadows. The reason this was made into one of the scariest movies of all time is because it was one of the scariest novels of all time. Then here are some of the scariest books ever written. James published in the victorian era many of his stories were written in the 1900s and 1910s, this is an unsettling story about an orphan boy who goes to stay at the house of his distant relation, mr abney. The shining, by stephen king sure, its not a house but an entire hotel. If your summer months are more for scary stories around the campfire than breezy first love, happily ever after tales, this list of 10 of the creepiest books of. Daphne du mauriers ghost less ghost story about a haunted marriage is on everyones best scary books list for a reason.
Has anyone here found a book so scary you almost had to stop reading it. The 1973 movie adaptation is considered one of the scariest films ever made, so as you can imagine, the book is not for the faint of. Thisll be the only story on our 12 best ghost story books. These forms of lists are comprised of books that leave a burning trail of fear in our hearts. The exorcist is one of the scariest books of all time and remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. Really excited to be answering your questions here.