As we near the autumn season, and every day inch closer to the spectacle of Halloween, I thought I would set aside my article for this week and create a list of my top 13 favorite horror novels. This list is for all horror-story enthusiasts (like I consider myself to be). I even revisited last year's "spooky" Spotify playlist for this glorious occasion.
Without further adieu, the listicle you've all been waiting for — 13 horror stories guaranteed to send chills down your spine.
1. "'Salem's Lot" by Stephen King
King has been considered The Master of Horror, and all in good fun. I selected 'Salem's Lot for many reasons, and here's a few: It's my favorite novel King has ever written. It's creepy, and makes you question every unfamiliar noise you ever hear. I was afraid to sleep alone after reading this book and avoided windows after the sun had set. Not to mention I was a little bowled over by the fact that my hometown, that I lived in at the time I purchased and read this story, has the same name as the vampire-infested small town in "'Salem's Lot."
2."The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty
Usually, when it comes to horror novels, they intrigue me more than anything. I've very rarely actually been FRIGHTENED when it comes to books, maybe just a chill down my spine here or there. But this book changed that. This story, The Exorcist, genuinely terrified me. I had nightmares about the story and what it was about for weeks after reading this book, which I read after watching the film (please forgive me). I knew I had to put this on my list, not because I like this novel (I actually hate it), but because it's the only horror story on this list that had me terrified to be alone, to be in the dark, and to just basically be.
3. "Flowers in the Attic" by V.C. Andrews
Honestly, there's not much I can say about this novel other than this: If you would like to be deeply disturbed and disgusted, then this is the story for you. Let me insert some of the dialogue from this horrifying novel to sum up basically everything for you: “I didn’t mean to rape you, I swear to God!"
Enough said.
4. "Gerald's Game" by Stephen King
My mother, one of the biggest enthusiasts of thriller stories I know, told me that this book made her legitimately afraid and told me never to read it. So, being the obviously doting daughter that I am, I went out and bought the book. Let me tell you this: I chewed my nails down to the quick while reading this, and couldn't put it down until I'd read through the entirety of a woman's struggle with the voices in her head and her trapped reality.
5. "House" by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
I picked this novel up at my local library a few years ago, and sat down and read the entire thing (all 400 pages) in one evening. Dekker and Peretti created a novel full of sickening twists, knowing just what human fears to play off of. This book left me with a newfound fear of the possibility of becoming stranded in woodsy places (and I live in in Missouri, how nice, right?), and basically of the woods in general. You never know what's in there... Or, what WAS in there...
6. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving
Okay, so, maybe this story is only really bone-chilling whenever you're in Jr. High School, but let's be honest: if you put a lot of thought into it, you're gonna check to make sure you locked your door more than once before you go to bed. And who wouldn't want to read a story that inspired a film starring Johnny Depp? Not to mention the 1949 Disney adaptation of the story that quite honestly terrified me as a child.
7. "The Face of Fear" by Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz, one of the most successful authors of thriller and horror novels, successfully made me very wary of elevators in this novel. Not that this book has a LOT to do with elevators, at all, really- but I'm now very scared of being trapped in skyscrapers. Enough said. #paranoid
8. "Misery" by Stephen King
I know, I know. More King. As an aspiring writer, I'm in love with the way King writes. Which is one of the reasons he's featured on this list so many times! And also why I included this novel in my list... because it made me terrified to become a writer... A good one, that is.
9. "Let The Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindquist
You're probably thinking, "Yeah right. A 2004 vampire novel? About CHILDREN? Not scary." And you're wrong. This novel is a particularly dark book that covers some thematically very heavy issues and is undoubtedly worth the read. According to Wikipedia, "In March 2015 A&E Studios confirmed the television series adaption of the novel.[19] The series will air on A&E and is written by Jeff Davis and Brandon Boyce.[20] In August 2016, TNT has ordered a pilot." EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
10. "Let Me In" by John Ajvide Lindquist
Technically this is a list of novels, but I think it's really interesting to note that in 2010 Matt Reeves directed an English version based on the "Let The Right One In," a film that came out in 2008. The '08 version of the film was a Swedish film, but the book was a bestseller that was translated into several languages, thus inspiring the film in 2010. Let it onto your shelf, and into your DVD player (do we still use those?).
11. "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
I read this book for the first time when I was in middle school (because my favorite author at the time, Lemony Snicket, had given it a positive review) and when I read it then, it didn't unnerve me in the slightest. It was when I picked it up again years later that I realized how eerie this story really is. I recommend it with my whole heart.
12. "The Stand" by Stephen King
This post-apocalyptic horror novel by Stephen King petrifies almost everyone who reads it. King dedicated the book to his wife, Tabitha, saying, "For Tabby: This dark chest of wonders." A dark chest of wonders it is indeed. Well done, Mr. King. You left me paranoid, about EVERYTHING, once again.
13. "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
For my last novel on the list, I thought I would include something that I haven't actually read, but definitely plan to. The book has been considered to be one of the best ghost stories written in the 20th century, and is one that I've had on my list for quite awhile. Please leave me some reviews of this story! I'd love to see some perspectives on it before I pick it up.
Are there any horror stories I didn't include that I should give a read? Please don't hesitate to let me know! Happy reading and sweet dreams to all ;)
