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Scary Reading Recommendations Based on Classic Horror Novels
Connoisseurs of horror fiction can tell you: The genre is much more sophisticated and generous than its reputation might suggest. There are many, many kinds of scary stories. If you’ve only ever dipped a frightened toe into the pool of horror fiction, then these recommendations are for you.
We’ve collected below a sampling of widely read horror novels—the kind of books that even non-horror readers may have read. Then we follow the themes and general mood of those classics to recommend other books in the same vein.
So for instance, and speaking of veins, if you liked the Gothic chilliness of Bram Stoker’s immortal Dracula, you might like the vampiric saga of Octavia Butler’s Fledgling, or the Nordic weirdness of Let the Right One In. You’ll find similar recommendations for the psychological dread of Shirley Jackson, or the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft.
Scroll down to find the categories that suit you, then follow the recommended titles into your next October reading adventure. And don’t forget that you can set your own reminders via your personal Want to Read shelf.
We’ve collected below a sampling of widely read horror novels—the kind of books that even non-horror readers may have read. Then we follow the themes and general mood of those classics to recommend other books in the same vein.
So for instance, and speaking of veins, if you liked the Gothic chilliness of Bram Stoker’s immortal Dracula, you might like the vampiric saga of Octavia Butler’s Fledgling, or the Nordic weirdness of Let the Right One In. You’ll find similar recommendations for the psychological dread of Shirley Jackson, or the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft.
Scroll down to find the categories that suit you, then follow the recommended titles into your next October reading adventure. And don’t forget that you can set your own reminders via your personal Want to Read shelf.
Then you might be into reading about:
Damp castles
Staying up late
Very pale ladies with sharp teeth
Fatal love bites
Dudes who turn into bats
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Damp castles
Staying up late
Very pale ladies with sharp teeth
Fatal love bites
Dudes who turn into bats
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Metafictional takes on familiar tropes
Paying lots of attention to marginalia
Books within books
Nonlinear narratives
Genre-and-mind-bendy books
Andwe recommend that you try these books next�
Metafictional takes on familiar tropes
Paying lots of attention to marginalia
Books within books
Nonlinear narratives
Genre-and-mind-bendy books
Andwe recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Too-good-to-be-true real estate listings
Creaky floors and eerie nighttime noises
Doors hanging ajar that youdefinitelylocked
Creepy horrors lurking beneath the bed
Ancestral sins revisiting subsequent generations
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Too-good-to-be-true real estate listings
Creaky floors and eerie nighttime noises
Doors hanging ajar that youdefinitelylocked
Creepy horrors lurking beneath the bed
Ancestral sins revisiting subsequent generations
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Pregnancy-as-body horror
Overly honest writing about the terrorsof parenting
Devilishly strange children
Religious weirdness
Moms on the verge of madness
And we recommend that you try these books next...
Pregnancy-as-body horror
Overly honest writing about the terrorsof parenting
Devilishly strange children
Religious weirdness
Moms on the verge of madness
And we recommend that you try these books next...
Then you might be into reading about:
Gothic ruins
Creepy husbands
Ex-wives who just won't go away
Physical and psychological isolation
Marriages where "till death do us part" becomes a threat
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Gothic ruins
Creepy husbands
Ex-wives who just won't go away
Physical and psychological isolation
Marriages where "till death do us part" becomes a threat
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Female bodies undergoing unsettling changes
The particular horrors of being in high school
Bullies getting their just desserts
Teen girls manifesting superpowers
And we recommend that you try these books next...
Female bodies undergoing unsettling changes
The particular horrors of being in high school
Bullies getting their just desserts
Teen girls manifesting superpowers
And we recommend that you try these books next...
Then you might be into reading about:
Strange sea creatures
Ancient evils
Eldritch nightmares
Incomprehensible cosmic horrors
The ocean's darkest depths
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Strange sea creatures
Ancient evils
Eldritch nightmares
Incomprehensible cosmic horrors
The ocean's darkest depths
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Folk horrors
Midsomar-esque vibes
Werewolves and wicker men
Really messed-up harvests
Rural nightmares and urban legends come to life
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Folk horrors
Midsomar-esque vibes
Werewolves and wicker men
Really messed-up harvests
Rural nightmares and urban legends come to life
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Then you might be into reading about:
Demonic possession
Troubled priests
Big battles between good and evil
Supernatural scaries
Otherworldly preoccupations
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Demonic possession
Troubled priests
Big battles between good and evil
Supernatural scaries
Otherworldly preoccupations
And we recommend that you try these books next�
Now it's your turn! Which classic horror books are your favorites, and what titles would you recommend to fellow fans?
Comments Showing 1-50 of 77 (77 new)
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Monical
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Sep 29, 2022 10:38AM
Actually, I had the same feeling about "Salem's Lot." I thought "The Shining" degenerated in the end-- altho it has some excellent creepy scenes!
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no gods, no monsters should be recommended for fans of call of chthulu!
Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."
haha! For real!
I'm impressed that people are reading Harvest Home! Tryon was amazing. The Other is also incredible.
Harvest Home is one of my absolute favorites! The movie adaptation is great as well!
Read "The Ballad of Black Tom" earlier this year and loved the atmosphere, pace and conclusion. I'd also add "The Fisherman" to the niche of Cthulhu-esque books.
Great list! Ty for the different recommendations :)
The book that scared me the most is The Exorcist and a great modern take on possession is Goddess of Filth by V. Castro.
Kudos to the publicist of Nothing But Blackened Teeth because that book has an abysmal rating that it fully earned but it keeps showing up on these lists
I've always liked 'The Uncommon Prayer-Book' by M.R.James in which the books themselves, or the spirit of the lady who had them printed, take their own revenge. Thoughtful horror at its best.
Try the book « Our Share of the night? from Mariana Enriquez! One of the best books i've ever read on my life. Trust me !
I recommend "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, M. R. James, and E. F. Benson from classic horror literature. And of course my new love, Stephen King will be at the top picks this month too. With his "Pet Sematary", "Salem's Lot", "Carrie", and "IT", he is just unstoppable as well as unputdownable. Happy Halloween
For collections of short stories, I recommend The Frightful Fifty, Part One: 25 Dreadful Singles and The Frightful Fifty, Part Two: 25 More Dreadful Singles.
Hell House by Richard Matheson A truly scary haunted house novel. It spawned an equally chilling 1973 film called the legend of Hell House
Thank you so much to whoever curated this list! so thoughtful!! I look forward to trying some of these, and I appreciate having the comparisons.
Wonderful list, I certainly picked up some new recommendations!I've read about 25 horror novels so far this year and, though many have been truly great, here are my top 5 favorites:
5. Coraline
4. The Lost Village
3. The Fisherman
2. The Elementals
1. Sundial
All have unique premises, exceptional writing, plenty of chills, and come highly recommended!
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison
Nele wrote: "Kudos to the publicist of Nothing But Blackened Teeth because that book has an abysmal rating that it fully earned but it keeps showing up on these lists"That is one of his best stories - among many others !
Umm hello? Ghost Story by Peter Straub? Absolute classic
I loved Rosemary’s Baby and Rebecca. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King scared me the most of all his books, but I liked Carrie, too. The Exorcist was ok and I also liked the movie. If you’re a fan of Rebecca try The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.
I'm impressed that people are reading Harvest Home! Tryon was amazing. The Other is also incredible.YES!! Tryon needs to be on more of these lists!! The Other is easily in my top 5 fave horror OAT, soooo creepy and unsettling!!
Harvest Home is a slow burn with a knockout ending!!
Sue wrote: "The Shining by Stephen King is one of the few books that makes scared of shadows when I’ve read it."Salems's Lot is the one that scared me most. I remember reading it the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school and only being able to read it during the day because I was afraid to read it at night!!
Haunted by James Herbert is probably one of the best haunted house stories out there and very graphic, with a story that keeps you guessing. Also Thinner is one of Stephen Kings best books but written as Richard Bachman pseudonym.Clive Barker book of blood series is well underrated.
I highly recommend "The Weird" edited by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer. An anthology of 110 tales by authors you know : Lovecraft, Bradbury, Jackson and Gaiman and authors you'll have the unnerving joy of discovering. It's a literary walk through the deepest, darkest forest of your imagination. A good, long read to get you through the spooky season (which runs from September to February in my opinion). Enjoy !
Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."
The cover was the scariest thing about this book. Terrible read.
CinCO wrote: "If you like Dracula, I recommend The Historian."I agree. The Historian is very creepy indeed.
▫️Dz wrote: "I'm impressed that people are reading Harvest Home! Tryon was amazing. The Other is also incredible."I agree. Two of the best horror books.
"Ghost Story" by Peter Straub is definitely worth reading. 
Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."
agreed
Monical wrote: "Actually, I had the same feeling about "Salem's Lot." I thought "The Shining" degenerated in the end-- altho it has some excellent creepy scenes!"Yes! Reading Salem's Lot at age 13 in our cabin in the woods in Maine when my older brother snuck out to my window and started hissing, "Let me in" while scratching at the screen. This is the only vampire novel I'll ever recommend!
Crystal wrote: "Harvest Home is one of my absolute favorites! The movie adaptation is great as well!"Betty Davis is so creepy in that one.
Aquí vive el horror, de Jay Anson sería una recomendación mas apropiada si disfrutaste obras de casas embrujadas como Hill House de Shirley Jackson.El exorcista y Rosemary baby son muy recomendables.
The Arkham Horror published anthologies of short horror stories compiled by August Derleth are still my go to for chills. They all have excellent titles like Travellers By Night and Sleep No More.
Honestly any of Stephen King’s work or essays he wrote their good love them :)
They have Mexican Gothic recommenced if you liked Rebecca, but I'd recommend if you liked The Haunting of Hill House
Sue wrote: "The Shining by Stephen King is one of the few books that makes scared of shadows when I’ve read it."It's on my list. I love the film but I believe the book is a bit different and Stephen King wasn't too pleased about the adaptation.
I absolutely loved The Haunting of Hill House as well as House of Leaves. If you haven't read those yet they are sooooo good for horror fans.
If you like horror, I would recommend books by John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of Let the right one in, and Nick Cutter, especially The Troop which is an absolutely horrifying example of body horror
My top recommendations are Rebecca, The Haunting of Hill house and The Shining. Each tackles a very different perspective but bone chilling aspect of horror
Thank you for the great horror-themed articles! I've added more books to my ever-growing reading list.
▫️Dz wrote: "I'm impressed that people are reading Harvest Home! Tryon was amazing. The Other is also incredible."I agree! One of my all time favorites!
In my book (pun intended), one cannot be a bonafide classic horror fan until you've delved into the magic of M.R. James, Ambrose Bierce, and Algernon Blackwood. Also Robert Aikman, Robert Westall, Arthur Machen, and E.F Benson. Let's not overlook the ladies: Michelle Paver, Susan Hill, Angela Carter, Dorothy Macardle, and (of course!) the great Shirley Jackson.
Ethan wrote: "Wonderful list, I certainly picked up some new recommendations!I've read about 25 horror novels so far this year and, though many have been truly great, here are my top 5 favorites:
5. [book:Coral..."
Ethan wrote: "Wonderful list, I certainly picked up some new recommendations!
I've read about 25 horror novels so far this year and, though many have been truly great, here are my top 5 favorites:
5. [book:Coral..."
Harlan Ellison! One of the greats!
I love most Stephen King early books. Interview with a Vampire I enjoyed.
Pat wrote: ""Ghost Story" by Peter Straub is definitely worth reading. "Ghost Story" was the first book to ever give me nightmares. Love it!
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