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[The_Hitcher89]

Salem's Lot probably

Normally don't like written single-book characters enough to want them to live all that much

 

[Ralemont]

Lovecraft's The Festival chills me every time I read it. This passage in particular:



You can read the whole short story here: http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/f.aspx

Only problem I have with Lovecraft is that he keeps telling through the character when and of what I should be afraid. Like, I don't need to keep hearing how scared the character is and what's freaking him out, just describe what's happening and let me be freaked out. Compare it with the McCarthy quote above, for example.

 

[adj_noun]

House of Leaves.

I have never been more unnerved by a book, and the complex stuff involved in reading it is just enough to make it that much more immersive. I literally didn't want to leave my house while I was reading it.

It's the only book I've ever read that actively turns against you. It doesn't WANT to be read.

 

[Aureon]

As for 'Scary' in actual, long-term scaring, The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu.

 

[Switch Back 9]

That cave story from the angelfire website from back in the day creeped me out pretty bad.

I have no mouth is the most unsettling short story I've ever read, just an awful, awful concept.

Props to everyone posting Blood Meridian. I don't consider it "scary" but it's my favourite book of all time.

 

[cloud_sleep]

Communion by Whitely Strieber

 

[MjFrancis]

I don't think of ever been legitimately scared by a book, I guess I'm more of a visual person want to comes to that. But reading a lot of Lovecraft gives me the chills. He has some pretty haunting stories.

The Music of Erich Zahn is probably my favorite.

I also love a lot of Stephen King's short stories. His novels, not so much. But the shorts are expert level.

I just listened to the Wayne June's narration of The Music of Erich Zann and it is by far my favorite H.P. Lovecraft story in audio.

For those who like Lovecraft, do yourself a favor and check out the Wayne June-narrated audiobooks. He also does the narration for The Darkest Dungeon, a game inspired by Lovecraft's writings, most specifically The Rats in the Walls.

Not scary these days, but I have found most of Lovecraft's work to be eerie and chilling.

 

[Sectorseven]

I haven't read too much horror.

Metro 2033 creeped me out a bit. Traveling through the abandoned subway tunnels and such.

 

[Stinkles]

Cosigning House of Leaves. Genuinely unsettling. Like, uh oh maybe reality is starting to crumble unsettling.

 

[Mastadon]

Salazar turned me on to this book a while ago, it's truly one of the most atmospheric, eerie and unsettling books I've read. It captures the sense of claustrophobia so well.

 

[WaffleTaco]

Trapped

It is so unbelievably fucked up.

"It was supposed to be a harmless camping trip. Six wayward teenagers who'd run into trouble with the law, and their court-appointed guardians, Sara and Martin Randhurst. Three nights on a small, deserted island off of Michigan's upper peninsula. A time to bond, to learn, to heal. Then Martin told a campfire story about the island's history. Of the old civil war prison hidden in there, and the starving confederate soldiers who resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Everyone thought it was funny. They even laughed when Martin pretended to be dragged off into the woods. But Martin didn't come back. And neither did Sara when she went in search of him. Then the laughter stopped."

 

[Into]

Its not a book or novel, but there was this long story about 2 people who went into this caves, and kept digging and digging each day. It was fucking scary as shit.

I know it was popular and this was many years ago, maybe even during Web 1.0. There were even a few pictures included and it was masterfully written.


If anyone remembers it please tell me the name. All i remember is digging in a cave, and hearing sounds. I loved it.

 

[FloatOn]

Its not a book or novel, but there was this long story about 2 people who went into this caves, and kept digging and digging each day. It was fucking scary as shit.

I know it was popular and this was many years ago, maybe even during Web 1.0. There were even a few pictures included and it was masterfully written.


If anyone remembers it please tell me the name. All i remember is digging in a cave, and hearing sounds. I loved it.

Is iti this?

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/caver/page1.html

 

[Switch Back 9]

Is iti this?

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/caver/page1.html

That's the one I was talking about too.

 

[cheststrongwell]

That part in Pet Sematary with the indian ghost head spooked me the hell out.

 

[FloatOn]

That's the one I was talking about too.

reading it now

 

[Into]

Is iti this?

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/caver/page1.html

Oh man thanks, i am going to save that link and read it later, maybe tonight.

 

[Jeffolation]

Blood Meridian

I could only read a couple chapters at a time. That book takes a toll on the reader.

 

[lastflowers]

That cave story from the angelfire website from back in the day creeped me out pretty bad.

I have no mouth is the most unsettling short story I've ever read, just an awful, awful concept.

Props to everyone posting Blood Meridian. I don't consider it "scary" but it's my favourite book of all time.

Yeah, that ending paragraph is probably the main part I would consider 'scary'. It's more depressing and bleak more so than scary. Outer dark is the other book by him that just depresses me in a similar way.

 

[Lothar]

IT and Pet Sematary.

I still need to read the Shining.

Oh, the cave story posted up there is one of the best too.

 

[Stormhammer]

Uzumaki

 

[Switch Back 9]

Yeah, that ending paragraph is probably the main part I would consider 'scary'. It's more depressing and bleak more so than scary. Outer dark is the other book by him that just depresses me in a similar way.

It was the only book I ever read that was actually better if I got high first. The feverish, dreamlike way McCarthy writes was just perfect to read in a similar state of mind.

Other than The Road I haven't read anything else by McCarthy, perhaps I'll check out the book you mentioned.

I could quote the Judge all day, one of my favourite fictional characters ever.

 

[FairFriend]

The Colour Out Of Space. More unsettling thany scary though.

 

[tornjaw]

The Fault of Amigara.

Im not really much of a horror fan but the idea thats is a primal compulsion that cant be controled even tho it ends with something worse than death was scary as shit.

Get out of my head! I just reread this.

 

[Alucrid]

I find bloodchild by Octavia Butler incredibly Unsettling, not that scary though

 

[Aurongel]

Found the Fault of Amigara, The Road and Blood Meridian to all be highly unsettling when I first read them.

The Road especially because of its believability.

 

[HK-47]

The Shining because I read it when I was really young in the middle fo the night.

The others would be most of the Ligotti stuff I have read and The Song of Kali.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

I assume visual novels with little to no interaction count.

In that case, Saya no Uta. The music is a big part of that though, so maybe it doesn't count here.

 

[lastflowers]

It was the only book I ever read that was actually better if I got high first. The feverish, dreamlike way McCarthy writes was just perfect to read in a similar state of mind.

Other than The Road I haven't read anything else by McCarthy, perhaps I'll check out the book you mentioned.

I could quote the Judge all day, one of my favourite fictional characters ever.

In case you weren't aware, the book is based off of a real group of people. The Glanton gang was real, as was the judge. Now obviously McCarthy took a lot of liberties with them for the book, but the Yuma crossing massacre and the Mexican scalping bits were real.

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

Most disturbing book I have ever read in my entire life. The hardest part is that most of it was true, or at least, contextually true, even if the specific events were fabricated:

 

[Fancy Clown]

Salazar turned me on to this book a while ago, it's truly one of the most atmospheric, eerie and unsettling books I've read. It captures the sense of claustrophobia so well.

Have you seen the film?

 

[Like the hat?]

Found the Fault of Amigara, The Road and Blood Meridian to all be highly unsettling when I first read them.

The Road especially because of its believability.

Ugh, the road. The cellar scene. Only part of a book to have me say nope and wait until daylight to continue.

 

[CraigerGamer]

The Book Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike. (I was 12 when I read it and it scared the crap out of me.) I doubt I would find it scary now though.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I don't really read Horror so I guess my answer is House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.

Nothing terrifying but there was a fascinating sense of unease with the Navidson Recording sections especially if you read in your house alone at night.

 

[ShaneB]

I don't read much of what I'd consider scary I guess, but something I've recommended a bit in the reading threads have been 'The Child Thief', and 'Red Winter', by Dan Smith.

Just incredibly dark and intense reads, that constantly had me on the edge of my seat. Continuing sense of worry throughout just from characters I cared about. Really gripping and nerve racking.

He wrote that 'The Child Thief' was his own sort take on 'The Road', so definitely shares some of that.

 

[Robot Pants]

It.

.
The Shining was pretty scary too. Especially one particular part involving a bathtub

 

[LookAtMeGo]

I think it falls under non fiction but The Communion scared the bajeezus out of me.

 

[3phemeral]

I guess mine would be I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, but The Jaunt by Stephen King is up there.

Don't know if this is the full text, but it looks like it. Http://www.5novels.net/horror/The_Jaunt/

This was suggested in another thread. I like it a lot and there's a game you can play which includes addition backstories to each character which the author also wrote the script for. I heard the controls are frustrating, so you can just watch the walkthrough.

 

[Kevtones]

I bought House of Leaves months ago and had no idea it was horror-ish.


Holy shit it's time to read it.

 

[Elitist1945]

I don't read a lot, but Metro 2033 probably is. Very eerie and scary descriptions in that book.

 

[JDSN]

Ugh, the road. The cellar scene. Only part of a book to have me say nope and wait until daylight to continue.

Oh yeah, the whole scene was tense. The cauldron one was horrific in the way it was set up.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I read IT when I was a in junior high and that scared the shit out of me.

I'm read Clive barkers book of blood now and it's really good. Midnight meat train is so creepy.

 

[CharminUltra]

It's not even "Horror", but The Debauched Hospodar really shook me.

I'm over it now, but at the time I first read it...

 

[collige]

Maybe it's more disturbing than scary, but Suck It by Shintaro Kago is not something I'm ever gonna forget reading. Pretty much everything he writes is batshit insane.

 

[Myriadis]

The house of leaves had a twenty-something me afraid if the dark for a bit. More in thought than actual fear.

House of Leaves.

I have never been more unnerved by a book, and the complex stuff involved in reading it is just enough to make it that much more immersive. I literally didn't want to leave my house while I was reading it.

I absolutely agree with that. That book was deeply unsetting but so fascinating that when I reached the end of the story it was 3 a.m. So good.

 

[Ben Morales]

The Book Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike. (I was 12 when I read it and it scared the crap out of me.) I doubt I would find it scary now though.

After you mentioned this book, I remember I had it tucked away with some other Christopher Pike books I've been meaning to read. Started it a couple of hours ago. It seems to be a slow burn, but it is starting to get creepy. I love Pike's prose.

While we're on the subject of him, I highly recommend this one:

I couldn't put this down. Book was terrifying to me. Loved it.

 

[TimeEffect]

House of Leaves.

I have never been more unnerved by a book, and the complex stuff involved in reading it is just enough to make it that much more immersive. I literally didn't want to leave my house while I was reading it.

Can you describe it some more?

It's on my list, maybe Ill bump it up, as I've been meaning to read something spooky.

 

[Fury451]

I just listened to the Wayne June's narration of The Music of Erich Zann and it is by far my favorite H.P. Lovecraft story in audio.

For those who like Lovecraft, do yourself a favor and check out the Wayne June-narrated audiobooks. He also does the narration for The Darkest Dungeon, a game inspired by Lovecraft's writings, most specifically The Rats in the Walls.

Not scary these days, but I have found most of Lovecraft's work to be eerie and chilling.

Thanks for the heads up- never knew about those Wayne-June audio books, but I will check them out for sure! I like your taste by the way; Zann is such an eerie story, and it's funny how very little of it there even is, which is why it works so well. Also knew I was going to spell that las name wrong haha.

Can you describe it some more?

It's on my list, maybe Ill bump it up, as I've been meaning to read something spooky.

As someone who has started it recently, it's kind of hard to describe so far...you really need a hard copy of it because it does some really unique and odd stuff with text.

Maybe someone else can give a better descriptor, because i would like to know more too lol.

 

[Unmasked Ferret]

Can you describe it some more?

It's on my list, maybe Ill bump it up, as I've been meaning to read something spooky.

The complex stuff in reading it?

Well without ruining it too much some pages have the writing at odd angles because there's a steep slope, some pages might 9nly have a few words spread out. It normally has something to do with what is happening in the story. There are also passages that are colour coded with each colour dealing with a different theme.

It's really hard to describe without getting too deep into it (I also haven't read the book in a few years).

 

[NCR Redslayer]

I have no mouth and I must scream.