23 best books of horror
The readership is diverse: someone is fond of love stories, someone likes criminal thrillers, and someone is crazy about horror books that really run cold in their veins, and not everyone is able to reach the final and withstand the tension. But true fans of this genre are looking forward to new products, to tickle their nerves again and pass all the upcoming trials with the main characters.
In our ranking, 23 best horror books have been collected, which, according to experts and readers, will give true pleasure to lovers of everything terrible, inexplicable and frightening and which will become works worthy of taking the best places in the library of horror fans.
Rating the best books of horror
Screaming Ladder, Jonathan Stroud
Rating: 5.0
The work of English science fiction writer Jonathan Stroud deservedly takes the first place. It was released in 2014 and became the first book in the series “Agency Lockwood and Company,” which immediately became a bestseller among teenage audiences. Subsequently, three more editions of this series were published.
In the center of the plot - three ghost hunters who save Londoners from an unpleasant neighborhood with these creatures. In the case goes everything: weapons, amulets, spells. There are a lot of species of ghosts, and all of them are extremely dangerous. The agency to fight the otherworldly forces is not afraid to take risks, because there are brave and courageous personalities gathered in it. They will have to penetrate the old mansion, which is a strange staircase that publishes frightening sounds at night. And there was not a single person who got out alive from home.
The reader will enjoy the outcome and the final, and until the last page he will feel the presence of ghosts, so realistically the author describes the events taking place. The book “Screaming Ladder” is recommended both to teenagers and adults, as one of the best works in the horror genre, in which there are both detective and adventure lines.
It, Stephen King
Rating: 4.9
The second place ranking - in the book of the greatest horror masters of world literature, Stephen King. It is based on memories from the childhood of the writer, which he retained until the adult conscious age.The work, which is a classic example of the genre, sold over 2.5 million copies throughout the year. "It" is still considered one of the great works of the writer and is recognized as a world bestseller.
The action begins with the killing of children in Maine. Before us appear the main characters - seven friends, who at that time were eleven years old. They realize that the offender is a monster with whom only they can cope, unite in the “Club of losers” and begin a hunt, as a result of which they do not destroy, but only injure It. After 27 years, they will have to meet again after the resumption of the killing of children, since the handwriting of the criminal indicates an elusive monster.
In the image of the killer was collected a lot of real prototypes. But the main villain who entertained children at children's holidays in clown clothes was John Gacy, an American maniac who killed more than 30 people and had the nickname “Clown killer”. For lovers of real horror, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with S. King’s book It.
Whispering Skull, Jonathan Stroud
Rating: 4.9
The third place in the ranking is taken by another work by the British author Jonathan Stroud. “The Whispering Skull” became the second book in the series “Agency Lockwood and Company”, which was released in 2015, a year after the release of the first edition, “Screaming Ladder”. Three friends - ghost hunters - as always busy with their usual affairs. They are trying to clear London of the invasion of otherworldly forces capable of not only scaring, but also killing a person with a single touch.
This time the agency will have to take on the task more difficult. A mirror was found in one of the graves, and anyone who looked into it died in terrible agony. According to legend, it was created from real human bones by a crazy necromancer. Detectives must not only unravel the mystery of the mirror, but also not become its victim, because with supernatural power, it can subordinate all around to its will.
The book captures from the first page, and the reader, along with the characters, risking their lives, falls into various death traps prepared by London ghosts. Whoever is not familiar with the works of Jonathan Stroud, we recommend that you do not delay reading until later. Well, and to those who have already become his fan, we wish you a pleasant pastime for the next edition of the writer, who became a bestseller of teenage literature.
Monstrolog. Curse of the Wendigo, Rick Yancy
Rating: 4.8
Fourth place ranking goes to the work of American writer Richard Rick Yancy, who received the prestigious award for success in teenage literature. The book of horrors is included in the series "Monsterolog", only four of them. The protagonist is twelve-year-old Will Henry. After the death of his parents, he enters the house of a doctor who has worked for his father. There is a lot of rumors about Pellinor Wortrop, who leads a secluded life, one is more terrible than the other.
Surrounding people are confident that he is not only engaged in medicine, but also conducts various experiments with people. One day, the best friend of the doctor who went on a journey, trying to find a new type of monsters, but disappears without a trace, disappears. The Indians are sure that he ceased to exist as a human being, but turned into a living dead vampire, and his soul now belongs to the Wendigo.
Warthrop does not want to admit it and leaves in search of a friend to face a terrible and mysterious evil. Readers who love the combination of several genres will certainly be interested in “Monsterolog. The Wendigo Curse. The book combined the horrors, mysticism and adventure, but the plot does not let go for a second and keeps in suspense until the very end.
Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
Rating: 4.8
The American author’s horror book ranks fifth.It was published in 1971, although William Peter Blatty thought about writing it back in 1940, when he first heard the story of a 14-year-old boy who could move the furniture in his room by thought, suddenly began to speak Latin and later underwent a ceremony exile of the devil by two Jesuit priests.
In America, she immediately became a bestseller and lasted almost a year on the top lines. The book did not immediately succeed in other countries, since its title at the beginning sounded like "Exorcism", and not everyone could understand the correctness of the translation and designation of the word. But after the writer's performance in a talk show, where he explained what she was talking about, horror fans around the world immediately rushed to buy it. Released in 1973, the picture added the popularity of the work, and the film entered the classics of world cinema.
The main character is a 12-year-old girl, with whom strange and frightening things began to happen. It all began with light attacks of hysteria, which later turned into psychosis. Mother Regan MacNeil turns for help to the priest, but even he has no idea what he will have to face in the future.
The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris
Rating: 4.7
The sixth place in the ranking is for Thomas Harris and his book Silence of the Lambs. Many horror fans first met the film adaptation of the work, where the main role of the cannibal killer was played by the famous actor Anthony Hopkins. The novel, published in 1988, was awarded the prestigious Bram Stoker Literary Award. At the heart of the plot - the capture of the maniac Buffalo-Bill, ripping the skin from their victims. His image is collective and was created from real-life serial criminals.
The FBI agent is tasked with making contact with Hannibal Lecter, who is in a psychiatric hospital and can help catch the maniac, since he knows the personality of Buffalo Bill well. But he gets rid of hints, and goes to a deal only in exchange for mitigating conditions. During the transfer to the federal prison, Lecter escapes.
In the end, he writes a letter to agent Clarissa Starling and wonders if nightmares torment her at night and if the screams of the lambs that she tried to save from slaughter in her early childhood are haunting her. The book is not recommended for very emotional people. It will be an excellent option for hanging out to people who prefer crime detectives with elements of horror.
Dance of Death, Stephen King
Rating: 4.7
Another work by Stephen King rightfully occupies a worthy place in the ranking of the best books of horror. It was published in 1981. The book tells about the horror genre and is based on the writer's lectures on the supernatural, which he read at the university. In it you can understand what literary works influenced the work of the author, as well as examine the list of films that King preferred.
The work will cover three decades of development of the genre in the period from 50 to 80 years of the last century. The main types of horror highlighted by the writer are ghost, werewolf, nameless creature and vampire. “The dance of death” is an expression that was popular in medieval France and meant the frailty of life. On this subject there were many images and poems that have reached our time. The rapidity of human life is one of the main themes of the Danse macabre.
The book-study will appeal to all fans of the genre of horror, and specifically his bright representative - Stephen King. It will open up new facets of the master's creativity, and in it you can learn about this direction as much as possible in literature, cinema, on television and radio. The work was created for those who, according to the author, "wanted to learn a lot, but were afraid to ask."
Bloody Island, Rick Yancy
Rating: 4.6
The eighth place in the ranking is taken by the third book from the “Monsterolog” series, published in 2011.It continues the story of the teenager Will Henry and Dr. Pellinore Wortrop, who became a real boy friend after the death of his parents. Together they prey on scary monsters, unravel mysterious stories and try to find answers to the questions that torment more than one generation of people.
In Bloody Island, the doctor, along with a new assistant, goes on another journey, and for the first time leaves Will alone at home. He learns about the existence of Magnifico - the father of all earthly monsters, and tries to find him. Soon the boy gets the news of the mysterious death of Wortrop, but, not believing in this tragic message, he goes in search of the truth, where he will again have to face supernatural forces. The book will include the secret services of other countries, who are also not averse to catching Magnifico, which adds dynamism to the plot.
Mystical work with elements of adventure and horror will appeal to anyone who has already become an admirer of Rick Yancy, or is just beginning to get acquainted with it. With more than twisted plot awards the patient reader at the end of the narration, revealing the whole mystery of the hunt for an elusive monster.
Blaze. Memory
Rating: 4.5
The ninth place in the ranking is from the work of the great Stephen King, which was published in 2007 under the pseudonym of the author - Richard Bachmann. It was written back in 1973, but the writer did not satisfy the final result, and the manuscript was safely forgotten. It was only in 2006 that he found it in the archives and decided to rework it, changing the bad moments, and, as the maestro confessed, clean it of sentimentality. The book was the last work published under this pseudonym.
The plot is based on the latest story about Blaise, who decides to steal a baby for the purpose of ransom, but over time becomes attached to the child and does not want to part with it. The book describes many of the events that occurred with Clayton Blaisdell Jr., who, as a result of a head injury from his own father, became a mentally handicapped person. This is quite a good-natured person who cannot live on his own.
Blaise's painful subconscious constantly reminds him of George Rackley, who was killed, but still comes to him in the form of hallucinations and gives advice that are getting tougher every time. The second in the collection includes the story "Memory" already under the name of Stephen King, continuing the theme of cruelty and realism and which as a result became the basis for the full-fledged novel "Dyuma-Ki."
“Murder on the street Morg. Stories "Edgar Allan Poe
Rating: 4.5
Tenth in our rating includes the work of the great Edgar Allan Poe, which was published in 1841 and is considered the first detective literary work. The protagonist is the aristocrat Auguste Dupin. The young man has an analytical mind that can solve logical problems. In the description of the French detective, several techniques were first adopted, which were then used by other authors of such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
Dupin is trying to investigate the double brutal murder of Madame L’Espane and her daughter on Morg Street. Soon they detain a young man who did business with a widow and escorted her to the house that day. The detective does not believe in the involvement of Adolf Lebon in the crime and criticizes the actions of the police, who do not go into details and arrest the first comer.
For Dupin, there are no unsolved mysteries, so these murders will be revealed. The reader will be surprised by the identity of the real criminal, and the detective’s ability to help the innocent go free will strike and the other suspects will not be in jail. The bright storyline with an unexpected ending will appeal to all lovers of criminal detectives with elements of horror.
Amityville Horror, Jay Anson
Rating: 4.5
Jay Anson was able to convey the horror that prevailed in a real mansion built in 1924 by immigrants on Ocean Avenue in Suffolk County, New York. The first owners did not observe anything supernatural. But in 1960, a young couple was able to live in the house for only 6 months and quickly moved out because of constantly heard voices and the noise of moving furniture. In 1965, a large family entered it and for 9 years lived in it calmly without any incidents.
Soon there were tragic events that brought home the glory of a terrible place and it was included in the list of the most terrible US mansions. Six people were killed by large-caliber rifle shots, and the youngest child of de Feo - Ronald was recognized as the criminal. Until now, many details have not been clarified and remain incomprehensible. The house has been studied by renowned researchers and is recognized as a place with increased poltergeist activity.
The classic horror story is more terrible because it is based on real events, and the house still does not give rest to either ordinary people or researchers of paranormal phenomena. It is unknown who owns the mansion now, but it was bought for a lot of money, and what is happening there today cannot be recognized by outsiders and curious.
Judgment Days, Adam Neville
Rating: 4.4
The ranking also includes a work by a British writer who was able to declare himself as a talented author of horror books and find fans in the Russian horror community. The main character is Kyle Freeman. An independent director is on the verge of bankruptcy and no longer believes that he will find a decent script for a new film.
But unexpectedly receiving a favorable proposal, he immediately agrees to create a documentary tape about the sect "Temple of Doomsday", whose members committed suicide as early as 1975, and it ceased to exist. The bloody finale waited for all sectarians in the Arizona desert. But there were a few survivors who had to interview the director.
For decades they were all silent, but as soon as the shooting begins, frightening and mysterious events immediately occur, leading Kayle to disappointing conclusions: the film crew faced otherworldly forces that destroyed the surviving followers of Catherine's sister and who would not allow them to continue working on the film. The book will appeal to fans of topics of sects and cults, will help to fully feel the horror of the presence of evil and enjoy the spectacular description of the events taking place.
Blood Books, Clive Barker
Rating: 4.3
The famous English science fiction writer creates classic works in the genres of horror and mysticism, which have long been loved by many fans of these areas. He has received numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Prize in 2004 for the best book for teenagers. The series includes six collections of stories, which are united by a purely philosophical motive, but in fact each of them is a separate literary unit.
The dead leave our world, but do not cease to intersect with the living. A desperate experiment is conducted by a woman scientist, where she is confronted with a teenager who has the ability to communicate with spirits. At some point, the inhabitants of the underworld take possession of him, turning his body into a book of blood telling about their sufferings.
The author shows people with not the best side with their eternal bustle, close mind and vulgarity, comparing them with beautiful, talented and strong representatives of Darkness, and in almost every story the dead triumph over the living. Books are read in one breath, stories are of interest from the first page. The gloom and bloody, shown in the best traditions of the author, will not leave indifferent any book lover.
Steps leading into the abyss, Rick Yancy
Rating: 4.3
The next in the ranking is another book by American author Rick Yancy from the series “Monsterolog”, which was published in 2016 and is the fourth edition.Meeting with the already beloved heroes will give incredible adventures that are full of the life of the mysterious doctor and his younger orphan friend. Readers will again have to feel the horror that Will Henry and Pellinor Warthrop are experiencing, but also with them they will overcome all difficulties and solve the great mystery of the monsters living on Earth now.
The boy has grown up and is involved in many of the experiments of the doctor. The final novel brings researchers of paranormal phenomena closer to answering questions: why do these creatures come to our world, is the monster really scary, and who is it really, how will a person’s life change after meeting him?
The book combines several genres: horror, mystic, fantasy. The more interesting it is to read the younger generation and no less fascinating - the older age audience. "Steps leading to the abyss" will be a great gift to all horror fans and enjoy the swirling storyline, a magnificent "living" syllable and unusually bright and interesting characters.
Ritual, Adam Neville
Rating: 4.2
Released in 2011, the book won numerous awards from professional critics, and also won millions of fans of the mystical and psychological horror around the world. The plot is quite simple and begins with a hike of four friends in the beautiful forests of Sweden. Having decided to cut the road, they turn off into the wilderness and realize that they have lost their way. First, they come across a small animal crucified in a tree, which reminds of an occult ritual held here.
Soon they find an abandoned house with traces of blood, remnants of attributes of sacrifices and a strange stuffed monster in the attic. In a dilapidated church, friends discover a basement filled to the top with human bones. They begin to understand the complexity of their situation and fear for their lives, but they are not fully aware that it is not the people who hunt them, but the one who is more terrible than death itself.
Dark forests are so vividly described by the author that the reader is completely immersed in the atmosphere of Scandinavian nature. And the closer to the final, the more dangerous it is to be close to the characters. Many readers noted that the book is one of the most terrible works in the horror genre and advises everyone who is brave to familiarize themselves with the history of four university friends.
1408, Stephen King
Rating: 4.2
The works of Stephen King invariably fall into the ratings of the best in the genre of horror and mysticism. "1408" takes a well-deserved place in the list. The book tells about a paranormal specialist who exposes a lie and writes a book based on his research. One day he comes across an advertising booklet of the Dolphin Hotel with a warning to never enter the number 1408. Immediately interested, the writer goes to the address indicated to incriminate the administration of deception in order to attract new guests.
At the request of the senior manager not to move into the room, Mike Enslin responds with a categorical refusal and even the story of 56 people who have committed suicide or died a natural death does not stop him. He is forced to provide a room, as according to the law of the hotel business, if there is only one free room left, then it must be given to the newly arrived guest.
Cynic Enslin will have to face something inexplicable that his irrational mind does not perceive at first. Having survived several of the worst hours in his life, he receives a message that either everything will happen again, or he gets out of the fifth circle of hell, committing suicide. Here, Stephen King remained true to himself, keeping the reader in maximum tension until the end.
This book is full of spiders, David Wong
Rating: 4.1
American writer Jason Pargin is better known to the general public under the pseudonym David Wong. His style is characterized by a rich imagination and imagery. Despite the genre of horror, all the works of the author have a good sense of humor.“This book is full of spiders” was published in 2012 and became a continuation of the story of David and John, who after a portion of “soy sauce” (as they call a particular substance), begin to possess paranormal abilities.
One day David is bitten by a spider, but this is not a common insect, but a real monster, invading a person and destroying all people around. Once again, friends will have to fight the universal evil and defeat the zombie invasion of humanity. The book differs from the first known novel by a more thoughtful storyline, in which there is no randomness. But the author in his manner is a little hooligan, openly mocking at the rules for creating literary works, and again amazes the reader with an unusual ending.
Traveling through the worlds of the subconscious will appeal to lovers of science fiction, horror, and humor. This mix was made from a work by a bestseller, and its author by one of the best contemporary horror writers.
Lullaby, Vladimir Danikhnov
Rating: 4.1
The Russian science fiction writer was famous for his works, which were awarded prestigious awards, and the tragic ending of his life because of a serious illness. A cancerous tumor, discovered at a young age, made him look at the world differently, and until his death in 2018, he tried to show by his example that cancer patients are the same people, and deserve friendship, love, and just communication.
Included in our rating "Lullaby" was published in 2014. The action takes place in a place without a name, but as the author himself designates it - in the southern capital of the country. The city is shocked by a series of brutal murders of children. Maniac has been nicknamed Lightning, since in a short time he took the lives of several guys, but the investigation did not have any versions or clues. To help colleagues from St. Petersburg comes the famous detective.
Against the backdrop of tragic events, the real life of the inhabitants of the city is shown, each of whom keeps his secret in a closet. And it is precisely the disappearance and murder of children that awaken many of them from hibernation and make us think about many life questions. A non-standard novel with a philosophical line is dynamic, it shows all the vices of society, with the irony and black humor peculiar to Vladimir Danikhnov.
Collector, John Fowles
Rating: 4.0
John Fowles is an English novelist who presented the world with creations that later became bestsellers, and their screen version brought even greater commercial success to the books of the author. "Collector" was released in 1963. The main acting character is a young man leading a secluded life. His passion is butterflies. He kills them and then admires the extraordinary beauty of rare specimens.
Once he abducts a girl who wants to fall in love with himself and whom he wants to admire, like the rest of his collection and wants to bring the idea of complete obedience to the maximum. The narration is conducted both on behalf of Clegg and on behalf of Miranda. The reader can himself go through all the feelings experienced by the sick subconscious of the man, and the indescribable horror of the kidnapped girl, forced to be in captivity, but still opposing the criminal.
The story keeps in suspense and makes you realize fear and hopelessness. The grim action with each page captures, and the reader does not know what is ahead. The final shudders, and the choice of a new victim literally enters into a stupor. The work is quite emotional, but for those who prefer the genre of horror, it will leave an indelible impression.
Fly Lord William Golding
Rating: 4.0
The horror book selected by William Golding was the first work of a famous writer to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. It was published in 1954. In Russian, the book was published 15 years later and instantly won the love of the domestic readership. The path of success was quite difficult - more than 20 publications rejected it.But soon the author was lucky, and he compromised by removing the front pages of the novel with a description of nuclear war.
The action takes place on a desert island, where a group of guys gets after a plane crash. Two undoubted leaders are trying to somehow organize life, but soon this leads to strife in the camp and division into two warring tribes. The master of the flies in the novel is the head of a pig, impaled on a stake, with which mentally insane Simon speaks, subsequently killed by a tribe of hunters.
Golding's book was a response to a society that considered children to be innocent victims of war. In fact, the moral degradation of adolescents was shown, which occurred in a very short time. The work is included in the English school curriculum and it will be useful for Russian adolescents to look at the problems of difficult age from the outside.
Harrow County. Volume 1. Countless perfumes Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook
Rating: 4.0
Cullen Bunn created his own distinctive style in the horror genre, and Tyler Crook was able to translate the idea on paper in the form of sketches and drawings. The main character - Emmy. She heard that monsters and monsters dwell in the forests of Harrow County, but she did not fully believe in these legends and did not attach importance to them. The eighteenth day of her birth leads to the realization that she is connected with the other world, but she still does not realize how firmly she is.
A long time ago, a powerful witch was killed, who would soon have to wake up and reincarnate into an Emmy to destroy all life in the neighborhood. Many local residents themselves are the product of Hester Beck, created from clay and witch blood drops. Here there will be visions of the dead, and mores of cattle, and a surprising healing gift from the main character and many other signs that predict future terrible events.
It is worth noting vivid illustrations that help fully immerse themselves in the world of demons and antichrists. The storyline is fascinating, it captures the attention of the reader from the first minute. Those who prefer this direction of the horror genre will not be left disappointed and will be able to continue their acquaintance with the books from the Harrow County series.
Cold-blooded murder, Truman Capote
Rating: 3.9
The novel included in the rating is based on real events that were described by the famous American novelist Truman Capote. He saw the light in 1966. Pushed to create a book note in the magazine about the murder of the family of a farmer of four people. The author went to the state of Kansas to find out about a violent crime. At the end of the investigation, Capote’s manuscript totaled more than 8,000 pages.
Two young men broke into the Clutters' house, being sure of the large savings they had stored there. They killed their father, mother, and two children in cold blood and went to Las Vegas, where they were detained. After five years in the death row, Perry Smith and Richard Hicock were executed, and although during the investigation they tried to present their crime as a result of temporary insanity, doctors recognized them to be absolutely responsible.
It is worth noting that the writer personally met with the murderers, which makes the work even more realistic and shows a psychological portrait of a person capable of brutal crimes. All nature is fully revealed to them, and with each page the reader sees fear and despair, hope and pain, compassion and hatred.
I have no mouth, but I want to shout, Harlan Ellison
Rating: 4.8
Our rating is completed by the book of an American writer who, during his creative career, has created more than 2000 works. These are short stories, essays, essays, novels. He is recognized as the most award-winning author, who has won the greatest number of awards in the science fiction genre. "I have no mouth, but I want to scream" - one of the most famous works of Harlan Ellison. He talks about the computer that destroyed all of humanity, leaving only five alive.
The “nuclear manipulator” through these people takes revenge on its creators.For 109 years, he tormented his captives, tortured them, starved him. The main character decides to kill his fellows in misfortune, but the computer deprives him of a human face and continues his bullying. The book formed the basis of a popular computer game, and one of the characters was voiced by Ellison themselves.
The work will appeal to admirers of several genres: fiction, horror, psychological drama. Artificially created intelligence leads to a global catastrophe that mankind cannot stop. The book is recommended for people of different ages: and adolescents, and the middle generation, and older readership.
Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.
