For entirely different reasons, A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsey and Descent Into Hell by Charles Williams.
Voyage to Arcturus sucked me into a world totally antithetical to what I know and believe, toppling theme after theme and leaving only diabolical bodilessness. Afterwards my head was spinning; I felt I had to remember what truth was and defend physical reality itself.
Descent Into Hell felt like peeling back the veil over ordinary relationships and mundane evils and goods, discovering spiritual horrors and joys — the terrible importance of things. And the horrors are crushing, dreamlike, sickening. The book might’ve been unbearable if it weren’t for the parallel “heavenly” narrative.
TLDR: Voyage to Arcturus terrified me because it was false; Descent Into Hell terrified me because it was true.
Moosemellow on
What made The Exorcist so scary for you?
Currently reading it. I love it, I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read in years, but it doesn’t “scare me”, and I’d love to hear how it connects with your fears.
Paramedic229635 on
1984 by Orson Wells.
galactic-disk on
I love body horror, but Leech by Hiron Ennes *really* scared the living daylights out of me. It was great: highly recommend.
5 Comments
dr suuses
Will copy the comment I made to a similar ask:
For entirely different reasons, A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsey and Descent Into Hell by Charles Williams.
Voyage to Arcturus sucked me into a world totally antithetical to what I know and believe, toppling theme after theme and leaving only diabolical bodilessness. Afterwards my head was spinning; I felt I had to remember what truth was and defend physical reality itself.
Descent Into Hell felt like peeling back the veil over ordinary relationships and mundane evils and goods, discovering spiritual horrors and joys — the terrible importance of things. And the horrors are crushing, dreamlike, sickening. The book might’ve been unbearable if it weren’t for the parallel “heavenly” narrative.
TLDR: Voyage to Arcturus terrified me because it was false; Descent Into Hell terrified me because it was true.
What made The Exorcist so scary for you?
Currently reading it. I love it, I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read in years, but it doesn’t “scare me”, and I’d love to hear how it connects with your fears.
1984 by Orson Wells.
I love body horror, but Leech by Hiron Ennes *really* scared the living daylights out of me. It was great: highly recommend.