I know similar questions have been asked (and many very recently!), but I feel like I’m hard to scare and struggling to find something to scratch that itch.
I just finished Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box because I kept seeing it recommended, and I didn’t find it scary at all unfortunately. It was very sad, but it never gave me that “scared to be alone in the dark” unsettled feeling.
I generally do get creeped out by ghosts / spirits, so spooky ghost stories would be great!
Some things that HAVE genuinely scared me:
– Pet Sematary by Stephen King
– weirdly since I know it’s not really horror, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders – this gave me nightmares and left me absolutely terrified of death
– The Haunting of Hill House (TV) – made me, a grown adult, scared to go to the bathroom in the night
– Hereditary (movie)
I have read The Haunting of Hill House (and some other Shirley Jackson stuff), and enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite the level of spooky I was looking for. I’ve also read a ton of Stephen King and planning to read lots more (Tommyknockers next on my list), so other authors would be great!
Would love any and all recommendations. Keeping spooky season going in my household 👻 Thank you!!
by gorthead
3 Comments
Ghosts by Noel Hynd scared the shit out of me.
James Herbert – the rats (trilogy)
Ever tried any Dan Simmons horror?
Song of Kali, Summer of night and The Terror are all brilliant horror books, none are exactly what your looking for but they are creepy
The Ritual by Adam Nevill is also quite good and closer to what your directly looking for, sorta lost in the woods folk horror.