In terms of horror, I think most people would say that movies and tv has the edge. That it’s easier to scare someone when you can show them something that is scary.
I’ve always disagreed. I think horror is better when it comes from a book and you can let your own imagination fully take over.
I remember reading Shadow of the Wind, and there’s a scene when a protagonist breaks into a friend’s house during a storm. There’s only barely any light at all and suddenly he sees like a dozen small eyes swarming him from around his ankles.
I don’t know why but it really set me on edge.
I also think of the creepy final image at the end of Stephen King’s “The Jaunt.” A teacher read it to us in high school and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a classroom so silent.
by tsh87
17 Comments
read Ghost Story
The Shining did it. I had to put it down in parts.
As someone who’s read a book that made me feel physically ill I think goosebumps is just the start 🤣
I remember reading Duma Key (I’m pretty sure) as quickly as possible bc it creeped me out and started infiltrating my dreams 😱
I’ve gotten the jibblies from lots of books! For example, “Salem’s Lot”, when the movers are moving furniture to the creepy old house. In “The Shining”, when Wendy is creeping through the hotel knowing Jack is lurking somewhere.
Stephen King has a great ability to describe a setting, then add one sentence or detail that makes your internal temperature plummet.
Not the goosebumps of fear, but once was reading one of the Horatio Hornblower novels and a ship exploded, causing me to exclaim and drop the book. My coworkers were dumbfounded, “a *book* made you do that?”
Eric LaRocca’s “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke”. Horrifying, go read it— you’ll thank me later.
Ship of Fools by Russo has some creepy scenes.
Yes. Annihilation was the first book that I read that I was like “oh fuck this is creepy as shit.”
Completely disagree that visual horror has the edge. I find the opposite to be true.
Yea chuck Palahniuk can do that. See the first several paragraphs of Haunted for a great example. Maybe not the kind of horror you’re talking about though lol
Others mentioned the Shining. Yup. When Jack is chasing Danny through the Hotel. More recently, the Fisherman, while not all that scary, had that undead woman appearing in the bakery. I was chilled to da bone.
Not into horror stuff but I’ve read other books, espionage, mystery etc., that gave me goosebumps because some part was written so well. The ending just gave me pause I felt awesome because of it.
I read It when I was 12 and it scared the shit outa me.
So then I was 23 and found it again and was like oh this still be cool!
So I grab it and step outside and sit on the steps to have a before bed smoke and read. I get to the line “Hello, Georgie” and every hair on my body stands up. I am completely sucked out of the book as my senses go into overdrive and I am keenly aware that it is dark, I am in the woods, and the night is loud. Practically sprinted the 20′ back to the house. 😂
To this day no other words are as likely to get my heart rate up, something my partner knows and uses all too often. 😛
Reading the boat scene in “Bird Box” was the most thrilling experience I’ve had reading. I don’t read many thrillers nor watch many scary movies. So, I decided to read “Bird Box,” and I haven’t read a book that thrilling ever since.
the shining terrified me
visual horror scares me, but i find it’s all too much in your face and there’s no obscurity or imagination left for you to figure out. books get to me because i have to conjure up those images myself and becoming connected to characters gives it that emotional edge.
Joe hill might Stephen king said his son’s books even scare him.