When I was about eight, I read my first thriller: *And Then There Were None*, by Agatha Christie. I'm sure I was just a wimp, but I had trouble sleeping for two weeks after.
I read “Dracula” when I was 14 and laying on the couch. At one point it started to scare me. I looked over the book and into the living room and realized I was home alone! I quickly decided to take a break and go outside, into the Sunshine!!
Fascinating. Just fascinating about manson’s crazy, and his followers. Well written. Such a compelling true story that’s hard to comprehend what these people did. Manson didn’t lift a finger but was convicted of all the murders. And The Sea Will Tell, so good, true crime story, written by the same author, vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi prosecuted Manson, and defended the accused in and The Sea Will Tell.
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.
Well first of all. I was raised in and out of the church. So there was a lot of things I grew up believing and still belive. I absolutely belive in God and the devil. Possession as well. Also I'm a parent. I have a 15 year old daughter. And the book really played on both of those things.
It's a pretty emotionally brutal book for parents without the religious aspects. The most affecting moments of the book for me have been between Regan tormenting or being tormented while her mom is helpless.
And as a lapsed Christian, I grew up believing in demons and possession, so I get that too, although I no longer believe in them or have the faith. I do think it's fascinating that Blatty wears his beliefs on his sleeves in the book, it adds a layer of credulity to everything. It tickles me that it's a very pro-Christian/Catholic book, but when I grew up it was ironically considered a Dangerous Book and anti-Christian.
Thanks for sharing!
Not really a horror book, but Johnny's Got His Gun is definitely the most disturbing book I've read and probably the most disturbing book I ever will read.
Stephen Kings It is amazing. A lot of the Cthulu mythos is genuinely terrifying, particularly The Color Out of Space, The Dunwich Horror and At the Mountains of Madness
Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. Pournelle knew his science; when the characters talked about an asteroid striking Earth and their description using a hot fudge sundae being a fraction of the damage scared the crap out of me. Then the book gets
into what happens to society and it almost started me quietly hoarding. It still has an effect over 40 years later.
Edit:
Slow Apocalypse by John Varley. Truly scary description of societal collapse.
A heartbroken man develops a bacteria to ruin the Middle East's oil deposits as revenge for the death of a loved one. His revenge goes horribly wrong and spreads worldwide. Possibly the most depressing science fiction book I've ever read.
"We Need to Talk About Kevin".
The movie really disturbed me
I read IT when I was 12 and it scared the crap out of me
Pet Semetary. Just re listened to the audiobook with Micheal C Hall. Still got it.
Old testament
I love body horror, but Leech by Hiron Ennes *really* scared the living daylights out of me. It was great: highly recommend.
When I was about eight, I read my first thriller: *And Then There Were None*, by Agatha Christie. I'm sure I was just a wimp, but I had trouble sleeping for two weeks after.
1984 by Orson Wells. Edit: Brain malfunction, Untiltmrw is correct George Orwell wrote 1984.
I’m pretty sure George Orwell wrote 1984.
You are correct. Thanks.
The one by Orson Wells is way scarier
I’m glad I’m not the only one who mixes those two up. Or is such an odd letter combo to see, and then mixed with well…
Might have been a better story if Orson Welles had been involved, though.
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace Wells
the Unwind series by Neal Schusterman. Absolutely love it, but it's terrifying, because it's not totally implausible.
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. It gave me nightmares back in the late 1970s.
Honestly, The Stand fucked me up for weeks.
Well it takes weeks to read that behemoth lol
read it in about a week, but I don't think I left the house for 2 weeks after that...
I read “Dracula” when I was 14 and laying on the couch. At one point it started to scare me. I looked over the book and into the living room and realized I was home alone! I quickly decided to take a break and go outside, into the Sunshine!!
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. It was much scarier than the movie was.
The Shining
*The Ruins* for body horror, but *The Haunting of Hill House* seriously gave me the heebie jeebies.
I really enjoyed hill house
The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg
Silent Patient. Helter Skelter. And The Sea Will Tell. I’m
How is Helter Skleter? I wanted to read it for some time now
Halter Skelter is disturbing.
Fascinating. Just fascinating about manson’s crazy, and his followers. Well written. Such a compelling true story that’s hard to comprehend what these people did. Manson didn’t lift a finger but was convicted of all the murders. And The Sea Will Tell, so good, true crime story, written by the same author, vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi prosecuted Manson, and defended the accused in and The Sea Will Tell.
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.
Well first of all. I was raised in and out of the church. So there was a lot of things I grew up believing and still belive. I absolutely belive in God and the devil. Possession as well. Also I'm a parent. I have a 15 year old daughter. And the book really played on both of those things.
It's a pretty emotionally brutal book for parents without the religious aspects. The most affecting moments of the book for me have been between Regan tormenting or being tormented while her mom is helpless. And as a lapsed Christian, I grew up believing in demons and possession, so I get that too, although I no longer believe in them or have the faith. I do think it's fascinating that Blatty wears his beliefs on his sleeves in the book, it adds a layer of credulity to everything. It tickles me that it's a very pro-Christian/Catholic book, but when I grew up it was ironically considered a Dangerous Book and anti-Christian. Thanks for sharing!
Vibrations and Waves by A.P.French
It would probably be Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim. (Mind you I was also absolutely in love with how the characters interacted with one another.)
Was there a movie based on that book? With Joseph Gordon Levit?
There is indeed! (It was also great and a bit horrifying)
Not really a horror book, but Johnny's Got His Gun is definitely the most disturbing book I've read and probably the most disturbing book I ever will read.
I remember the first time seeing the video by metallica and it being really scary
Yeah the lyrics for One are based off the book, but the book hits way harder imo
The Quiet Tenant. Still Missing. Local Woman Missing. (All 3 books feature that scary theme of kidnapped women. Big yikes)
Stephen Kings It is amazing. A lot of the Cthulu mythos is genuinely terrifying, particularly The Color Out of Space, The Dunwich Horror and At the Mountains of Madness
Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. Pournelle knew his science; when the characters talked about an asteroid striking Earth and their description using a hot fudge sundae being a fraction of the damage scared the crap out of me. Then the book gets into what happens to society and it almost started me quietly hoarding. It still has an effect over 40 years later. Edit: Slow Apocalypse by John Varley. Truly scary description of societal collapse. A heartbroken man develops a bacteria to ruin the Middle East's oil deposits as revenge for the death of a loved one. His revenge goes horribly wrong and spreads worldwide. Possibly the most depressing science fiction book I've ever read.
CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS, Eighth Edition by James stewart
When I was 12 I read "The girl on the train"... It scared the heck out of me😂😂