What's the scariest fictional book you've read?

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Yeah Perlman was brilliant in that to be honest.

As a made for TV movie I thought it was pretty decent.
But Perlman made it worthy of more than one viewing.
imo.

My dad always used to tell me the books are always better than the films...
In any genre.


Haven't been able to prove him wrong yet.

1984 by George Orwell because I can see it here and there. Also The Stand by Stephen King because it's entirely too possible for there to be a mishap at a lab and have a deadly virus escape. It by Theodore Sturgeon is pretty scary but it's a short story. He also wrote a good one called Killdozer. They made a movie out of that one.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
My dad always used to tell me the books are always better than the films...
In any genre.


Haven't been able to prove him wrong yet.

That reminds me of another. Misery. While the movie was good(Kathy Bates was scary as hell) the book was infinitely better.

Bugger!!, you and buster beat me to it!!, all the way through high school and sunday school from the age of 8, i had the bible shoved down my throat, i lost count how many time ive been told im going to hell, just for mucking about or asking too many questions. Apart from that, most books by shaun hutson are pretty creepy and very descriptive, he make stephen kings books read like kids storys!!, i recommend heathen.
All the best.
B. V. H
a reply to: ItVibrates

a reply to: intrepid

It's a travesty to admit, but I've never actually read a Stephen King book, yet!

Growing up I always preferred Autobiographies, Gangster books & occasionally the odd fictional book about Secret Service agents.



My brother has recommended Salem's Lot a few times though, & eventually I'll get round to it.

Definitely always wanted to read IT, but as patient as I am, I kinda dodged it.

"The Great and Secret Show" and "Imajica" by Clive Barker are two that I found to be frightening.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

My dad always used to tell me the books are always better than the films... In any genre.

Notable exceptions are Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green mile, Misery and The Mist...all penned by Stephen King. It's hard to find another author that's works have made a great transition to film, Phillip K Dick being the only other Author that springs to mind.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
a reply to: intrepid

It's a travesty to admit, but I've never actually read a Stephen King book, yet!

Growing up I always preferred Autobiographies....

Try his book "On Writing". It's about writing but much of it is autobiographical. Good read. I learned more about writing in 3 days reading that than all of my schooling, including uni.

A lot of people mentioning Nineteen Eighty-Four by Orwell but I find Huxley's Brave New World to be a far more accurate depiction of the dystopia we are currently surviving in, therefore, a far scarier story.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Shawshank imo is the best adaptation of a King book. It was very true to the book, they only left one thing out I can think of but I won't say what it is, spoilers and all.

a reply to: AlmostRosey

I'm a big King fan too. Early stuff like The Shining or The Stand. Nonparanormal one's like Geralds Game or The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon got me even more because they were entirely possible realities.

Oh you could read Stephen king in kindergarten? And understand what it meant? a reply to: Atsbhct

The first book that kept me awake for days was the KGB. It unsettled me profoundly and I quickly changed genres to biographies and other milder reading. I suppose that if I were to read it today it wouldn't have much of an impact, given the escalation of violence and intrusion into our lives that has been exposed in the world.

4 for the price of 1. Different Seasons has these 4 stories. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The Body(Stand by Me). Apt Pupil(Ian Mckellen is scary as hell in that movie):



And the Breathing Method(not made into a movie). Not scary if you can get your mind around a decapitated woman continuing to give birth.

I know I read it but I'll be damned if i remember what it was about.
I read a lot of Koontz, a lot of Cook, a lot of Crichton, and a lot of King.

. a reply to: buster2010

"The Exorcist" by far. I could only read so much then I would have to put the book down and come back to reality.

Try his book "On Writing". It's about writing but much of it is autobiographical. Good read. I learned more about writing in 3 days reading that than all of my schooling, including uni.

I have never read that book but it is just as highly regarded as his other works, and if it is as good as the Forwards and afterwords then I must have it. So many teachers like to nitpick about grammar while reaching for their thesaurus but they don't nurture their students creative side. If it looks right on paper then what's the problem?

For good or illl neither of those are listed as fiction. reply to: ItVibrates

Thomas Ligotti is a must. I recommend Teatro Grottesco to first time Ligotti readers. Laird Barron, John Langan, Ramsey Campbell are all good horror writers. There's always Lovecraft's stories. World War Z by Max Brooks is a pretty entertaining read.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Oh, I hated Desperation and its Bachman counterpart, The Regulators, TOK ! Other King books I found disappointing were Cell and The Tommyknockers.
And I loved the Dark Tower fantasy series but felt cheated by the ending.