[Crackerdog]

While my reading tastes are all over the map, I always love a good horror story. One that really scares my pants off or completely creeps me out.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty I found to be really frightening, way more so than the movie and I also enjoyed his Legion very much.
It's not a horror story, but Watership Down I found to be horrific and brutal but it a good way.

My hands down favorite though is Misery by Stephen King. I have never been so completely sucked into a book like I was in that one. No supernatural elements and a deliciously unstable Annie Wilkes coupled with Paul's desperate situation was just fantastic. It was a heart-pounder for sure.

[sk_pacer]

My favourite King novel was The Tommyknockers......something very creepy and frightening about that book, All time favourite of the horror genre, although it doesn't really fit neatly into the category, is The Mirror by Marlys Milheiser (sp)

[HPFarmette]

After I read The Amityville Horror I had to sleep with the lights on. Also, the really cool scary thing in The Exorcist is that it says in the beginning the girl (Regan? I can't remember) had been reading occult stuff in her dad's library and that made her more vulnerable to becoming possessed. So there you are sitting reading something that could make you more vulnerable......

[Crackerdog]

After I read The Amityville Horror I had to sleep with the lights on. Also, the really cool scary thing in The Exorcist is that it says in the beginning the girl (Regan? I can't remember) had been reading occult stuff in her dad's library and that made her more vulnerable to becoming possessed. So there you are sitting reading something that could make you more vulnerable......

Yes, the girl's name was Regan, I renamed my constantly growling and barfing cat after her. I really enjoyed Blatty's cleverness.

[clint]

Two horror stories stand out for me. One is The Shining, by Steven King and the other is Ghost Story, by Peter Straub.

[2DogsFarm]

I have not read them for many years, but the HP Lovecraft stories were always the creepiest things I ever read.
For a modern writer Stephen King has to win hands down.
I think Pet Cemetary was his eeriest by a mile!

[smm20]

I think Pet Cemetary was his eeriest by a mile!

I agree - this is one of his best, along with The Shining and It. I also really enjoyed The Stand and Insomnia, but I didn't find them scary.

[PeteyPie]

Although his novels are totally engrossing, my favorite and most horrifying Stephen King works are his short stories. It's been so long ago that I read them that I can't remember the name of my favorite collection, but I still get creeped out at the one about the mist with the giant monsters that attacks the town, the story about the kids who go swimming on the lake and the killer slime attacks, and the really horrifying one about the boogie man in the closet where the man sacrifices his baby boy.

I really liked Christine and Pet Cemetery. Okay, they're all good: Cujo, The Stand, The Shining, Delores Claiborne... The later novels haven't captured me as much, and I've only ready Lisey's Story of his most recent. It was okay.

But my favorite horrifying novel right now is World War Z.

[Jsalem]

The Haunting of Hill House. It's out of print but can be found at sites such as Alibris. The first paragraph sends chills down my spine.

[clint]

Oh yes, The Haunting of Hill House is so good. So is the original movie, with Julie Harris.

[Fred]

Oh yes, The Haunting of Hill House is so good. So is the original movie, with Julie Harris.

I agree, still one of the scariest movies ever. No blood, no gore, just that damn turning doorknob......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PeteyPie]

Don't forget the Classics. Bram Stoker's Dracula and Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher were pretty scary to me.

[PeteyPie]

Is that remake of "Coma" out yet? Has anyone seen it? Those Robin Cook novels are pretty horrifying, and the movies are good.

[knightrider]

You know...it seems most of these are older books... I've read many of htem in my younger days...but what about current authors? Is there anything newer in the last 5ish years that is good?

[Sonesta]

Although his novels are totally engrossing, my favorite and most horrifying Stephen King works are his short stories. It's been so long ago that I read them that I can't remember the name of my favorite collection, but I still get creeped out at the one about the mist with the giant monsters that attacks the town, the story about the kids who go swimming on the lake and the killer slime attacks, and the really horrifying one about the boogie man in the closet where the man sacrifices his baby boy.

The Boogie Man. OMG! That story still scares the crap out of me.

[Crackerdog]

You know...it seems most of these are older books... I've read many of htem in my younger days...but what about current authors? Is there anything newer in the last 5ish years that is good?

This is a really good question because I am finding it harder and harder to come across a horror story that isn't either just really gross or completely cheesy these days. There is 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz published last year that is better than what he has been writing lately. I find I am having to go back ever farther in time to find good scary stories.

[Crackerdog]

Although his novels are totally engrossing, my favorite and most horrifying Stephen King works are his short stories. It's been so long ago that I read them that I can't remember the name of my favorite collection, but I still get creeped out at the one about the mist with the giant monsters that attacks the town, the story about the kids who go swimming on the lake and the killer slime attacks, and the really horrifying one about the boogie man in the closet where the man sacrifices his baby boy.

I really liked Christine and Pet Cemetery. Okay, they're all good: Cujo, The Stand, The Shining, Delores Claiborne... The later novels haven't captured me as much, and I've only ready Lisey's Story of his most recent. It was okay.

But my favorite horrifying novel right now is World War Z.

I know The Mist is in Skeleton Crew which is one of his better collections. It has the story about the clapping monkey in it that gives me the shuddering willies because my Grampa had one of those things are they look like evil incarnate in real life.

[spurgirl]

Love Stephen King, many favorites have been mentioned.

If you haven't done so, read "The Ruins", by Scott Smith. You will have a hard time putting it down. You will also have a hard time really liking quick growing, trailing vine type plants anymore....

[hopper20]

If you like King, try his story "A Good Marriage" in his Full Dark, No Stars collection. No supernatural elements but packs a brutal wallop (with great characterization). See also "Big Driver" from the same book.

[Guin]

Books where I could not turn off the light: Night of the Hunter. Haunting of Hill House. Clive Barker's short stories "Dread" and "Cabal." And, the most terrifying, King's "'Salem's Lot."

(Spurgirl - Didn't care much for The Ruins. Thought it was a little silly.)