I wouldn’t exactly call Graham Masterton’s The Manitou “funny,” per se, but the main character, Harry Erskine, is a charlatan mystic with a wicked sense of humor. This definitely makes for some funny moments, though they’re mostly in the first half of the book.
Masterton is a seriously underrated horror writer, at least in the States.
I’d have to nominate Fat White Vampire Blues – a satire of the “sexy vampire” genre that also stands on its own as an amusing story. Its not at all scary though.
The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan.
Not novels (at least I’m not aware of him writing any), but Ambrose Bierce’s short stories often have a very twisted sense of humor. “The Damned Thing” comes to mind.
I came in to suggest Gil’s All-Fright Diner, too.
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I stumbled across a book by A. Lee Martinez called Gil’s All Fright Diner which was a really fun, very funny horror tale.
His follow-up book was a send-up of epic fantasy, and unfortunately I did not enjoy it. His third, however, called A Nameless Witch, I’m reading currently and enjoying very much.
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I enjoyed In The Company Of Ogres most of all three of them, though A Nameless Witch was great, too. I think his next one is about a robot detective. (I sent him a link to this thread, so maybe he’ll correct me if I’m wrong on that.)
If you’re not averse to young adult and children’s books, try Deb Gliori’s Pure Dead Wicked. Mocks many horror tropes; is about an Addams family type family and is quite funny. First of a series with similar titles.
Glad others found Gil’s Diner too.
[QUOTE=Lunar Saltlick]
I’ve always found H. P. Lovecraft’s Herbert West: Reanimator to be rather humorous.
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Oh, HPL could insert a bit of drollery here and there (without letting it overwhelm the tone of the story). From “Pickman’s Model:”
Any chance the movie The Frighteners came from a novel? helluva funny hrror flick
[QUOTE=Malthus]
My favourite in this genre is Resume with Monsters. Hilariously funny and wierd.
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That was gonna be my recommendation as well.
If we’re going to go into children’s books, there are plenty of examples, including the classic Bunnicula and a plethora of Hallowe’en themed ghosts&goblins books.
There’s a bizarre, wonderful book called The Coyote Kings and the Space-Age Bachelor Pad that’s got a fair amount of horror in it, stuff that in heavier hands could be a horror thriller.
Daniel
It’s a couple of years since I read it but I remember Dan Thomas’s The Reckoning as being pretty funny.