Poe -> Lovecraft -> Matheson -> King -> ?????

[Meatros]

@Jragon

Is Mark Z. Danielewski (most notably House of Leaves) too obscure? I hang around in horror circles so it’s hard to tell who’s popular among horror fans and who’s popular in general.

I think he might fall into Sigler status. I’m not sure that he has the staying power the OP’s list have.

That said, I did just get an electronic copy of his House of Leaves and I plan on reading it shortly (so I maybe completely incorrect about my initial impression).

[Justin_Bailey]

@Meatros

I think he might fall into Sigler status. I’m not sure that he has the staying power the OP’s list have.

Plus, Danielewski’s almost anti-prolific. He’s only written a single novel and three novellas in the last 13 years.

[Annie-Xmas]

@yanceylebeef

I’m in the middle of NOS4A2 right now, so I’d have to say Joe Hill.

He definitely has his daddy’s chops.

@Dung_Beetle

yancey, I was going to say the same. That’s how great King is…he gave us his own replacement!

@papergirl

I like Joe Hill quite a lot. Inventive, who’d-a-thunk-of-that plots, which he manages to make seem pretty plausible. Much like Stephen King in his earlier books, I think. I hope he can keep up the momentum.
I’ll have to check out some of the other newer authors mentioned here. I usually stick with short horror fiction but I’m trying to read more realio trulio books.

@Just_Ed

Hill is indeed his father’s son, but having said that, also has his own voice. I haven’t read the new one, but I thought Heart-Shaped Box and Horns were both very good – and 20[sup]th[/sup] Century Ghosts has some real chills, too.

@pinkfreud

Joe Hill, as mentioned by others, is very good, too, but my money is on Robert Jackson Bennett.

Hello? Hill’s mother is novelist Tabitha King, and she definitely deserves a mention. I think he’s the rare case of both parent’s genetics coming through.

[Annie-Xmas]

I read Joe Hill’s collection of short stories 20th Century Ghosts over the weekend. The man is incredible, and will probably take up the mantle.