# Recommend good horror novels... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527 "2002-12-23T12:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/1 "2002-12-23T12:54:26Z")
…That are not Anne Rice or John Saul or Dean koontz, because I think they’re novels are crap. Or Stepehen King, because chances are I’m going to read it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/2 "2002-12-23T13:04:42Z")
How about Robert McCammon? I just saw he came out with a new novel after ten years and saying he’s not going to write again. I enjoyed some of his work, though off the top of my head I can’t really name them. I found him better then Koontz and a easier to read then King. Peter Benchly was intersting as well, though I wouldn’t say horror, more suspence/action but still good. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/3 "2002-12-23T14:12:01Z")
Try Bram Stoker’s original _Dracula_… a little dated in parts, and of course the vampire is pretty much cliche nowadays, but the novel can still send shivers up the spine. ---
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/4 "2002-12-23T14:18:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*Try Bram Stoker’s original _Dracula_… a little dated in parts, and of course the vampire is pretty much cliche nowadays, but the novel can still send shivers up the spine. \*\* Is it really true you are cecil? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/5 "2002-12-23T14:37:24Z")
Try _Ghost Story_ by Peter Straub. Scared the crap out of me! ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/6 "2002-12-23T14:38:56Z")
Try some HP Lovecraft. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/7 "2002-12-23T14:40:30Z")
Anything by Ramsey Campbell (Parasite comes to mind). Robert Bloch’s “Psycho” Matheson’s “I am Legend” Shelley’s “Frankenstein” There’s always Lovecraft. Peter Straub. That’s all that I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/8 "2002-12-23T16:04:38Z")
I’ll second the recommendation of anything Ramsey Campbell (I’d say especially **Incarnate** ). Peter Straub (especially **Julia** ). I’m going to recommend **Cruddy** by Lynda Barry for about the thousandth time on this board. It’s a _very_ darkly humorous story about a cross country murder spree, told from the point of view of a teenage girl on some serious halucinogens who is remembering what happened to her when she was younger. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/9 "2002-12-23T16:07:03Z")
Is there any good Sci-Fi horror out there now-a-days? I remember reading all of the Alien works, they were, so-so. ---
**Author:** ![koawala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@koawala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koawala)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/10 "2002-12-23T16:18:06Z")
The Keep by F. Paul Wilson. The movie and the book sequels are not good. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/11 "2002-12-23T17:33:17Z")
Get Darkwriter in here. She is sure to have an opinion on this. ---
**Author:** ![Aglet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Aglet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglet)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/12 "2002-12-23T17:40:46Z")
Clive Barker. I haven’t read his more recent works yet, so can’t recommend them, but I will be reading them soon. It has been quite awhile since I’ve read his work, but he impressed me in terms of storyline and writing style. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/13 "2002-12-23T17:51:38Z")
I’ll second Clive Barker and Robert McCammon. Of McCammon, I’ve only read **Stinger** and **Swan Song** which is similar to King’s _The Stand_ but is very good in its own right. Barker has a lot of good ones: _Weaveworld The Great and Secret Show Imajica The Damnation Game etc._ ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/14 "2002-12-23T17:54:34Z")
Definitely Clive Barker-- _The Great and Secret Show_ and _Imajica_ are amazing. I’ll also second the votes for Lovecraft and, to a degree, Ramsey Campbell. I think Campbell is excellent at creating an atmosphere of dread, but the payoff is usually… not so good. _The Face that Wouldn’t Die_ and _The Doll that Ate Its Mother_ are pure crap, but _Ghosts and Grisly Things_ (short stories) and _The Long Lost_ are pretty good. Also try Neil Gaiman’s _Neverwhere_ and _Smoke and Mirrors_. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/15 "2002-12-23T17:55:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Matheson’s “I am Legend” Seconded. Brilliant book, and is subtly referenced on the first page of _Fight Club_, too! ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/16 "2002-12-23T18:21:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\*Seconded. Brilliant book, and is subtly referenced on the first page of _Fight Club_, too! \*\* Make that a third for I am Legend. What reference in fight club are you talking about? I had the book (lost it) and I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/17 "2002-12-23T19:13:11Z")
Yeah, McCammon wrote some fun stuff – Stinger is cool, about an alien critter that takes over a town. His new book is a straight historical, Speaks the Nightbird. I used to read nothing but horror but I haven’t found much to recommend lately. Except Joe Lansdale – he’s writing every kind of horror/dark fantasy you can imagine. What kind of horror are you looking for? Classic ghost stories? Gothic? Gore? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/18 "2002-12-23T19:13:57Z")
I’m surprised his name hasn’t come up yet, so I’ll recommend him: Graham Masterton. British author, likes to write horror stores about old legends (Native American, Japanese, etc.) Gore-wise, he makes most of Stephen King look like Beatrix Potter–in fact, part of the fun of reading his stuff is seeing what new twists on gross he can come up with next. A lot of his books are hard to find, but used bookstores often have them. Some titles include: The Manitou (and its sequels, Revenge of the Manitou and Burial) Charnel House Prey The House that Jack Built Ritual (this one made me queasy and that’s hard to do) The Djinn There are many more–Masterton is probably one of the most prolific horror writers that not many people have heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-horror-novels/144527/19 "2002-12-23T19:17:31Z")
Try the works of August Derelith. Also, there is a collection of Robert E. Howard’s horror stories that was available recently–_Nameless Cults_.