# What is the scariest story you ever read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446 "2004-01-08T17:01:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446/121 "2004-01-23T16:03:47Z")
Ooh, Joyce Carol Oates – now THERE’s a scary writer! Pick up her book **Zombie** if you want to read the scariest ever serial-killer book. Goddamn, it’s frightening. As for short stories by her, probably the one that squigged me out the worst was the one called don’t highlight this: a simple black bar for a title. Gaah! Generally she’s got the horror-of-humanity, non supernatural terror thing down cold. I wouldn’t want to spend the night in the same house as her. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Winterwren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Winterwren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winterwren)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446/122 "2004-01-24T22:34:46Z")
There’s a Cliver Barker story that I read in a magazine in the 1990s; I think it’s called “When Spoilers Bleed.” I read it, and then passed it on to my then-husband, who is normally immune to horror stories. We had problems touching each other for about three days afterwards. And we **knew** it was just a story. That didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446/123 "2004-01-24T22:52:09Z")
[The Yellow Wallpaper](http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Charlotte_Perkins_Gilman/The_Yellow_Wallpaper/The_Yellow_Wallpaper_p1.html). Man, what a creepy story. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446/124 "2004-01-25T03:39:31Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > That’s not coming up. If you can find it, let us know. Google “Lucy Lane Clifford” and “The New Mother” -then when that given link comes up (either the first or second link listed), hit the Cached file & you’ll have it. Tons of stuff about the end were unsettling, but I don’t find the actual end scary at all. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446/125 "2004-01-25T06:44:51Z")
Another vote for It by Stephen King. I read it close to 15 years ago, and I STILL refuse to walk over storm grates. Goes beyond that…I unconsciously avoid them because of that book. Also 'Salem’s Lot (and the short story Jerusalem’s Lot). Stephen King has a way of nailing my eyes to the page. I’m completely horrified and completely unable to look away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-story-you-ever-read/223446.md?page=6)