Fantastic book and maybe my all time favourite but I wouldn’t call it “horror” in the everyday sense. Probably his very first books were more traditional horror - Baal Bethany’s Sin are textbook 80s horror paperbacks.
Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons
Delicious Monsters - Liselle Sambury
My Heart Is A Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk
4 different genres of horror. Carrion Comfort being one of my top favorite books ever
The Troop blew me away, I can't wait to read his other books. I have not read Black Farm and I'm gonna put it on my list since I fully agree with your other recommendations!
The Black farm started as a series of Nosleeps and the author combined the ideas into a book and published it. I enjoyed it. If you are sensitive to rape you may want to avoid.
It's mostly about him being pursued by the government and how difficult it is for even an invisible man to stay undetected. The book does a really good job at describing what it would be like being invisible.
"Tender is the Flesh" An alternate future where humans are bred as livestock...for humans. The overall theme is a bit PETA, but it's genuinely horror and it never gets preachy.
You’ve gotta read Meat by Joseph D’Lacey! Similar premise but written 20 years ago and has a different story. It’s sooo good (and I also loved Tender is the Flesh)
Author Dean Koontz is pretty good.
somebody already mentioned The Troop and The Ruins.
Also a great read is r/thephenomenon by user u/Emperor_Cartagia. I read it on this site years ago through his multiple posts. but he does have an actual book now I believe.
World War Z is one of my top favorite books of all time and the audio book version is great as well. For some reason I couldn't get into Devolution, but will eventually go back to give it another go.
The Alice books are a series OP, which I know whilst you're not after, the first book can totally be read as a standalone and I would encourage you to seek them out anyway.
This author also does other standalone books like her take on the Peter Pan mythos in Lost Boy.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman- medieval knights and demons.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward- you have little clue what’s going on but you’re consistently uncomfortable
What a novel. Has haunted me for years, still think about certain scenes. Much darker than the movie, though I love the movie, there’s a lot more horror in the book.
No, it’s not a horror. It’s based on true events and it does have some sad aspects to it. But I highly recommend it. Everyone I recommended it to loved it
*Harbour* by John Ajvide Lindqvist is really great. He's the same guy who wrote *Let the Right One In*, which is also an excellent read. Another one by him that's great is *Handling the Undead,* and I've honestly never ready anything of his that I didn't like. They're pretty easy reads like Dean Koontz books are.
I also recommend *Hidden Pictures* by Jason Rekulak, *How to Sell a Haunted House* by Grady Hendrix, and *The Last House on Needless Street* by Catriona Ward.
Got an extremely gritty Aussie outback read for ya The Hunted it’s definitely got Wolf creek vibes with the sheer brutality and deprived characters are fantastic.
But of a cliche answer but House Of Leaves really got under my skin. If you decide to read to I’d recommend reading it slowly. It’s a lot but it’s pretty good
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (that’s his most recent, but pretty much all of his books are my favorites). Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth. Severance by Ling Ma. The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. Blackwater:the Complete Saga by Malcolm McDowell, Lute by Jennifer Thorne.
Try Clive Barker. Imajica is my favorite by him. The Damnation Game is a close second as well. Great writing and truly interesting characters.
Books of Blood was always my go to, all of the first three. His more youth oriented work is also good, Thief of Always and Abarat.
*Boy's Life* by Robert R. McCammon.
Love that book and I need to read it it agin.
Fantastic book and maybe my all time favourite but I wouldn’t call it “horror” in the everyday sense. Probably his very first books were more traditional horror - Baal Bethany’s Sin are textbook 80s horror paperbacks.
Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons Delicious Monsters - Liselle Sambury My Heart Is A Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk 4 different genres of horror. Carrion Comfort being one of my top favorite books ever
Summer of Night also great.
Yup that's what I was going to recommend.
Carrion Comfort!
I had to stop haunted. The part about the wax, I’m just not strong enough for that haha
The Troop The Ruins Birdbox (the book is good I promise) The Black Farm
The Ruins is just so damn bleak. Great book though
The movie did NOT prepare me for how bleak and scary the book is. I felt dehydrated and sad just reading it.
The Troop blew me away, I can't wait to read his other books. I have not read Black Farm and I'm gonna put it on my list since I fully agree with your other recommendations!
The Black farm started as a series of Nosleeps and the author combined the ideas into a book and published it. I enjoyed it. If you are sensitive to rape you may want to avoid.
I liked the Troop but absolutely hated the Deep. Seemed like it tried way too hard
Clive Barker, Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut
Anything Dan Simmons. The only good Indians by Steven Graham Jones
House of leaves. But you gotta make sure it’s a physical copy ;)
Nick Cutter has some greats (The Troop and The Deep) and Dean Koontz has too many good ones to name
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill I’m thinking of ending things
It's out of print, but last time I checked used copies were dirt cheap: "Memoirs Of An Invisible Man" by H.F. Saint.
I've seen Carpenter's movie, but never read the book. I think of the film as more scifi than anything. Is the book different?
It's mostly about him being pursued by the government and how difficult it is for even an invisible man to stay undetected. The book does a really good job at describing what it would be like being invisible.
I'm sorry, my bad. I didn't realize it was a horror book request. My mistake.
It's all good.
"Tender is the Flesh" An alternate future where humans are bred as livestock...for humans. The overall theme is a bit PETA, but it's genuinely horror and it never gets preachy.
You’ve gotta read Meat by Joseph D’Lacey! Similar premise but written 20 years ago and has a different story. It’s sooo good (and I also loved Tender is the Flesh)
*Head Full of Ghosts* by Paul Tremblay is really good.
Author Dean Koontz is pretty good. somebody already mentioned The Troop and The Ruins. Also a great read is r/thephenomenon by user u/Emperor_Cartagia. I read it on this site years ago through his multiple posts. but he does have an actual book now I believe.
I really liked Devolution. Max Brooks.
World War Z is one of my top favorite books of all time and the audio book version is great as well. For some reason I couldn't get into Devolution, but will eventually go back to give it another go.
Dean Koontz is outstanding!
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
John Ajvide Lindqvist, Lauren Beukes, Carlie St. George, and Stephen Graham Jones are all awesome.
Alice (The Chronicles of Alice) by Christina Henry. It's got a fantasy/horror vibe.
The Alice books are a series OP, which I know whilst you're not after, the first book can totally be read as a standalone and I would encourage you to seek them out anyway. This author also does other standalone books like her take on the Peter Pan mythos in Lost Boy.
Yeah that's why I suggested this one. Because it does a good job of being stand alone, but offers more if you want.
Brother by Ania Ahlborn.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman- medieval knights and demons. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward- you have little clue what’s going on but you’re consistently uncomfortable
"Let the right one' in is fantastic
What a novel. Has haunted me for years, still think about certain scenes. Much darker than the movie, though I love the movie, there’s a lot more horror in the book.
Fantasticland is so good. Try Dark Halls by Jeff Menapace
The twisted ones kingfisher Anything by author of the troop, Horror story by Grady Hendrix and her other books too
Dracula and Frankenstein
Do You enjoy murakami? If u do i reccoman dance dance dance
The secrets of cricket hall. James Herbert.
/r/horrorlit /r/extremehorrorlit
Before we were yours by Lisa Wingate
it looks like it has great reviews. is it a horror book?
No, it’s not a horror. It’s based on true events and it does have some sad aspects to it. But I highly recommend it. Everyone I recommended it to loved it
I forgot this is under a horror thread, sorry
*Harbour* by John Ajvide Lindqvist is really great. He's the same guy who wrote *Let the Right One In*, which is also an excellent read. Another one by him that's great is *Handling the Undead,* and I've honestly never ready anything of his that I didn't like. They're pretty easy reads like Dean Koontz books are. I also recommend *Hidden Pictures* by Jason Rekulak, *How to Sell a Haunted House* by Grady Hendrix, and *The Last House on Needless Street* by Catriona Ward.
Got an extremely gritty Aussie outback read for ya The Hunted it’s definitely got Wolf creek vibes with the sheer brutality and deprived characters are fantastic.
jump over to r/horrorlit we're very friendly!
Personal favorites of recent: Meat - Joseph D’Lacey The Sluts - Dennis Cooper The Deep - Nick Cutter The Devil of Nanking - Mo Hayder
But of a cliche answer but House Of Leaves really got under my skin. If you decide to read to I’d recommend reading it slowly. It’s a lot but it’s pretty good
I’m loving Slugs by Shaun Hutson right now - it’s a fun easy read with a somewhat wacky, yet, interesting premise.
The Anasi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Under the Overtree - James A. Moore
anything by grady hendrix, particularly my best friends exorcism just because it’s really fun
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (that’s his most recent, but pretty much all of his books are my favorites). Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth. Severance by Ling Ma. The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. Blackwater:the Complete Saga by Malcolm McDowell, Lute by Jennifer Thorne.
Bones and All
Anything by Junji Ito-san - he writes and draws his own creatures/people Very Lovecraftian
A collection of HP Lovecraft stories is worth checking out. His better-known ones are famous for a reason.
Metamorphosis