i am becoming desensitized to books that are objectively disturbing, but just doesn’t do it for me

PLEASE no recs for books with cannibalism. that’s the one thing i can’t handle.

- - - Spoilers for Head Full of Ghosts and Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle follow - - -

I've just finished reading Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, which was enjoyable but way too far up its own ass in having to lampshade every slight connection to any other horror novel/movie.

I don't mind the odd reference, but there's something both smug and condescending in pointing them out by (sort of) breaking the fourth wall - it becomes "look how clever and funny I am!" rather than actually clever or funny.

(and Stephen Graham Jones as a teacher in the novel? Really?)

However, the ending twist - in which it's revealed that Merry poisoned the whole family - was already obvious and disappointing to me because I'd recently also read Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

In that book, the younger sister - also called Merry - poisons the entire family and gets away with it because her older sister is blamed; this is the twist that ends that novel.

I mean, seriously?

I don't mind nods to great works, but using the *exact same twist* from a character with the same name? Who's also the viewpoint character in both books? And who doesn't admit to it and lets everyone else think it's a different murderer?

I'd wondered if the name was a Jackson reference at the start. Then when it was mentioned that the Dad poisoned everyone I hoped the name wasn't a spoiler; or there'd be some sort of twist like Merry had somehow made her account of the poisoning up, being a huge horror nerd (who is mentioned as having read The Haunting of Hill House). But no, literally just stolen wholesale from Jackson. It turned the novel from interesting but flawed to just tacky and bad.

No, that's not a typo. I'm asking for books that commonly receive hate that you think isn't deserved.

I've seen threads asking things like "what's a book you hate that everyone else seems to love?" and I've seen a lot of the same responses there across threads. I'm interested in hearing similar books being defended by people who love them.

For me, it's How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. The first third of this book was admittedly a little bit of a drag. By the end of it, it became one of my favorite books I've read in the past 20 years. I couldn't put it down. Obviously, it's received a lot of critical praise, but also a lot of scorn by people thinking it (along with Hendrix works in general) shouldn't.

I'd also add, more subjectively than me trying to feign a sense of objectivity, the works of Aron Beauregard. I think he has some clear faults as a writer. I think he also has a crazy sense for character building and creativity that other authors lack, and if you can get past the less sophisticated prose, there's a lot to enjoy.

Of course, everyone's entitled to their own opinions. I'd just like to hear people out on why they love certain books instead of hearing repeated criticisms of popular books.

I need books that are below RM 50 . They have to be scary, entertaining, and good. Pls give me some recommendations before Friday.

holy shit. i’ve read scary books. been super spooked by some of them. but incidents around the house had me unable to sleep at night. i might just be a scaredy cat but the way other mommy was described was so painfully vivid and creepy, the imagery was super easy to visualize, and it was just genuinely a deeply unsettling horrific experience (in a good way)

if you want to be kept awake at night and scared shitless, read this book 😭

I’ve been reading some Karin Slaughter books and really liked Pretty Girls and some of the Will Trent series. I’m looking for more authors/books in that detective/coroner/victim pov’s but also deal with serious or heavy topics. Another one that comes to mind that I enjoyed was Mr Mercedes, I’m open to suggestions, if anyone has any!

(Not looking for writing advice, just recommendations)

So l've finally hit the point in my smutty horror novel where, after 8 chapters and 81k words of buildup, foreshadowing, and deliberately obfuscated and hazy wording, the MC sees his love interest in her full nightmarish monster form. I've had this scene in mind going on 2 years, imagine a fucked up take on the ally rescue scene in the first Spiderman. But now that l've finished the violence and reached the point he sees her clearly, straight up describing her feels really clunky and anti-climactic.

I'd love some recommendations for the best scenes and passages out there that give the reader their first real look at a monster/villian/antagonist. Classic, gothic, modern, whatever, anything that might give me a little inspiration juice would be amazing!

Hello all!

I am a High School English teacher and this year I get the privilege to build and teach my very own "Sci-Fi" lit class as an elective! This is very exciting for me as I have never been able to build a class from scratch before.

Now you may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with horror lit? Well, my idea is that Science fiction is rooted very deeply in Gothic literature, more specifically Gothic horror, so my very first unit will be Gothic horror. The issue is is that I'm running into some problems with selecting books.

The idea is that students will have a book list they get to choose from for each unit and it exists as a multi-media class, so while they are reading, we are also watching movies, reading short stories, discussing art and music etc. etc.

Now, I'm pretty well-versed on the Gothic Horror genre but I do have a couple areas in which I'm running into blank spots. My idea is that I'd like to split the book lists into different categories. Example being: Vampires (Carmilla, Dracula, IWTV), Sciencey acts of "god" (Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) etc. etc. and others. But I'm drawing a blank at Werewolf gothic horror books.

Now google has spat out a couple titles at me such as the Werewolf of Paris, but I'm concerned about readability for 16-18 year old's. The students will have a LOT of trigger warnings about the different content types of course and we will be discussing those items because that is the heart of these genres but I just need some suggestions. Sorry this was so wordy.

TLDR; I'm a High School teacher who needs recommendations for werewolf Gothic horror books for the elective I'll be teaching.

I just read Incidents Around The House and this book has the highest drop off from compelling first half to disappointing ending for me. I won’t go into spoilers but I feel like the big question it set up throughout the book has the lamest one page answer at the end compared to the tension it built. I’m curious what horror book you believe has the most compelling ending, preferably no spoilers so I can read it.

A couple years ago i would have picked slashers every single time without thinking twice. then i read hex by thomas olde heuvelt and something clicked for me. i found myself caring way more about the town and the people than the actual curse. now i keep drifting toward folk horror and stories with strange communities. how have horror books helped you unlearn shame instead of just giving you relatable characters. i feel like those quieter themes stick with me long after the scary scenes fade. i still enjoy a good bloody book every now and then because popcorn horror has its place. but lately i want books that mess with my head a little more. maybe i am chasing that same feeling without realizing it. i would love recos that lean into that emotional side while staying creepy. what should i pick up next?

I think jump scares might be the wrong term but I want to find a book that will make me really anxious and afraid to turn the page lol. I enjoy the kind of fright like when I’m playing silent hill 2 and I’m walking down a hallway and I’m freaking out because I know somethings about to come around the corner. Just dread and unease. If anyone has any recs lmk

I just finished reading The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, and I really enjoyed it. I think he did a great job blending horror with Native American culture while exploring how many modern Native people struggle to balance their traditions with contemporary American culture, as well as the racism and stereotypes they face. If you’re looking for a great horror story, give it a try.

I'm looking to make a horror book recommendation for my book club tomorrow.

Which of these books are both creepy and an actual good read that would inspire a good conversation?

-You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

-The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey

-The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendigo

Thanks for any insight or input!

Why does our species always have to take our full measure of God-given misery and terror and mortality and then make it worse?”

The Terror by Dan Simmons is a frostbitten tour de force of historical fiction and horror, a mix that I’m quite appreciative of as both a horror fan and history fan. I came into The Terror with fairly high expectations, after all I’ve read Hyperion which is one of the best scfi novels ever and I’ve heard nothing but good things about this novel. But how does it stand up? Well overall I think The Terror is a good novel, but I also think it’s one that could not only be better, but didn’t live up to its reputation in my eyes.

To begin, there’s a lot that this book does well. It is absolutely unrelenting in its description of the terrible things that the men aboard the terror probably had to endure, from frostbite, to hunger, to scurvy, Dan Simmons is exacting in his description of the natural horror that is the Arctic. I also enjoy how much of this book seems to be steeped in historical research, Simmons hold nothing back when talking about how the men onboard this ship thought, acted, ate and slept and to me the first half of this novel is nearly perfect because of its focus on these elements. Finally I love the supernatural monster in this novel, it is a totally unrelenting beast and I like how unique it is compared to the more mundane monsters such as vampires.

Where this book loses me however is more towards the back half of this novel. I feel as though once the men depart their ship, this book loses a lot of its momentum, focus and just unravels into something else that I didn’t enjoy nearly as much. As much as I find Inuit culture and native culture fascinating, I felt Simmons put those ideas into the book very oddly and it felt rushed. I also feel like so much of the second half of the book is just the same, which makes sense because they’re just a bunch of guys dying on the ice but still, I felt like Simmons was squeezing a lemon that had no juice left. I love a long, grand novel as much as anyone, and I think there’s a way to write a novel this length about the same story and subject, but the way Dan did it just wasn’t quite right. I also really don’t enjoy how much Simmons seems to rely on repeating the same phrases and descriptions over and over again, yes they’re good but let’s use some similes and other hyperboles.

Overall The Terror is a good novel that in my opinion could’ve and should’ve been great. The first half of this novel is incredibly strong, but the back half unfortunately left a lot to be desired and I felt like the ending was very weak overall. There’s parts it rally enjoy such as the creature and focus on historical detail, but there’s also parts I felt like I had to push through to get to the end. 8.4/10

Hi! I’m super into horror movies, I love a slasher, I love the camp, I like mystery, gore is fine.

I also love to read and wanting to get into horror books has been SO HARD. I’ve tried to read horror before. I also really hate how every horror book has a grief as a theme, like I get people are sad when people die but I feel like it’s a theme in every book or movie. I also don’t like long books so please don’t suggest Stephen kings IT. lol

I did not like tender is the flesh, as someone with a plant based diet just felt very dramatic to eat people rather than any options. I did not like this thing between us by Gus Moreno I just did not feel the atmosphere or a build up. I read things have gotten worse since we last spoke and it wasn’t bad but over time wasn’t great. I’ve read a few short story collections by Mariana Enriquez and not a huge fan of the ambiguity.

I liked ringshout, earthlings was fun even though it’s not really horror. I’ve read Kathy Acker which just felt shocking but liked it. Annihilation I liked the surrealist parts. I like things weird for sure. But just wanting to dive in horror into books after loving so many movies.

A lot of my recommendations for horror I’ve gotten from social media and I feel like that might be the problem? I don’t like any social media recommendations for other genres so not sure why I thought I’d like horror.

Cabin at the End of the World is the perfect example of this, same with Horror Movie and a little less so with A Head Full of Ghosts. I keep getting his books because I hate myself and have a strange disappointment fetish.

Such a fantastic premise for a book. Short vignettes, describing the aftermath of something that has just occurred.

A masterclass in mood and scene-setting. Letting the reader draw their own conclusions on what may have happened.

Definitely recommended.

Edit : the correct title is Wyrd And Other Derelictions.

I recently discovered extreme horror and splatterpunk, and am hooked. I’ve read Full Brutal, Exquisite Corpse, and The Summer I Died.

Exquisite Corpse IMMEDIATELY made it to the list of my favourite things I’ve ever read. (To be fair, I listened on Audible and the narrator was fantastic, which could play a part for sure.

That said, I adore the writing. I was astonished by the juxtaposition of the horrendous things happening and the lush, decadent, and gorgeous way they were being described. I am, however, a lover of horror in all types of media, and am not the slightest bit squeamish - quite the contrary. I can definitely see how the grotesque subject matter would be off-putting to some.

One part of my experience while reading it seems to stand out as unique among the other posts I’ve read here: Luke’s chapters were by far my favourite. His anger, nay - rage, towards everyone and everything was not enough to make me hate him. I expected to based on events hinted at in Tran’s chapter(s) but found that I was empathizing with him deeply - to the point that I found his chapters utterly heartbreaking and cried several times.

I read TSID after attempting a few other books that couldn’t hold my interest, and I’m honestly feeling as though Exquisite Corpse has ruined me for all other books. If anyone can recommend something that is similarly beautiful and heart-wrenching while also being heinous and shocking, I’d appreciate it!

“Jackknife” by Joe Hill (The Shivers Collection #1) is the first book in this exclusive Amazon Original Series of horror short stories. I’m so glad they started this off with Hill because this is one hell of a way to start a collection.

In case you’re interested in “The Shivers Collection” and which authors are a part of it, here’s the entire collection…

Jackknife by Joe Hill (The Shivers Collection #1)
The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones (The Shivers Collection #2)
The Blanks by Grady Hendrix (The Shivers Collection #3)
Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward (The Shivers Collection #4)
Letter Slot by Owen King (The Shivers Collection #5)

I love every author in this collection, and I can’t wait to complete it. Before I begin my review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…

- Grooming teenagers (nothing graphic)
- Drugs
- Dead animals (very graphic involving a cat)
- Politics
- #MeToo movement
- Sexual abuse of minors
- Suicide

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I have to give credit to Hill, since I’ve never read a “tree horror” book as scary as this. I love his writing style, as it was great and over the top. It’s barely 46 pages, and my goodness, what a powerhouse of a freaky read.

The main character, Dennis, was someone I loathed. Hill’s character development of Dennis was surreal. I hated him and was hooked on what kind of karma was coming his way. I would never ruin a book for anyone, so no spoilers here, but this was fantastic from start to finish.

As always with Hill’s work, I enjoyed his references in this book. As a coffee lover, it was great to see Dunkin’ mentioned, and of course, The Lord of the Rings thanks to Ents. I love LOTR, but the tree horror found here was so wild, I made many weird faces while reading.

The backstory and insight in “Jackknife,” with its uniquely written tree horror, were compelling and felt like they could have easily been part of The Conjuring universe. This was a genuine page-turner that I couldn’t put down from the sheer horror of it all.

When it comes to the ending, this was on the level of Stephen King because I didn’t see that coming at all. I finished this book with a huge smile on my face, thanks to a beyond satisfying ending that has a “drop-the-mic” moment and proves why Hill is such a phenomenal author. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Get it? Tree? Tree horror? Okay, I’ll see myself out now.

I give “Jackknife” by Joe Hill (The Shivers Collection #1) a 5/5 for being one hell of a fun ride with a refreshing take on tree horror. Seriously, you’ll probably never want to look at a barren tree the same ever again after reading this short story. I’m so excited to dive into the rest of this collection.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, since I already found a jackknife, it’s time to go hang out in an indigo room.

Muñeca by Cynthia Gomez 4/5

A quick, short read. Good enough to keep me intrigued and want me wanting more. Different than things I've read.

I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel 3/5

Wasn't as excited to get through this. It feels very disjointed with the two timelines, with the first timeline being more interesting. The second timeline feels a lot slower. Writing also felt a bit try-hard. Once it started making sense toward the end is when I was hooked, but it took a lot of reading to get to this part of making sense and feeling excited to continue reading.

The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie 4/5

Feels very similar to another horror movie series, but I still liked it! We don't see much of the horror involved, more so the afterward from the detective/police working through it. In the middle of the book I realized there were about twenty pages repeated. Not sure if other books has this issue. Once you find where to pick up at its fine I guess.

The Long Low Whistle by Laurel Hightower

• 173 pages (on Kindle)
• Released on November 4, 2025
• Synopsis: Our protagonist lived in a small mining town when disaster struck killing dozens of miners including her father who was blamed for the disaster. Fast forward to when she's a young adult, she's still fixated on the disaster and wanting to prove that it wasn't her father's fault. She returns to town searching for a way into the closed mine and finds a path. She teams up with a visiting group of cryptid hunters exchanging their help in obtaining an unseen security tape of the disaster for passage into the mine. The group enter the mine and find that they are not alone.
• Spoiler free review: This story doesn't waste your time. You're quickly underground a few pages in then return to enter the mine for the main part of the story around one-third of the way through the book. This isn't anything unique, but it's a well done creature feature where the characters are fighting the elements, darkness, and monsters. People get picked off while our cast tries to escape the mine. If you're looking for no frills monster horror, this is for you. My main complaint is that the ending was a bit abrupt.
• Content warning: none other than your typical monster attacks and deaths.

Denisovans by Jeremy Bates

• 292 pages (on Kindle)
• Released on September 9, 2025
• Synopsis: Dual protagonist story consisting of an elderly grandfather who served as a tunnel rat (soldiers who went into tunnels dug by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces) during the Vietnam war. The other is the granddaughter who was recently released from prison and is trying to avoid her violent ex. The pair travel to Vietnam so the grandfather can retrieve the remains of a fellow soldier killed in the tunnels during the war. There they encounter hominids that aren't as extinct as we though.
• Spoiler free review: We don't enter the tunnels until 56% through the book, which is too late for my tastes. It would have been fine if the story before that was interesting, but it's mainly our protagonists reminiscing about the past. I liked the dialog between the grandfather and granddaughter, but that's not what I was looking for. I didn't find the tunnel scenes to be particularly scary or tense. There is only a single "onscreen" human death and our protagonists are relatively easily able to run from and fight a numerically superior and physically stronger foe without much injury. The store described this as "survival horror," but I disagree with label. The front page labels it as a thriller, which I ignored when I shouldn't have. I just didn't find this particularly interesting or scary. Also, the author described the iconic Colt 1911 pistol as a revolver, which is an extremely big goof if you're familiar with firearms.
• Content warning: attempted sexual assault, references to prior sexual assaults, forced impregnation, kidnapping, suicide.
• I really enjoyed Bates' Merfolk book so much so that I ignored how mediocre his No-End House book was and the fact that I later found out he copied this from the creepypasta story without credit along with The Sleep Experiment. I believe I also heard he may have copied from other stores for his Suicide Forest book as well. After Denisovans, I think I'm done with Jeremy Bates.

Has anyone read the Brides by Charlotte Cross or any of her books? Any good?