Here, then, is our ranking of the best horror novels of all time. But perhaps, in the end, that’s the secret of horror: it’s personal. Equally, some of these choices may cause horror fans’ eyes to wrinkle in confusion. Certain big names are missing because their greatest contributions are in short form, or because their books tread ground better travelled by others. You will see some unexpected inclusions in this list, and some surprising absences. Short horror fiction has a parallel but distinct history that would require a survey all of its own. It’s worth noting that we have confined our choices to novels. We have, however, tried to celebrate the breadth of horror-to highlight those books that establish something about the genre or push it forward into new realms. With such a weight of contention, any attempt at a list of ‘best’ horror novels is doomed to disagreement. It was an era dominated by brand-name authors, with epic sales and matching page-lengths. Contemporary readers may look no further than the horror ‘boom’ of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. Jekyll–these figures emerged from a culture in crisis, when twin anxieties about masculinity and modernity birthed urban nightmares. Others locate the genre’s origins in a slate of late-Victorian novels and their roster of horror icons. Scholars trace the legacy of literary horror back to the British Gothic fictions of the eighteenth century, when castles were haunted, monks were evil, and anywhere beyond the edges of Protestant England was tinged sinister. This is before we even attempt a historical context. For others it hinges on atmosphere and tone. Definitions abound.įor some, horror is a genre founded on trope and convention: a checklist of blighted houses and monstrous secrets, men in masks and women in white nightgowns. If we may lean on the beloved Goosebumps tagline, "Reader beware, you're in for a scare." In no particular order, from classics to new releases, here are 50 of the best horror books of all time.Horror is a broad church. No matter what flavor of fright you seek-from mysteries to books with a twist, and from demons to the real life stories behind some of America's most wretched killers-there's a scare for every type of horror fan. The phrase "page turner" is thrown around a lot when discussing books, but when it comes to the horror genre, nothing could be more suitable-and there's no time like the present to dig into a terrifying tale. With that comes more of a build-up, more tension and therefore, more of a payoff. As books do, it requires more of an investment from you, the reader. I took it home with me and attacked it that afternoon. I’d never read him but a friend was always recommending his books (I should’ve considered that my friend loved scary movies with guys named Freddy and Jason in them) and the dollar-price was right. But, there's something to be said about a scary book. A copy of Koontz’s Whispers was sitting in the bargain bin. There's nothing like a good jump scare, for sure, and contemporary scary movies will certainly leave you with nightmares. If you're looking for a thrill and you're pressed for time, there's no shortage of horror movies that will do the trick. This is for the people who can't get enough of the creepy crawlies and heebie jeebies-the ones who want to know more about things that go bump in the night. And that's perfectly fair, but this list is not for those people. Assuredly, plenty of people don't understand why some actually seek out the feeling of being afraid.
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