Good psychological horror suggestions?

Mortelle · 08-31-2012, 02:53 PM

Horror has always been my favorite genre, but I find myself running out of things to read. Living in a tiny southern town, it's rare to find people that actually enjoy reading. When I do, it's one of my female 20-something friends that only reads Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, and Nicholas Sparks.

I've read pretty much everything by my fallback authors, Stephen King and Poe, and I have George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream but I've yet to start it. Browsing at book stores, most of the "horror" novels I find are romances with a hint of something supernatural or "scary" thrown in in an effort to jump on the sexy vampire bandwagon. I was wondering if you guys, horror experts that I'm sure you are, could recommend something new; something well-written and truly chilling.

Acharis · 09-01-2012, 01:43 AM

I know the feeling.

I remember posting in a similar thread ages back, have a browse. www.gothic.net/boards/showthread.php?t=25714

Mortelle · 09-01-2012, 07:11 AM

Thank you. That thread has a lot of good suggestions, I'll have to check them out.

Saya · 09-01-2012, 08:07 AM

I know someone name dropped John Lindqvist, but he is really good. Harbour is a good scary book (although the ending I thought was a little weird, but if you're a King fan you're used to that) and I really liked Let The Right One In, its a pretty good take on vampires if you're vampire weary.

Shirley Jackson is AWESOME, The Haunting of Hill House and Bird's Nest being my two favourites, although We Have Always Lived In The Castle is good, but not scary. Apparently she was a big influence of Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, also good) who in turn was a big influence on Stephen King, and you can notice the progression I think, compare The Haunting of Hill House to the Shining.

I also recently read Some Must Watch by Ethel Lina White. Can't describe it much without spoiling, but I can't believe its not considered a classic like the movie it spawned, The Spiral Staircase. I read it all in one night, couldn't put it down, then had to check every room in the house.

Saya · 09-01-2012, 08:24 AM

Oh, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is pretty good. Not at all light hearted like her Poirot and Marple books. It was pretty damn dark, and I couldn't guess who the murderer was. If you try that and are at all curious at other good Christie books, Murder On The Orient Express is pretty good, not at all dark like ATTWN but the solution to the mystery was pretty brilliant, I thought.

Mortelle · 09-01-2012, 01:21 PM

Thanks! I have ATTWN on my Nook, I just haven't read it yet. Same with Let The Right One In. I borrowed I Am Legend from a friend once, it was much better than the movie. I'll get those Shirley Jackson books, and I'm intrigued by Some Must Watch simply because you didn't tell me anything about it.

Saya · 09-01-2012, 02:19 PM

All I'm going to say about that one is that its kind of a whodunnit mystery, and I think its promoted as such, but it was way too tense for me to logically work out whodunnit before the reveal in the end. I think its a good psychological thriller type because you really don't know if the protagonist is really in danger or is imagining things like we normally do when we're worked up and home alone, you know?

Murder.Of.Crows · 09-01-2012, 02:55 PM

"And The There Were None" has remained one of my favorite mystery novels. I wish they would give it a movie it deserves.

Heartsick was a pretty good book, but it's a little unknown. It goes more into the psychological trauma of the detective after solving a case involving a Hannibal like villain. It's another one of my favorites.

Drew Keaton · 10-08-2012, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortelle

Horror has always been my favorite genre, but I find myself running out of things to read. Living in a tiny southern town, it's rare to find people that actually enjoy reading. When I do, it's one of my female 20-something friends that only reads Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, and Nicholas Sparks.

I've read pretty much everything by my fallback authors, Stephen King and Poe, and I have George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream but I've yet to start it. Browsing at book stores, most of the "horror" novels I find are romances with a hint of something supernatural or "scary" thrown in in an effort to jump on the sexy vampire bandwagon. I was wondering if you guys, horror experts that I'm sure you are, could recommend something new; something well-written and truly chilling.

B.E. Scully is a phenomenal Gothic horror writer. Try her full-length novel Verland: The Transformation or her new short story collection The Knife and the Wound It Deals. No sexy vamps here. Just brilliant literary horror... thought-provoking, challenging, incredibly intense...