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Does anyone have any Non-Stephen King Horror book recommendations?

Does anyone have any Non-Stephen King Horror book recommendations?

I am badly craving for one!

Pallavi #recommend #horror

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87 Answers

Mary

Almost anything by Peter Straub. In fact, he has co-authored several books with King.

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Jenny

I like Joe Hart.

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Meaghan

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Seance by John Harwood.

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Erica

Was also going to recommend The Winter People. Excellent!

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Ester

following

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Jeri

Dean Koontz had some great ones back in the 80s and 90s.

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Heidi

Joe Hill. Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2, The Fireman. Also happens to be SK’s son.

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Amber

I’m reading NOS4A2 currently!

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Gail

I liked The Fireman a lot, but I think it was more of a dystopia novel than a horror novel…

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Cindy

Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Not really gory or anything, but it is an amazing book and totally creeped me out!!

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Ciara

I just got this at the library and have heard such great things! Can’t wait to start it

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Karen

Truman Capote wrote a short story called “Miriam.” Scariest piece of prose I have ever read.

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Emily

Yes! Terrifying and fantastic.

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Laura

A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Not gory, and really big on ambiguity, which maximizes the creep factor. Really got under my skin. Had to sleep with the light on for a few nights lol. https://www.amazon.com/Head-Full-Ghosts-Novel/dp/0062363239

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Susan

Nobody is mentioning Anne Rice?!? Try her Witching Hour. Creepy, sexy, and science. That series of hers would make a great movie, I can’t understand why it hasn’t happened already.

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Amber

The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos had me sleeping with the lights on!

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Brooke

Did y’all know Anne Rice was convicted of murder?

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Susan

Nope, @Brooke, that was Anne Perry.

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Brooke

Oops my mistake. For some reason I thought Anne Rice was Anne Perry’s new name. I’m sorry, I should think before I speak!!!

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Maudia

Neil Gaiman, Ocean at the End of the Lane.

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Sue

Used to love John Saul but couldn’t keep reading about creepy kids after I had a couple of my own.

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Ciara

I read Nick Cutter’s The Deep. I would say it’s a cross of The Shining and The Abyss

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Sue

https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/02/28/new-books-recommended-by-stephen-king/. Here’s a link to books recommended by Steven King!

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Ciara

yes i read slade house and the Deep from this list. I liked Slade House but the end could’ve been better. The Deep was good a little too hard to follow sometimes b/c of the disillusionment but definitely creeped me out

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Catherine

He usually has great recommendations for books and music.

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Sharon

Wasn’t there a book a long time ago called Harvest Home? Still gives me chills.

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Linda

Thomas Tryon wrote it!

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Sharon

Yep, that’s right. Was it his first novel?

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Quintino

the turn of the screw

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Laura

Also, recommend Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived In The Castle, and The Haunting Of Hill House.

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Georgina

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike. It’s translated from Japanese I do believe. I loved it. Very scary.

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Sally

Mary Higgins Clark; psychological thrillers that gave me the willies (yet I kept right on reading, book after book….).

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Rosemary

Edgar Allen Poe! Shirley Jackson!

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Celina

I motion for POE

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Jacki

I particularly loved “The Tell Tale Heart” and “Cask of Amontillado.”

Heart is more in-your-face, but cask eats away at you. The more you think about it, the scarier it gets.

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Laura

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon is one of the scariest novels I’ve read and I’ve read a lot of scary novels!

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Robin

Dean Koontz has never written a bad book.

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Rosemary

I read ONE of his books. NEVER AGAIN. Stephen King claims that Koontz scares him, just sayin.

😀

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Amber

I disagree! His writing style drives me nuts lol

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Robin

I love his stories. if the writing is in any way bad, I never notice it.

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Robin

@Rosemary he is pretty twisted. 🙂

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Rosemary

@Robin N E V E R A G A I N

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Amber

Hell House and I am Legend by Richard Matheson, Almost anything by Clive Barker, Lost Boy Lost Girl. By Peter Straub, The Troop by Nick Cutter (high gross factor!) Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levine, The Homing by John Saul, The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos by Anne Rice

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Mary

Anything by Dan Chaon.

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Janet

The Bird Box!! Super creepy

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Robin

Which one did you read? You might try the Odd Thomas books.

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Savannah

The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, almost anything by Peter Straub

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LJ

Try Sarah Rayne. I’m not old enough to read her books as I live alone. 😀

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PallaviQuestion author

Planning to pick up roots of evil. Thanks for the recommendation!

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Laura

Oh, and one more, if you’re into YA horror. Doll Bones, by Holly Black.

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PallaviQuestion author

Heavens! This one seems to be creepy. I just read the description on goodreads. Thanks!

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Angela

Night Film

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Nancy

Pretty much anything by John Saul!

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Heather

I’m currently reading a proof of ‘The Final Girls’ by Riley Sager which I’m really enjoying. It’s got elements of slasher movie, crime and strangely a fondness for baking ?

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Angela

I got that for my Book of the Month book – looking forward to it!

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Heather

Enjoy?. It’s a pretty quick read which after the last book I read is quite refreshing.

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Heather

Also anything by James Herbert or Shaun Hudson if you want to go a bit old school.

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Sandy

The Harbor by John Lindquist – he wrote Let the Right One In.

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Kate

Have you read Sacra Obscurum by Todd Allen?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25020212-sacra-obscurum

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La

The other. By Thomas Tyron

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Connor

Anything by H P Lovecraft or Clive Barker

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Celina

Yay for Lovecraft

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Deborah

House of Lost Souls by F. G. Cottam, and I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir.

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Jill

Try anything by Ira Levin.

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Sol

Hmmm….The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To be read with all the lights on.

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Lisa

And then there were none, Agatha Christy. I really got a little scared when ladies went to their rooms alone

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Jacki

If you get a chance to see the play – go. It’s fabulous.

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Nancy

Anything by Joe Hill

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Laura

While probably not on a typical horror novel list, Octavia Butler’s “Kindred” is one of the most riveting and chilling horror novels I have read.

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Barbara

Have you tried Clive Barker?

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Carolyn

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

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Julie

I second this one.

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Celina

FRANKENSTEIN, Mary Shelley
DRACULA, Bram Stoker
THE EXORCIST, William Peter Blatty
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Thomas Harris
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JECKYLL AND MR HYDE, Robert Louis Stevenson
any novel by Franz Kafka (his short stories are not all scary)

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Lynda

John Connolly, Richard Laymond,

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Peg

Peter Straub

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Gail

If you like historic horror, try The Monstrumologist series. It’s listed as YA, but don’t let that fool you. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6457229-the-monstrumologist

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Adam

HP Lovecraft, especially the short story Dreams From The Witch House.

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PallaviQuestion author

Thanks a ton guys for all the recommendations….so excited to read them all! ?

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Renee

Dean Koontz, Richard Lymon, Joe Hill, Shirley Jackson, F. Paul Wilson( his Repairman Jack series) just to name a few.

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Georgina

Love Repairman Jack but be warned it’s a lot of books to commit to (there are 3 YA books in the series and at least 16 adult novels). http://repairmanjack.com/books/the-secret-history-of-the-world/

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Renee

Yes but oh so worth it!

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Georgina

@Renee yes it was worth it but I was lucky enough to read them as he published them so it didn’t seem like such a long commitment.

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Renee

Yes, I’d wait patiently for the next one so yes, could be daunting prospect.

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Diane

Dean Koontz’s books give me nightmares. I guess that means he’s a great author of horror.

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Jeff

I just finished American God’s by Neil gaiman. Not so much horror horror but it’s really great. It’s also now a tv show on stars and a comic book.

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Cindy

Neil Gaiman rocks!!

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John

About twenty years ago i was super into Clive Barker . Weave world was perhaps more fantasy but an awesome read .

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