We all know of horror works that will hit you hard upon first contact — perhaps because you’re a kid lacking in training against the dark arts — but that lose all their magic as you grow older and more powerful.
Great horror novels, however, will somehow never lose their magic, possibly because they’re cursed, cursed and doomed to never stop giving spooky thrills to whomever comes in contact with them. Let’s look at some all-time classics.
The Shining
Stephen King created a masterpiece by weaving deeper themes into what could’ve been a simple ghost story. There’s no schlock here, and in its place you will find a family dealing with the real and sadly very real horrors that victims of abuse have to deal with — and also ghosts.
Most people know of Stephen King’s magnum opus because of its film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, and those people will likely be surprised to learn King absolutely loathed it. King would later write the teleplay for a more direct adaptation of his book. It’s not good, but the book sure is, so definitely give it a try whether you love or hate the movie!
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
As you may already know, Frankenstein tells the story of a mad scientist hellbent on creating new life that no one asked for in ways that no one should attempt. The result is a monster that will inevitably prove the doctor’s (and some other people’s) demise.
How far is too far when it comes to creating technology that never really seemed promising remains a sadly prescient question in our times. Mary Shelley probably didn’t predict the woes of the AI days back in 1818, but she was well aware of human stupidity when she nonchalantly created a horror masterpiece and invented the Sci-Fi genre all at once.
It (Stephen King)
Aliens, spiders, and clowns are three evergreen sources of terror when it comes to literature and cinema. In IT, author Stephen King had the genius idea of combining all three to make its villain, Pennywise the Clown. To further heighten the fright factor, King originally has Pennywise messing not with the lives of adults, but straight-up hunting down kids by preying upon their greatest fears.
Pennywise isn’t scary for one specific reason, but for all the reasons. It’s an all-time classic, and a great source of inspiration for anyone interested in clown-related horror.
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
Aside from Satan himself, Dracula is the most enduring villain in the history of villains, and with good cause. Vlad the Impaler couldn’t have asked for a better myth creator than Bram Stoker, who turned yet another bloodthirsty ruler from history into a literal bloodthirsty monster who was inexplicably also very sexy.
Much like the character himself, Bram Stoker’s Dracula just doesn’t age — so long as it’s properly fed by the people who’ll read and further its legacy.
The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson)
If you’re into ghost stories, then Shirley Jackson’s 1959 opus is what you might be looking for. Completely different from the excellent Netflix TV series, the book tells a story based on accounts of what author Shirley Jackson describes not as paranormal experts, but misguided people who wanted to see something that didn’t exist. The result is a scary story, yes, but also an interesting study on differing personalities and responses to the paranormal.
Just remember not to confuse it with House on Haunted Hill, an unrelated movie with a similar plot that somehow also came out in the same year — though it’s also good.
The Hellbound Heart (Clive Barker)
The Hellraiser film series has enjoyed a lot of success over the years, and Pinhead is one of the most unforgettable villains in the history of the medium.
If you want to experience the first story featuring the cenobites and have it permeate your mind through your own imagination and not that of writer/filmmaker Clive Barker, then this is the way to go. Expect something gory, and perhaps even a bit sexy, if you happen to be into a specific sort of thing.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson)
Mystery, family drama, town folklore, and a surprising amount of humor are what live at the heart of this Castle. Shirley Jackson’s final story tells of a family destroyed by mysterious killings fairly or not blamed on one of its members.
It also tells the story of what happens on the outside, as the minds of the townsfolk fester while they make their own judgements on what’s happening with this peculiar family. We Have Always Lived in the Castle isn’t exactly the scariest of books, but it proves an original variation of the genre that you’ll never forget.
Something wicked this way comes (Ray Bradbury)
Something wicked this way comes tells the story of Mr. Dark, a vile entity posing as a good-willing wish-granting being. Mr. Dark is all about exploiting one’s deepest desires to spread great malice, and thus immediately one of the most interesting villains of all time.
“Careful what you wish for” is one of the shortest and most important lessons you can learn. If you haven’t learned it from life itself yet, learn it from this Ray Bradbury classic.
The Exorcist
You sure know about this one, but likely not from this angle. The Exorcist, the movie, though featuring the involvement of author William Peter Blatty, mostly shows the vision of director William Friedkin. The two did not really get along during filming, and Blatty maintains that his vision of what the novel should be in visual format didn’t come to fruition.
We now know that the real story behind the inspiration for the book, and movie, is total bunk. Still, the story of a little girl who’s possessed by an entity with no agenda other than to do harm is sure to still hit the heart of any even remotely religious person out there.
Cujo (Stephen King)
What’s scarier than having your best friend turn on you, and try to murder you? That’s Cujo, a huge Saint Bernard who’d be the main character’s best pal in any other tale. In here, Cujo is, for some reason, a murder machine. It works because the concept works in a beautifully simple twist, but also because it’s quite a ride.
King says he doesn’t remember writing Cujo, meaning Cujo might have taken possession of the author’s body and written itself. Good boy!
Published: Oct 26, 2024 10:18 am