10 Scariest books of all time

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s natural to want to get into the spooky spirit. Reading scary books is a staple of the fall season, and I’m not just talking about ghosts, ghouls and vampires.

When I think of scary books, I don’t immediately get bogged down in the supernatural, but instead I think of stories which have a possibility of coming true, however remote. The potential of people to do awful things is far scarier than ghosts in the attic, because it’s something that any of us could, if things went horribly wrong, live through. 

Of course there are some entries on this list which focus more on the stereotypical spooky factor, but you might be surprised by some of the books included.

1984 by George Orwell (1949)

Imagine everything you do being monitored by Big Brother, with no privacy and strict consequences for acting in any way they deem undesirable or illegal. The world is stuck in a state of war and Winston, a worker at the Ministry of Truth wants out. 1984 is dystopian, horrifying, and ultimately believable in a time when CCTV is everywhere and people broadcast their entire lives on the internet. 

Pet Sematary by Stephen King (1983)

Any list about scary books wouldn’t be complete without Pet Sematary, considering the fact that it unnerves even the king of horror Stephen King himself. Definitely not one that should be read if you’re easily unsettled, and it will definitely upset you if you have children, but one that I will always recommend to anyone looking for a creepy book to read. 

Naomi’s Room by Jonathan Aycliffe (1991)

Even for the most seasoned of horror aficionados, Naomi’s Room is incredibly creepy and sure to have you double checking over your shoulder in the dark. Sure, it’s focused on the supernatural goings on in Charles and Laura’s home, but the explanations aren’t too farfetched to make sense and there also aren’t any logical explanations. My advice? Don’t read this before going to sleep, because you won’t rest easy afterwards.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

American Psycho is the story of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, and incredibly vain investment banker who also happens to be a serial killer. I read this book for the first time in 2006 when I was 15 and it has remained etched in my memory ever since. 

The reason for it being on this list is the fact that you never know what someone is truly like behind closed doors. Even the most respectful of people you pass on the street could be hiding the darkest of secrets, and that’s a truly scary thought. If you haven’t read this one, or seen the movie adaptation, you need to. Be warned, the book is far more unsettling than the movie, and that’s really saying something.

Misery by Stephen King (1987)

Romance novelist Paul Sheldon ends up in the care of his deranged and psychopathic ‘number one fan’ Annie Wilkes, who happens to be a former nurse. Using pain medication to get him addicted and essentially holding him hostage, she makes a big display of nursing him back to health. 

Even if you’ve not read the book or seen the movie adaptation, you’ll undoubtedly know of one thing from Misery — Annie breaking both of Paul’s ankles with a sledgehammer when he starts to recover. 

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach (2012)

Penpal is a novel that’s actually based on a series of creepypastas that were posted to the r/nosleep subreddit, which is always a creepy subreddit to visit. It’s a series of non-linear memories told from the unnamed narrator’s perspective that focus on a series of strange events from his childhood. 

After taking part in a penpal experiment, the narrator starts to receive polaroid photos periodically that all focus on him and his mother. There are few things more scary than the idea of someone watching you, and this really taps into that fear. 

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)

There is little more frightening than a generation of people who grow up loving ultra-violent actions and revelling in the misery of others, and that’s exactly what A Clockwork Orange focuses on. Alex is vicious, and depraved, and commits horrific acts to get his kicks, at least until he’s convicted of murder. 

The true fear factor of this book come in the form of the psychological torture that’s used to ‘cure’ Alex. Aversion therapy and behaviour modification are both far too real in the world of psychology and have been used in the past to change the way that people act. 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (2016)

Although you might not expect this to be a scary book, it gets more horrifying the more you read. I’m Thinking of Ending Things starts off as a woman with doubts about the man whose parents she’s on the way to meet but ends up disjointed, frightening, and indescribably unsettling. At times, it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on and who is who, and that feeling of uncertainty leaves a particular sense of dread and confusion within you long after reading. 

Come Closer by Sara Gran (2003)

Demonic possession is a theme that has been written repeatedly for centuries, but Come Closer somehow manages to do it differently and in a much more scary way. The book starts out from the perspective of Amanda, a happily married successful architect, but the narration slowly starts to evolve and eventually the story is being told by Naamah, the demon who possessed Amanda. It’s a deeply unsettling read, and although it probably won’t give you nightmares, it will definitely stick with you long after the last page is turned. 

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (2017)

What would happen to the world if a virus infected all meat that’s used for human consumption? Would society as a whole become vegetarian, or would it take a wholly more horrifying path?

Tender is the Flesh, also known as Cadáver Exquisito in its original Spanish, is a depiction of what would happen in this scenario, with cannibalism becoming legal. The story is centered around Marcos, a human meat supplier who is unsure about the new way of things. Humans bred purely for consumption by other humans, and scavengers who will get their ‘special meat’ however they can. Once you’ve read this masterpiece, you’ll never forget it.