Hey guys! I know you guys discuss this a bit at in the Book thread, but I wanted something a little more specific. For me, I'd love to share some good Horror Short Stories because I don't think I've really read anything horror outside of King (I know, I'm a novice!) and Ketchum (if you consider him horror). Let's talk shop of this genre in the literary format!
Yeah I'd love to read some short stories if you guys have any recs. One day I'll finish IT. One. Day.
I copped this a while ago from the old Book Thread but haven't had a chance to read it. The author actually came onto AP and was a pretty nice guy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLYEX6I/?tag=absolutepunk-20
It's kind of like a haunted house story, but with a more interesting concept right? And I wish the description had more of a... description about the book and more of an inkling about what the actual unsettling part is. But people on there are giving it great reviews!
I don't read a lot of horror, but A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul G. Tremblay was really good. He actually just came out with a new one as well I need to pick up
I read nothing but horror for a few years straight when i got out of college...I'll post some of my favorites later. A good horror novel is my favorite thing in the entire world.
I have Horns and NOS4A2 and I really need to dig into those. Although, the Horns movie kind of turned me off a bit in terms of the main character's characterization. I'm sure it's better in the book.
Recently read Heart-Shaped Box and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to checking out more of Joe Hill's stuff.
Absolutely adored that book. Similar to maybe King's Needful Things or Straub's Floating Dragon, large cast of small town characters where things just absolutely turn to hell. And yes, they are not exaggerating when they talk about it being disturbing, honestly you name it and it's in there. I've read a lot of the so called "Extreme Horror" genre which focuses on the most horrific things you could possibly think of and this made me sick to my stomach a lot (in a way that I absolutely love). It's much better written than most entries in that genre though.
re Horns: maybe it's just me but I kinda wished the entire story was set as them when they were kids, just longer and with all the fantastical elements. That was my favorite portion of the book haha, I liked it overall though
+1 for A Head Full of Ghosts - definitely put Tremblay on my radar and I really loved a lot of the subtle uncertainties the book left unaddressed at the end. Have been personally working my way through older King material that I somehow hadn't read. Started with Carrie, which was a really fast read and really put the movie to shame, now slowly reading Salem's Lot and enjoying it (especially as a vampire nerd).
Gerald's Game by Stephen King was a really cool psychological horror. Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door was also very good but brutal and gory. If you like gore then highly recommend that one.
Needful Thungs is my favorite King book (although the ending is absolutely ridiculous, but the characterization of those characters are some of his best), so I'll have to check it out!