Got a $30 gift card for Barnes and Noble for my birthday, would like some recommendations of any good scary books. Doesn't have to specifically follow a specific genre like ghosts or sci-fi, but I would like stuff that would make me feel legitimately afraid and/or unnerved.
The only book that's managed to do that for me was House of Leaves. John Dies at the End had its moments too, and though not an actual novel, Song of Saya managed to make me shut the game off in the first ten minutes (not even Silent Hill managed to do that for me).
Recommendations I've gotten so far are Hostage to the Devil, which I've got in cart, Master and Margarita, which doesn't exactly sound like horror in the synopsis, and a couple others. Uzumaki is also under consideration, having only read the first volume. And of course everyone is tossing in HP Lovecraft, though the one story I've read so far (Call of Cthulu) didn't do much for me.
Anyways, give me your best recommendations please. There's a couple of Memorial Day coupons that expire on the 30th, so I figure I should get in on it now.
Got a $30 gift card for Barnes and Noble for my birthday, would like some recommendations of any good scary books. Doesn't have to specifically follow a specific genre like ghosts or sci-fi, but I would like stuff that would make me feel legitimately afraid and/or unnerved.
The only book that's managed to do that for me was House of Leaves. John Dies at the End had its moments too, and though not an actual novel, Song of Saya managed to make me shut the game off in the first ten minutes (not even Silent Hill managed to do that for me).
Recommendations I've gotten so far are Hostage to the Devil, which I've got in cart, Master and Margarita, which doesn't exactly sound like horror in the synopsis, and a couple others. Uzumaki is also under consideration, having only read the first volume. And of course everyone is tossing in HP Lovecraft, though the one story I've read so far (Call of Cthulu) didn't do much for me.
Anyways, give me your best recommendations please. There's a couple of Memorial Day coupons that expire on the 30th, so I figure I should get in on it now.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle is cool and lovecrafty.
Got a $30 gift card for Barnes and Noble for my birthday, would like some recommendations of any good scary books. Doesn't have to specifically follow a specific genre like ghosts or sci-fi, but I would like stuff that would make me feel legitimately afraid and/or unnerved.
The only book that's managed to do that for me was House of Leaves. John Dies at the End had its moments too, and though not an actual novel, Song of Saya managed to make me shut the game off in the first ten minutes (not even Silent Hill managed to do that for me).
Recommendations I've gotten so far are Hostage to the Devil, which I've got in cart, Master and Margarita, which doesn't exactly sound like horror in the synopsis, and a couple others. Uzumaki is also under consideration, having only read the first volume. And of course everyone is tossing in HP Lovecraft, though the one story I've read so far (Call of Cthulu) didn't do much for me.
Anyways, give me your best recommendations please. There's a couple of Memorial Day coupons that expire on the 30th, so I figure I should get in on it now.
It veers into somewhat goofy mood-breaking territory occasionally, but The Shining actually unnerved me quite a bit. Similarly to you, the only book to ever do that to me other than The Shining was House of Leaves, so maybe it'd be up your alley?
Bail on Lovecraft if you wanna get spooked, he's not actually scary. Primarily interesting in how it allows you to dissect the kind of fears that are fueled by white supremacy; "Shadow Over Innsmouth" is about miscegenation and finding out you are not 'pure,' "The Rats in the Walls" comes from a similar place and also might be his straight-up most racist story, "The Colour Out of Space" and "The Whisperer in the Darkness" and a few others are kind of about the loss of white identity in the face of pressure from exterior forces. A fascinating read if you go in with the right attitude, and they have some scary accoutrements, but not really what you'd call chilling
For pop horror I really do like Stephen King. The most frightening King book is probably Pet Sematary, and then maybe IT, though I also have a deep spooky affection for Duma Key.
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StraightziHere we may reign secure, and in my choice,To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered Userregular
edited May 2016
Oh, wait, I do have a really good scary book rec
A Head Full of Ghosts is one of the best books I've read this year, you should definitely check it out
I'll also throw in Gutshot, which is a short story book that isn't always scary in content, but is frequently very unnerving, and After The People Lights Have Gone Off, another short story book with some more direct horror elements
Bail on Lovecraft if you wanna get spooked, he's not actually scary. Primarily interesting in how it allows you to dissect the kind of fears that are fueled by white supremacy; "Shadow Over Innsmouth" is about miscegenation and finding out you are not 'pure,' "The Rats in the Walls" comes from a similar place and also might be his straight-up most racist story, "The Colour Out of Space" and "The Whisperer in the Darkness" and a few others are kind of about the loss of white identity in the face of pressure from exterior forces. A fascinating read if you go in with the right attitude, and they have some scary accoutrements, but not really what you'd call chilling
For pop horror I really do like Stephen King. The most frightening King book is probably Pet Sematary, and then maybe IT, though I also have a deep spooky affection for Duma Key.
I just wanna jump in here and say that, while this analysis of Lovecraft's stories is valid (he was very racist) you can also totally just read them as weird tales and they work pretty well. I'd disagree that they aren't spooky, but your mileage may vary on that one.
That said, King is one of the finest horror writers of our time, and Pet Sematary is one of the scariest books I've ever read. IT also sticks with me, and spooks me all over again every time I go back to it. There's a chapter towards the very end that's incredibly divisive though, and for some people it ruins the whole story, but I'd still recommend it.
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StraightziHere we may reign secure, and in my choice,To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered Userregular
Yeah, Lovecraft is problematic, and his writing is certainly of a style that doesn't jive with a lot of people
But I found him plenty scary when I read him, and I don't think he has an equal in his specific little niche
If he doesn't work for you, either due to style or context, I respect that
King's true grasp on terror is conveyed best through his short stories imho.
On one hand they feel very unsatisfying because the wordlbuilding is compartimented, on the other hand this allows him to cut straight to the good stuff with minimal build-up.
King's true grasp on terror is conveyed best through his short stories imho.
One one hand they feel very unsatisfying because the wordlbuilding is compartimented, on the other hand this allows him to cut straight to the good stuff with minimal build-up.
I'm not that great. Still a long ways from being a master.
. . .
Oh you mean that other guy.
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
The Shining in book form was pretty scary for me as a kid
Reading it as an adult, closer to Jack's age than Danny's, gave me a whole new perspective on Jack as a character. When I was younger, Jack seemed like an OK person who had some very powerful demons that ended up getting the best of him. Reading it as an adult who's dealt with anger problems myself, viewing Jack as a peer, makes me feel a lot less sympathetic towards him. It also scares me in a whole new way, now that I'm getting to the point in my life where kids are becoming a real possibility.
That was a little more rambly than I meant it to be, but I'm gonna leave it here anyway.
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Psychotic OneThe Lord of No PantsParts UnknownRegistered Userregular
Now in my head I'm picturing an MTF unit using this to try and contain some of the bigger SCiPs during a containment breach. Shy Guy and the Lizard that Hates but just smashed down to buy time. Would the lizard evolve to overcome the pressure being exerted on him. Or would it be able to become unto like slime and ooze away from the area of influence.
And Shy Guy. Nothing has been shown to ever stop it during an event. The only method is to kill the thing it is hunting before it becomes an uncontrollable memetic effect. Would it just straight up brace against the force and push through?
I thought that having the narrator fail to realize the truth behind the origin of the poison was a missed opportunity
Yes, it was fun to put it together myself, but the book feels incomplete without the narrator fully understanding her sister's role in what happened
I think the ambiguity there is fun, honestly, especially in a book with a hell of a lot of ambiguity
My biggest issue is the blog posts, which I like in theory, but end up being too long and too obviously her
I was wishing there were six shorter blog post chapters (one for each episode of the show), that maybe kept some things a bit more private a bit longer
Now in my head I'm picturing an MTF unit using this to try and contain some of the bigger SCiPs during a containment breach. Shy Guy and the Lizard that Hates but just smashed down to buy time. Would the lizard evolve to overcome the pressure being exerted on him. Or would it be able to become unto like slime and ooze away from the area of influence.
And Shy Guy. Nothing has been shown to ever stop it during an event. The only method is to kill the thing it is hunting before it becomes an uncontrollable memetic effect. Would it just straight up brace against the force and push through?
There was an attempt to terminate 682 with a device that had total control of the laws of physics inside an attached chamber. It had a grand old time.
I thought that having the narrator fail to realize the truth behind the origin of the poison was a missed opportunity
Yes, it was fun to put it together myself, but the book feels incomplete without the narrator fully understanding her sister's role in what happened
I think the ambiguity there is fun, honestly, especially in a book with a hell of a lot of ambiguity
My biggest issue is the blog posts, which I like in theory, but end up being too long and too obviously her
I was wishing there were six shorter blog post chapters (one for each episode of the show), that maybe kept some things a bit more private a bit longer
Yeah, the blog posts weren't my favorite
The voice in those was just grating and over the top, like a parody of the way teens talk on the Internet
It's a shame, because the idea of the narrator attempting to see the show from a third person perspective is a great one
#pipeCocky Stride, Musky odoursPope of Chili TownRegistered Userregular
edited June 2016
Ok... ok
possibly new favourite SCP here. Partly because of the world building on an existing entry (SCP 231, one of the more well-known fucked up entries) but mostly because of the story telling through formatting. I don't think I've seen another SCP entry that mimics the different formats of viewing entries based on security clearance. That's super cool.
Posts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsien-Ko?wprov=sfla1
I forgot how awesome the darkstalkers games are. I had the record on a local arcade machine with Victor for like three goddamn years.
That looks more like there used to be stair covers on there, for at least a couple years.
The only book that's managed to do that for me was House of Leaves. John Dies at the End had its moments too, and though not an actual novel, Song of Saya managed to make me shut the game off in the first ten minutes (not even Silent Hill managed to do that for me).
Recommendations I've gotten so far are Hostage to the Devil, which I've got in cart, Master and Margarita, which doesn't exactly sound like horror in the synopsis, and a couple others. Uzumaki is also under consideration, having only read the first volume. And of course everyone is tossing in HP Lovecraft, though the one story I've read so far (Call of Cthulu) didn't do much for me.
Anyways, give me your best recommendations please. There's a couple of Memorial Day coupons that expire on the 30th, so I figure I should get in on it now.
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The Whisperer in Darkness also sets a great atmosphere
You might want to check those out, and you can probably find them standalone for free
I'll second Grey Ghost's suggestions too
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle is cool and lovecrafty.
It veers into somewhat goofy mood-breaking territory occasionally, but The Shining actually unnerved me quite a bit. Similarly to you, the only book to ever do that to me other than The Shining was House of Leaves, so maybe it'd be up your alley?
For pop horror I really do like Stephen King. The most frightening King book is probably Pet Sematary, and then maybe IT, though I also have a deep spooky affection for Duma Key.
A Head Full of Ghosts is one of the best books I've read this year, you should definitely check it out
I'll also throw in Gutshot, which is a short story book that isn't always scary in content, but is frequently very unnerving, and After The People Lights Have Gone Off, another short story book with some more direct horror elements
I just wanna jump in here and say that, while this analysis of Lovecraft's stories is valid (he was very racist) you can also totally just read them as weird tales and they work pretty well. I'd disagree that they aren't spooky, but your mileage may vary on that one.
That said, King is one of the finest horror writers of our time, and Pet Sematary is one of the scariest books I've ever read. IT also sticks with me, and spooks me all over again every time I go back to it. There's a chapter towards the very end that's incredibly divisive though, and for some people it ruins the whole story, but I'd still recommend it.
But I found him plenty scary when I read him, and I don't think he has an equal in his specific little niche
If he doesn't work for you, either due to style or context, I respect that
But he's still one of the greats for a reason
On one hand they feel very unsatisfying because the wordlbuilding is compartimented, on the other hand this allows him to cut straight to the good stuff with minimal build-up.
Probably for employees or service. But maybe spooky ghosts!
I'm not that great. Still a long ways from being a master.
. . .
Oh you mean that other guy.
That one ended up as an SCP
http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2501
The Hardiman was a really cool design
I like that they used the Kids in the Hall joke "I'm crushing your head!" as the basis for this scip
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Yes, it was fun to put it together myself, but the book feels incomplete without the narrator fully understanding her sister's role in what happened
I find it hard to find actually scary books nowadays
Also, I like how it's implied that SCP could crush the sun or the moon
Reading it as an adult, closer to Jack's age than Danny's, gave me a whole new perspective on Jack as a character. When I was younger, Jack seemed like an OK person who had some very powerful demons that ended up getting the best of him. Reading it as an adult who's dealt with anger problems myself, viewing Jack as a peer, makes me feel a lot less sympathetic towards him. It also scares me in a whole new way, now that I'm getting to the point in my life where kids are becoming a real possibility.
That was a little more rambly than I meant it to be, but I'm gonna leave it here anyway.
Now in my head I'm picturing an MTF unit using this to try and contain some of the bigger SCiPs during a containment breach. Shy Guy and the Lizard that Hates but just smashed down to buy time. Would the lizard evolve to overcome the pressure being exerted on him. Or would it be able to become unto like slime and ooze away from the area of influence.
And Shy Guy. Nothing has been shown to ever stop it during an event. The only method is to kill the thing it is hunting before it becomes an uncontrollable memetic effect. Would it just straight up brace against the force and push through?
I think the ambiguity there is fun, honestly, especially in a book with a hell of a lot of ambiguity
I was wishing there were six shorter blog post chapters (one for each episode of the show), that maybe kept some things a bit more private a bit longer
There was an attempt to terminate 682 with a device that had total control of the laws of physics inside an attached chamber. It had a grand old time.
The voice in those was just grating and over the top, like a parody of the way teens talk on the Internet
It's a shame, because the idea of the narrator attempting to see the show from a third person perspective is a great one
STEAM
What the buh
Yes. Yes they are. Colour Out of Space and The Dunwhich Horror are creepy as hell.
possibly new favourite SCP here. Partly because of the world building on an existing entry (SCP 231, one of the more well-known fucked up entries) but mostly because of the story telling through formatting. I don't think I've seen another SCP entry that mimics the different formats of viewing entries based on security clearance. That's super cool.
Also a band made a song about these entries I guess
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.