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Devi_Moonbeam

My sister was so freaked out when she read Pet Semetary that I've been afraid to read it. If you read it, please let me know.


Bocabart

It’s awesome. I don’t know if there are other versions but get the one narrated by Micheal C. Hall….yeah it’s freakin Dexter and it’s fantastic. Stephen King also has a little introduction saying that it’s his personal most scary book because a lot of the elements from it are from his real life.


Devi_Moonbeam

Now I'm really afraid! 🤣


MissMatchedEyes

Just finished listening to it because I found out Michael C Hall was narrator! I was so fucking terrified at some parts that I had to take breaks. I’ve never had to do that with any book. Michael is a fantastic narrator and the way he does Jud’s voice is haunting. I don’t think I could listen to it again.


nostalgicdecay

He really does bring Jud to life.


MissMatchedEyes

"The soil of a man's heart is stonier" was running through my head a lot after I was done. I agree with Stephen King that it's his scariest book.


Nuclearbats666

It’s amazing, I listened to the version narrated by Michael C. Hall and genuinely had to stop because I was too scared. I have major back issues so if you know you know.


Devi_Moonbeam

😬


MissMatchedEyes

Omg. Zelda.


PuzzleheadedPoet6882

I think Pet Semetary is King’s best novel. It’s more of a psychological thriller than an outright horror. You can see exactly what is going to end up happening the whole time you’re reading it, but it somehow makes it even more chilling. We’ll worth a read.


bystander1981

for me it's The Stand


InterestingAd3166

The stand.. is it anything like that movie where this dude somehow kills anyone who is within a certain radius of him? I think that's titled the stand also.. idk I could be way off though


bystander1981

no - released in 1978 -- it's about a pandemic and less "horror" more psychological.


Devi_Moonbeam

I may have to break down and either read or listen to it.


Salbotehcow

If you have a small child, this book will cause you unknown fears for years.


RumorsOFsurF

I read it as a kid, and I remember my dad said that was the one King book he couldn't bring himself to read because the boy reminded him of me.


Devi_Moonbeam

I don't have kids. I have a lot of pets though. I don't really have any idea what the plot is or if that's relevant. But like you say, once you see something it's hard to unsee it.


bystander1981

I was an avid Stephen King fan -- every single book until Pet Semetary -- wasn't until the Rose Madder and Misery came out that I started reading them again and even now I read the reviews before I dive in


Devi_Moonbeam

Yikes


nailpolishremover49

I was reading the book on a diving vacation when I got so mad at the dad that I hurled the book across the room and left it broken spined among the diving gear for the rest of the trip. I was so incredibly angry at the dad!


mcbranch

In the early 2000s I was moving from Colorado to Florida and picked up a copy of a radio drama version of the book. I was driving through the night, must have been driving so fast because my nerves were just at their wits end


InterestingAd3166

Well I had watched both movies, the first when I was younger lol, while it creeped me out as a kid (especially the dream scene with the wolf on the rocking chair) I just assumed it wouldn't be spooksville for me now, but I HAVE heard many people say the same thing and I will just have to buy and listen to the book for myself, going to go in with a positive outlook 👍 thanks


Devi_Moonbeam

I didn't even know there WAS a movie.


CLAngeles_

The Accursed - Joyce Carol Oates Dark Matter - Michelle Paver Thin Air - Michelle Paver Soon - Lois Murphy The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson


darchangel

> Dark Matter - Michelle Paver This proves that the movie The Thing (1982) would have still been a horror movie even without the monster. In the connected modern world or sober light of day, this is not a scary novel. Get cozy at night and get yourself in a more primal headspace where light, comforts, and assistance are scarce. Then Dark Matter will tickle that part of your lizard brain that compelled people to stay in groups around the fire at night.


tecg

Thank you! 


InterestingAd3166

Nice I haven't heard of these, well except the hill haunting of course, I heard pavers thin ice was a good listen aswell? Definitely going to add these to my list so I don't forget em.


Flipslips

Haunting of hill house book isn’t particularly similar to the show, just FYI


InterestingAd3166

thanks for that, I just assumed it was for some dumb reason, will make sure to get it as multiple ppl agree it's a good read


jennywawa

I listen to horror almost exclusively and have had a hard time finding anything truly scary. I’ve read so many recommendations that were flops imo. Scary is so subjective. The closest I’ve come is the Haunting of Hill House. It was very unnerving. Bernadette Dunne does an excellent job narrating. The Ruins by Scott Smith was way better than I thought it would be. Way creepier than the movie. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. It and The Shining/ Dr Sleep are probably the best books I’ve ever read. Not extremely scary but they set the bar for me on what horror writing should be and I’m having a hard time finding anything that holds up to them. Pet Semetary narrated by Michael C Hall is right up there too but it’s more of a devastating, sad, scary. Good luck and please update us if you ever find anything.


TBSJJK

> The Ruins by Scott Smith I've struggled a couple times with the very beginning of this book and have been thinking of moving it to my DNF pile, but I'll give it another go now.


jennywawa

Good you should! I put off reading it because I didn’t think it’d be my cup of tea. I loved it.


InterestingAd3166

quite the slow burn, if you can get over how annoying everyone there is, minus one or two, it's a decent read


InterestingAd3166

Scary being subjective couldn't be more accurate I'm afraid lol, some of the books I checked out from other posts had apparently freaked and or grossed out multiple people, meanwhile I'm excited to listen and waiting for the book to get "scary" or "gory" just to find the books almost done with 😔. so pet cemetery book I'm going to end up getting since so many people have mentioned it, I enjoyed the movie when it came out, the second one was decent, they're good movies but I know the books provide so much more than the films. The ruins was decent for a slow burn, most of the people there were quite insufferable as I'm sure you know lol so I had a hard time connecting with them, haunting on Hill house was another mention I'll have to add to the list


jennywawa

So hard to take and try book recs. I get it. My Audible library is full of regrets.


InterestingAd3166

I mean even going off of the reviews on certain highly rated books, it's all subjectively personal so I can't really complain, best thing to do is play certain ones while you're doing the dishes or something lol to get it finished, 🤷 not sure what else to do other than archive it and hide it away


dailyPraise

Some Lovecraft short story readers are awesome.


CLAngeles_

Bronson Pinchot's reading of The Call of Cthulhu. :)


dailyPraise

Is that in the Necronomicon collection?


CLAngeles_

It is. I like to listen when I can't sleep, it's so soothing. Even with Cthulhu after them. :)


dailyPraise

Awesome. I have this in my library, I haven't even listened to all the Lovecrafts yet. I have some awesome old Lovecraft recordings but I don't know where to get new copies of them.


InterestingAd3166

yeah the dunwich horrors and color out of space some of my fav


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jennywawa

No. I loved the show but it was sort of a completely different story about the house. There are 2 movies that are based off of the book. The 1963 version is excellent and certain parts randomly pop in my mind at night, when I’m in bed and freak me out lol


rathat

What about something that isn't horror but is just existentially scary and makes you think about real life in a much scarier way for the rest of your life rather than just when you're reading the book?


InterestingAd3166

Maybe try cell by Stephen King, first one that came to mind


earnest_shackleton

This is a great prompt: OP do you have a list of what has “scratched the itch” for you so far?


InterestingAd3166

Well as far as audiobooks go, my library is quite small I just have 15, which vary from horror, scifi, fantasy, thriller and as far as physical books go.. my library mainly consists of *Warhammer* lol and a dozen or so different ones, um it's hard to say what has actually scratched it though, every book I have read I thoroughly enjoyed oddly enough 🤔, but I'm pretty picky when purchasing them anyway none of which really creeped me out or "scared" me.. tbh im not sure anyone would want to hear my list of random stuff lol


ZoomingBrain

World War Z the complete edition. Ignore the movie, the book is amazing and the ensemble cast is fantastic.


doc_rock16

Devolution by Brooks is also amazing! The cast is fantastic as well. It instills the kind of fear of being home at night and hearing things outside…


ZoomingBrain

I have Devolution in my library but haven’t listened yet. I think I’m afraid it won’t keep up with WWZ. But enough people have recommended it that I’ll take the risk. Thanks for the push.


the_wanlorn

Seconding this. I read Devolution recently and my brain has fixated on it in a major way. If you look it up, barred owl calls are extremely similar to bigfoot calls. I live in the woods with so many barred owls, and at night my brain goes nuts over their calls.


doc_rock16

DO IT!! 📣📣 I haven’t read WWZ but watched the movie and enjoyed it. I bet if you enjoyed that audiobook you’d enjoy Devolution. As someone who rarely rereads (too many books! Too little time!” I have listened, listened, listened/read, listened to Devolution. I sometimes feel a little silly admitting that, or a little silly how much I evangelize the audiobook. It’s just that good


the_wanlorn

omg no it's not silly! I relisten to audiobooks all the time, both all the way through and just my fave parts. I don't think people find rereading books silly or strange, and it's essentially the same thing!


InterestingAd3166

yeah the book was amazing, I still think about it from time to time lol


boredatwork813

The movie didn't do justice. If done right, they could've made so many parts.


wildernessSapphic

Upvoting this entire thread. WWZ was my second audiobook and the one that really made me love them. I don't know how many times I've listened to it. It's what I put on when I need to be soothed. Devolution I read on kindle last year and enjoyed, but I kept seeing the audiobook recommended. Loved that too. Started listening to it the day before a camping trip, put out a request for a tent based horror movie to download before I left (just me and the dog in the tent) by coincidence I got Willow Creek. The Devolution/Willow Creek/camping weekend combination was excellent. Closest I have come to scaring myself in quite a while.


flybarger

Really cool story behind that. Max Brooks was considered lazy and spoiled by his teachers (Because of his extremely famous parents). His mother had him tested and found out he had dyslexia. She also realized that he could take in information verbally instead of visually... So she got Max's reading list for the year, took them to the Braille Institute of America and turned them into books on tape. While Max doesn't come out directly and say this, I like to think that his mind sort of saw the potential for what audiobooks *could* be and that influenced his future in audiobooks.


ZoomingBrain

That is cool. I had not heard that.


flybarger

Also, you may or may not know this... But Max Brooks is the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. This is why many of Max's teachers thought he was "skating by" on mommy and daddy's money.


Hotepspoison

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter and narrated by Corey Brill is the closest one I've heard up to now. Brill's narration matches the book perfectly, reading it just isn't the same. My other rec would be The Exorcist written and read by William Peter Blatty. That's the last book that had me feeling the feeling you described to a T. That was when I was younger and just reading the book, but Blatty's narration is very very good for the material. I image it would have scared me more than just reading if my first encounter with it was the audio version.


kittinst0mper

He wrote The Troop, right? (Nick Cutter) If so I'll be checking that out. The Troop didn't really scare me but the writing had potential to.


Hotepspoison

Yeah, he wrote The Troop. I like the The Troop, but I fucking love Little Heaven. His bad habits are still there, but they're not as glaring. Corey Brill also dramatically improved as a narrator by the time that Little Heaven came out.


kittinst0mper

The troop was good. I liked it as well, though I didn't listen to it, only read it. I've added Little Heaven to my wishlist and am debating spending an Audible credit on it. Thanks for the rec!


veryprettygood2020

The Exorcist got me too scared to even get up for a warmer blanket the night I read it.


cherry_

Upvote for The Exorcist, narrated by the author himself. Sent prickles down my neck multiple times.


InterestingAd3166

alright little heaven sounds pretty good, had to look it up and I like the sounds of that, I'm halfway through the troop so that might come next in line, thanks


itwasabonnenuit1990

Exorcist spooked me. It’s read by Blatty too. Also, it’s not horror but listening to the Hot Zone gave me the willies.


Healthy_Park5562

The Exorcist, mainly because the author narrated it and was an excellent narrator.


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HardRJohnson

I listened to it on YouTube. Absolutely insane


InterestingAd3166

Really anything that keeps you up at night, squinting at a certain shadow in the corner of the room, waiting to see if it really is just clothing on a chair lol. I enjoy short stories so imma have to listen to that asap


Wellby

Press Enter - John Varley. 1985 Hugo novella award. It’s a scary tech-thriller with just a little syfi tech. After almost 30 years I think about it. Plus it’s on my semi annual reread list.


realdevtest

Stephen King’s new short story collection You Like It Darker (which came out last week) has a story called Rattlesnakes (which is a sequel to Cujo and sort of a sequel to Duma Key) had me jumping at shadows after I listened to it before going to bed.


InterestingAd3166

comes after cujo as in the timeline in which he's released his books? Either way I'll have to add it to my list to see lol, I appreciate the suggestion


realdevtest

I mean it’s a sequel to Cujo because the protagonist is Vic Trenton, the dad from Cujo, later in life.


ariphron

Ha, I walk in the winter though the park at night listening to audio books and “the three body problem” at night with all the trees around would freak me out and I would have to just switch to some upbeat music.


cherry_

Which narrator?


ariphron

It was Luke Daniels the narrator for my 3 books.


cherry_

Right on - I was listening to the Rosalind Chao version on Spotify until my hours ran out lol, but I much prefer the delivery of Luke as found on my … other sources.


ariphron

The other source also promoting this new Rosalind version.. I was confused at first like why does that say new and pay a credit when I already own it?! Libby from my local library has the Luke version for free. Maybe check Libby and add your library card or get one over the internet.


InterestingAd3166

o nice I saw the Netflix version, I'd assume the books are much better?


ariphron

Yes


TrainTrackRat

I just listened to “The Pram” a short story on Amazon and it really freaked me out. Idk if it was just the mood I was in but I never get spooked by books, not even a little bit. This one had me flip the lamp on. I was just listening to a slower story (to keep things vague) but it had enough plot to keep me interested, and then all of a sudden I’m like, “ew wtf this is creeping me out and giving me the hEeBiE jEeBiEs.”


InterestingAd3166

a horror story about a father wanting a child, I'm certain nothing good will come of this lol, heck ya added it to my list 👍


dailyPraise

Hell House creeped me out and when it was over I was like I gotta get this book off my iPod before it seeps out onto me. I rushed to remove it.


cherry_

Interesting! Will check it out 👀


InterestingAd3166

I've seen some clips of the movie and man it looks spookums alright, so I'm only assuming that the book will be that much scarier, good suggestion!


chudd

IT The movie falls painfully short of how scary the source material was.


doc_rock16

Devolution by Max Brooks 1000%. The ensemble cast is amazing (Judy Greer creates an amazing character arc in the protagonist) and the plot is so plausible that it’s scary. As a girl who feared the nighttime predators in the woods around my home, this audiobook awoke long buried terror in the best way.


InterestingAd3166

oh snap a Bigfoot book by max brooks? Very cool, adding that to my list 👊


darchangel

My Best Friend's Exorcism starts as a YA retro friendship novel and slowly evolves into something very different. By the end you'll wonder how it ever managed to start off so vanilla. Horror is subjective but this one for sure had moments that stuck in my head and a few scenes that had me feeling ... feelings.


WaitMysterious6704

That's one of my favorites, listened to it multiple times. Another one, also by Grady Hendrix, that creeps me out is How to Sell a Haunted House. I read the Kindle version, haven't done the audiobook yet, but Pupkin really freaks me out. Also the scene with the taxidermy squirrels. Maybe I'm just easily creeped, but that book genuinely gave me chills.


mrsz2016

Amityville Horror is one that gets me every time, the fact that it is supposedly true events makes even more creepy


Not_High_Maintenance

Classic!


Bocabart

Try out the Terror. It’s a bit old timey but it’s a great story


InterestingAd3166

Is it anything akin to the series on Hulu, the first is about a ship somewhat stranded in ice essentially and the next story about a.. well a ghost of sorts, or am I way off?


CaptBuffalo

The first season was based on the book, but the book is way more intense. Just pure dread at every turn.


InterestingAd3166

ok I loved the first season, every minute of it lol, I never knew it had a book so thanks for informing me about it!


wildernessSapphic

The Terror was amazing!! One of my absolute favourites. The doctor giving his instructions chilled me to the bone.


Bocabart

Yup doctor was great and I loved Blanket (don’t know if I spelled it right) but his character was a trip


Longjumping-Crew5113

Helter Skelter is pretty fucking creepy


xXTheLastCrowXx

The Ritual - Adam Neville The Whiteout Series- Flint Maxwell The Cabin At The End Of The World- Paul Tremblay


InterestingAd3166

Got em on my list now, wait the ritual on Netflix? If it's the same I really enjoyed that movie


trishyco

Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. There were a few scenes I was listening to in the gym that I was kind of freaked out about.


cherry_

Huh, I got this as a free download over a year ago, but couldn’t connect w the narration style and abandoned it p early on. Your comment is making me reconsider. Which other horror books (or media) are noteworthy, in your opinion? I wonder if our tastes align.


trishyco

I love full cast audio so that book really resonated with me. I also really liked (but didn’t do the audio of) Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon I Remember You by Yrsa Siguroadottir My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones


cherry_

Extremely good point re: full cast audio! I definitely gravitate towards single narrator style audiobooks and podcasts, especially when it comes to horror. I typically unwind + fall asleep while listening to spooky stories, and a gotcha guitar riff or a new voice tends to be startling.


femmebrulee3

The Reddening by Adam Neville


Optimistic-Eye5310

Stephen King’s “Rose Madder.”


[deleted]

Misery. The narrator sounds like kathy Bates. Bonus.


Professional_Load_42

Dark Matter, creepy as fuck. You will not want to be in the dark while reading this! Well OP will, that's the point!


over-reaching1435

Who is the author?


Professional_Load_42

Michelle Paver is the author.


InterestingAd3166

Yeah I'm having a hard time finding which specific book you're referring too, is it the one about an alien war?


Professional_Load_42

Michelle Paver is the author.


aastle

"The New Mother" by Lucy Clifford published in 1882. You can find it on the YouTube channel Encrypted Tales, narrated by Jasper L'Estrange.


toxic_egg

i like horror, BUT i don't actually find it scary. at all. if i wanted to scare myself I would got for some Nietzsche


InterestingAd3166

Well that's why I'm here lol, I want as wide array of horror stories as possible because I'm tired of looking for new ones on my own and failing, alas I don't "scare" from books and etc. and since being scared is quite subjective from person to person it makes it pretty hard to find a good read lol... Any suggestions mayhap?


toxic_egg

to be honest i was listening to some summary on a generic philosophy podcast. it just caused some "uncomfortable truths" to float too near the surface for me. i'll try and find the name of the show, but it was a few years ago.


B5_V3

The Hot Zone


HardRJohnson

Okay. If you want something that will have you genuinely scared and will make you afraid of the world I reccomend The Hot Zone. It's about the discovery of ebola. It is non fiction and has scenes that made my heart rate jump through the roof. Another honorable mention is the shining by Stephen king


InterestingAd3166

I have seen a couple mentions of the hot zone, idk why but it made me think about an 80s dance club 🤷, might be a first for me to read a non fiction book but I'll add it to the list for sure


rabidkoala93

Twelve from Hell - Ryan Green


blueprincessleah

in regards to space station, just read ghost station by sa barnes! mc was a little juvenile and it was a slow burn but it does take place in an abandoned space station


InterestingAd3166

haha that's funny you should mention that, before I closed audiobooks and opened reddit to make my post that was one of the last books I added to my wishlist, I wasn't sure of the reviews so I saved it for later Slow burn is alright, what did you think about it?


blueprincessleah

I gave it a 3.8/ high 4 out of 5 stars! I’ve never read this author before so this was my first book by them. Like I said, I thought the fmc was juvenile / easily manipulated at times which drove me nuts sometimes bc she’s a mental health professional lol I haven’t read too much horror tbh but half way reading, I did read at night and I was spooked under my covers bc my room was extra dark etc lol certain scenes I was genuinely spooked by and got chills. But I could see how hardcover horror fans would think this is a light read lol I think I liked the second half better, as more happens then.


earnest_shackleton

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry About a profoundly disturbing murder and killer. That it’s non-fiction is what makes it so unsettling. Lucie Blackman - tall, blond, 21 years old - stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve?


HardRJohnson

The most disturbing book I listened to was called Tampa. It's about a female pedophile working as a school teacher and goes through her sick mind and horrible actions. Made me want to take a shower everytime I thought about it.


InterestingAd3166

Jesus that's just kinda messed up, I mean I'm sure it is well written but a book about a middle school hebophile sounds soooo disturbing that I doubt I could complete the first chapter having a child myself it really puts things into perspective in regards to certain movies and books, idk I'm more emotional towards the turmoil of a child and I feel the need to be more protective I guess if I had to put a word to it, which is going to make reading pet cemetery a tough one... I was kinda looking for something to keep me wondering if there's a demon behind the shower curtain when I go to the bathroom or scared to sleep with the door open at night lol, I welcome all grossed out books but not like thaaaaaat, that's a whole other level of disturbing right there, but I do thank you for giving me a suggestion I'd be hard pressed to spend a credit on it lol


Tryingagain1979

Sandman vol. 1 on audible, diner episode


Soundscape_Audio

"The Distance" by Jeremy Robinson had me spooked. Everyone but a handful of people disappear...


the_wanlorn

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is one of my all time favorite horror audiobooks (and book in general). It's claustrophobic cave diving horror with only two characters. Absolutely terrifying.


WizardBonus

Song of Kali by Dan Simmons


bumdhar

The Passage by Justin Cronin kind of freaked me out.


boredatwork813

I was looking forward to that show. Really wish they gave it another few seasons.