Getting Started with Horror Fiction: 5 Scary Books You Have to Read

[@AdamCesare]

Been almost three years since recording this video, have done a bunch of book recommendation videos before and since. Here's a playlist of the more recent stuff: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3-agZVofNuboJI

[@judehansensss]

Stephen king changed my life, I am 14 and have read around 10 of his books. Romance has never been a big topic for me so horror and thriller, suspense and phsycological are really refreshing!

[@Johnnymagnet92]

Try Richard Matheson's Earthbound. It's an erotic ghost story.

[@ohmybread1546]

Laniakea2203 what’s it about?

[@SysterYster]

If the language isn't too hard, Try H.P. Lovecraft. I loved to read his books and short stories as a teenager. :) Though I was a few years older than you then.

[@arisistance1006]

Laniakea2203 they’re 14, that’s not appropriate.

[@Rotten-Subhuman-Indian-Filth]

Stephen king is overrated and crap

[@marril96]

The books school gave us were horrible and I hated reading because of them. Then, at 14, I discovered R. L. Stine's Dear Diary, I'm Dead, and I was hooked! I owe it all to mr. Stine!

[@travishund194]

Mine was "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" (Book #1) by Alvin Schwartz. I remeber the art in that captivating my curiosity of obscure and scary things like nothing other.

[@treg.2189]

Yes!! goosebumps was my SHIT

[@catfishbilly9191]

Met him when I was kid I grew up on goosebumps love stines books

[@gabrielaestrada2663]

Mariana Sertić goosebumbs made me read alot

[@sirciscoreads2246]

Goosebumps is definitely what got me into reading id breeze through them so quick ... I just loved them

[@kelseyyrenee]

This may sound cheesy but you’re the person that got me into reading again! I was an obsessive reader as a kid but by the time high school and college textbooks came around it kind of killed my will to focus on reading at all. I eventually decided I wanted to read horror but I didn’t really start until my sister and I met you at a convention. I’m still getting my toes wet with this stuff so I’ll have to check out the books you’ve mentioned.

[@AdamCesare]

Maybe my all time favorite comment, Kelsey. Thank you. Seeing you and Sam every year is one of the highlights of Rock and Shock. You've been so cool and supportive and it makes me really happy that I was able to lure you back to books (oh I can 100% empathize with post-college burnout on reading).

[@manny6125]

kelseyyrenee SAME!

[@kelviannaepperson3677]

One of my professors wrote their own text book and it was good read. In junior high was when I started reading a lot

[@SuperMarksman33]

I'm 57, I read my first Stephen King mid 70s and man I was hooked, you name them I read them, being a huge fan of Horror movies I watched every King novel adapted for the screen, either made for tv or full blown movie status, some great some so-so. Somewhere round the early 90s I started going off King. I was really disappointed at the time because a few of my other horror writer faves were changing the genre they wrote as well and I felt I was being deserted by people I had come to love. McCammon being one and Neil Gaiman for another , several more actually. I happened to be in my local library a few weeks ago and saw Kings "Dr Sleep " sitting there. I thought " Hell what have I got to lose " Man it was like I was a young adult again reading King for the first time, it reminded me why I loved his work in the first place. I'm back Mr King. Thanks.

[@AdamCesare]

I love this story. Have you ready 11/22/63? My favorite of the more recent King books.

[@SuperMarksman33]

@@AdamCesare Yes just recently, another great one. All the best.

[@06385sheri]

I can relate to your story. I had a very similar experience. I saw "Dr Sleep" in the public library also and I sat down to read it and had it finished within 3 days. I loved it so much. I loved Joe Hills's NOS4A2 just as much, however, I'm extremely disappointed in the tv show. Happy Reading to you SuperMarksman33.

[@mickey6275]

The Talisman is pretty good.

[@mikebarnes7441]

Read The Institute by King yet? Its a must

[@treg.2189]

Goosebumps! I was reading them before I even started grade school

[@lina-rp8tr]

can u even read before grade school?

[@dylandog5225]

imLina yes?

[@18iole]

I still read them and have the entire collection 🖤 Love them so much

[@sideshow00]

Same

[@AikiraBeats]

I watched the movies rather than the books

[@AfterShock-vu6ug]

“The Books of Blood” by Clive Barker. Talk about crazy. I was hooked on Horror fiction after I read that.

[@Will.C.]

That's a good one.

[@mgk0586]

The Hellbound Heart for me

[@the.angry.ginger.gaming5801]

I used to like reading in 1st grade but then a program at school kind of ruined reading for me. Then about a year ago I was in a library and grabbed a random book off the shelf that book was pet sematary. Now i read so much I finished IT in a week as an eighth grader.

[@brenthunter5078]

Ya know, in his early career Stephen King was a school teacher. I believe it was seventh grade English. His wife actually fished Carrie out of the trash. He didn't think it was good.Lol, I guess I'm just full of Stephen King trivia, because I've read his book On Writing, I read the details at the beginning and ends of the books, he seems like a really friendly guy.As far as Adam's question, I have been in to reading since early elementary school. I am totally blind and was involved in a program called the talking books program. Volunteers record books on tape which are available at the public library. They have switched to a little electronic player now, and they have a lot more titles, because they are including mass produced audiobooks from the major audio publishers and simply adapting them to their machines. Of course, I got off easy not having to actually read. I got to listen to all my books, but I do love stories. I like to write also. I do mainly short stories, because I'm basicly too lazy to write a novel, but I do enjoy that also.

[@chrisw6164]

I always recommend The Mailman or The Association by Bentley Little for people new to horror fiction.

[@chelmull8911]

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" really sticks out in my mind as something that got me reading. I was very fortunate, though, my parents raised me with books, so I always enjoyed reading.

[@PaperbackMania]

god bless you for promoting literacy among horror fans, Adam. What you're doing is incredibly important. The book that really got me back into reading, in middle school, was Clive Barker's The Thief of Always. Later in life, it was Stephen King's Four Past Midnight, which rekindled my love of reading.

[@AdamCesare]

Thank you for the kind words, Montese. My efforts are kind of self-serving, because if folks aren't reading I'm kind of out of a job, but I am in 100% agreement with you.

[@cashguyus]

The thief of always is absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.

[@willa5551]

Hey, its the paperback maniac!

[@hulldrummer4403]

The Bell witch story scared the crap out of me when I was a kid and ever since then I've been hooked on horror.

[@paulm.6818]

The book that got me into reading was Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.

[@AikiraBeats]

I had to read that for middle school and do a paper on the movie for it

[@aydenjames4295]

The book that got into just reading in general was Misery by Stephen King. It’s hand down the best book I’ve ever read.

[@AdamCesare]

One of my all time favorites of King.

[@linearman0245]

Goosebumps and The House on Mango Street were the ones that got me reading. 5 Intros for Gateway Readers: - The Troop (it is perfect for anyone wanting to get into horror in general) - The Fog (for anyone who wants to see the origins of works such as 28 Days Later and Crossed) - The Light at The End (a snappy horror novel for punks) - Revival (anyone who wants Lovecraftian horror, but is sick of Lovecraft) - V-Wars (anyone who likes vampires, but despises Twilight)

[@gabrielaestrada2663]

linearman0245 goosebumbs is so so so so so so so so so so so goooooooooooooooooooood.Im a huge huge fan

[@andrewebbs3157]

“Pet sematary” by Stephen king got me into reading.

[@ГенриЧинаски-ю1ч]

Same

[@nadiamiriam594]

S A M E

[@mgk0586]

Scary book

[@alexandernorman5337]

One of King's best!

[@vina36]

SAME

[@BooksInFive]

As usual, thank you thank you for the recommendations. I’ve been meaning to read Full Dark, No Stars. It’s been on my shelf for too long!

[@AdamCesare]

It's now ripened on the shelf! It will read even better!

[@jimmythekiller8148]

The book/books that got me into reading as a kid was scary stories followed by more scary stories! Those books will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@arisistance1006]

jimmy the killer yessss!!!

[@moecrouse1790]

Im so glad you mention full dark no stars !!! its one of my favorites!!

[@rogersjgregory]

The book that got me into reading, was Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. After reading that and the other books, it made me want to be a writer. Now I am.

[@coreyklauder7998]

The book that got me into reading was actually The Harry Potter Series. The books that got me into horror was actually the Goosebumps series, which I started reading not long after Harry Potter

[@alexferland101]

When I was about 7 years old, I got Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and a few Goosebumps books. After a whole bunch of those, I moved right to Stephen King and it's been true love ever since

[@AdamCesare]

LOVE Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I'm sure in a few more years it'll become apparent how influential that was on people around our age.

[@zoey__m]

I've been reading since I remember myself so I can't really say what first got me to reading as a child, but I certainly was reading Le Petit Nicolas avidly. Then, as a teen, of course it was Harry Potter and some cheesy young-adult fantasy series I don't really wish to remember. Now, as an adult, I am divided between my love for horror and classic books.

[@devonmay5960]

It was Roald Dahl's books that got me into reading, I think I was about 9 or 10. I've always loved how wacky and imaginative his books are. I love them all and struggle to pick favourites out, but I love 'The twits' and 'George's marvellous medicine' and ''The Witches' Now I find them a light quick read I can get through quickly and have more than once gotten me out of a reading slump

[@OwlCookie4]

Devon Machin I love Roald Dahl’s Books as well, my favourites are Matilda and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

[@Ryan_omalley04]

I would read the occasional book every now and the but as a kid Percy Jackson really got me into reading

[@garbgegal77]

R.L. Stine got me into reading when I was young, then reading Stephen King kicked in my full-blown horror fiction addiction. Right now, I'm really into Robert McCammon 😍 and I love Ania Ahlborn's books, Brother is one of my favorites but (in my opinion) The Devil Crept In tops it.

[@AdamCesare]

I've def got more Ahlborn on my pile now, probably bumping DEVIL to the top. Thanks! And I was the perfect age to be all about R.L. Stine.

[@josephfranco2524]

I got full into reading again after reading Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show.

[@bugfrog5765]

what about the call of Cthulhu? this is very interesting horror book

[@c.dub6721]

It really is.. But Lovecraft is pretty tough to get into for new horror readers

[@isaaclim3348]

C. Dubbeldam I’ve only read at the mountains of madness and found it unbelievably stale

[@deepspacedruid7673]

it's also pretty racist.

[@shluv87]

The book that really blossomed my love of reading was Hold Still by Nina LaCour. Something about it just grasped me so tightly that I never wanted to let go. It hurt, but I realized that I understood that hurt. It’s a wonderful book.

[@Vixxing21]

Everything by H.P Lovecraft is a must for horrorfans

[@TrackerRoo]

His dry, ye olde style is hardly a must. I'm a fantasy fan and I cant stand Tolkien's dry, tired, boring way of meandering through a story. I've yet to read Fellowship all the way through because it just sucks the fun out of you. Best for people to get into stories written in modern times, then, if they wish, go back to those antiquated tomes.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

We must keep in mind that he is an acquired taste that someone should sample, then dive in if it tastes great. And of course Mr. Lovecraft is for grownups because some of his writing will be too heady and chilling for kids. Just throwing my two cents in. For a diehard horror consumer, his cosmic macabre stuff is totally enjoyable.

[@koffieverslaafde627]

Nao Shadowpaws i’m rereading lotr atm. I love the way he writes lmao, it’s different from what i’m used to, and it’s “fancy”

[@toomuchradiation99]

What would you recommend me to read from H.P. Lovecraft? Im getting into classic horror, like Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. ive read some Edgar Allan Poe but havent touched a single book about Lovecraft, I know he writes short stories but I really dont know where to start or what are his best books.

[@koffieverslaafde627]

Daniel Brito im new too, im starting with call of cthulu

[@glenguldbeckmusic3410]

This if the first video of yours that I've watched. I love your passion and love the fact that you're getting people excited about reading in the horror genre. Cheers to you!!!

[@1958darkstar]

I am Legend is written in the first person. That’s my favorite kind of book. Check out the original book that Willard was based on called The Ratman’s Notebook. Another great first person read is Whitney Strieber’s Billy which is about a mental kidnapper and his hostage a small boy. The book goes one chapter the kidnapper, the next is the hostage, etc...

[@AdamCesare]

I actually have a movie tie in version of THE RATMAN’S NOTEBOOK, I think. Have to dig it out!

[@traci3868]

I've read a lot of horror and I've watched a lot of horror, but I have trouble with I Am Legend. I'm not here to say it's a bad book, because I haven't read enough of it to make a conclusion like that. I've had it in my hands three times from the library and each time I can't get very far into it before I'm just incredibly bored and have trouble picking it back up again. I think the problem is that I have trouble with isolation stories in general and the fact that the book starts out with him totally alone and doing his own thing except for when his neighbors and friends come out at night to try to get him to come outside so they can attack him is what the problem is. I know that eventually it'll move beyond that but getting to that point is a struggle for me. I have watched the Will Smith version and the Vincent Price version, though. I don't remember much from the Will Smith version. The only thing I remember from that is that I watched it. So, I guess it didn't make much of an impression on me. But, I *loved* the Vincent Price version. Haven't seen the other one. I'm still committed to trying again with the book, though.

[@granteaton8988]

I wish I had an English teacher like you in high school. I’m a freshman in college now and I have always loved horror fiction. I don’t devour anything else like I do horror. School made me believe I was a poor reader, slow and stupid. However, when I read what I love, I breeze through it and gobble it up. I can sense your passion for literature and love for students.

[@alidathebooks806]

The book that got me into reading was Where The Red Fern Grows! I read it in 5th Grade and have loved reading since then!

[@flynnf7767]

The book that got me into reading was Stephen kings ‘IT’ it’s a very good book!🎈

[@Mike82ARP]

I'm 65, so my books that got me reading were the Hardy Boys. In high school, it was H P Lovecraft that got me into horror

[@edienandy]

Lol I remember reading the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in the very late 90s when I learned to read. Good times

[@levispinks2458]

I just finished Brother. I really enjoyed that story of that trope of family from as you say an innocent point of view. Funny how it makes you think differently about those families in scary films. The ending blew my mind!

[@CloverRose]

The only Stephen King book that creeped me out was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordan. There's a part in that book that made me feel very uneasy.

[@AdamCesare]

I read it on a plane straight through the year it came out, but remember very little about it other than that I enjoyed!

[@valentinavivas5298]

When I was a little girl, my aunt used to spend a lot of time reading children stories to me and as growing up, I started to read them by myself. I remember that I truly enjoyed The Little Prince and The Knight in Rusty Armor at 10 or so. But I started to read as an habit with teenage books with a lot or drama or romance, that kind stuff. And one day I picked up a S.K book (Misery) just out of curiosity and omg, it was a new level! Now at 20 I can't stand romance books, but always read Horror, Thriller or Fantasy. I'm very happy that I didn't stop reading even though there's no as much time to do it as I'd want to.

[@riripari2042]

As a kid the book that got me into loving to read was this little chapter book about a puppy that went on to be a service animal. It had a cute cover picture of an adorable puppy and I bought it just like that. I found out that it had no pictures in it whatsoever, but wanted to read about the puppy so I read it all the way through. It was my first chapter book as a little kid and I didn't regret it. It was apart of a series so I read a few more different stories about dogs here and there. From there I stumbled upon the Tinkerbell book series that was different from the movies. Then one day I stumbled upon R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series and truly fell in love.

[@speculativemagpie6160]

I grew up over seas. There was a series of Horror Books for kids back in the late 80's called Dark Forces. They had one called The Game about Ouija boards. I read that and then bought all the books in the series. I loved them, and would love to find them again.

[@AdamCesare]

I’ve seen the covers for these! They looked great!

[@speculativemagpie6160]

@@AdamCesare That was so long ago for me. I remember them as being awesome. But were they? I have no idea. LOL

[@nayr7085]

The book that got me into reading again is percy jackson. Like ofc during quarantine I was bored and I saw perfect jackson movie again and then I realize it’s base on a book so I was like why not. Next thing I knew I read the whole series 😆 started reading more books which now I started getting my friends into books

[@DavidNasr]

I started resding a few years ago and the book that got me hooked was Stephen King's Carrie

[@winnie2379]

My oldest sister worked in the Children’s Dept of our local library in the late 60s. It was one of those cool Carnegie libraries with gorgeous architecture and an almost Gothic vibe. It was converted to a museum when the new library was built. Anyway, she would bring home the best children’s books for me, especially the Newberry and Caldecott winners. I read so many books, and it’s difficult to name just one that got me hooked. I do recall enjoying the Beezus & Ramona series, Henry Huggins, many biographies for children, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler...but The Witch of Blackbird Pond is the one that really made me take notice of historical fiction, and it had a protagonist with whom I connected. Now I’m a grownup reader with adult kids, both of whom are...wait for it....readers. And I’m so grateful and proud that they were bit by the literature bug as children too. The most gratifying book experience as a parent is when your kid gives you a book that they’ve chosen for you, based on the elements they know you enjoy, and you get to discuss after the read.

[@joethehobo89yt24]

The second you mentioned "Better Watch Out" it solidified these recommendations for me. Such an underrated and *fun* movie. Can't want to read some of these!

[@slider2754]

The book that got me back into reading was Carrie and It both by Stephen King.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Such a great video Adam! We just a Horror for Newbie episode on the podcast because so many people don't know where to start with the genre. I haven't read ANY of the 5 books you mentioned, so I clearly need to remedy that. I've been hearing amazing things about Brother so I was already on reading it, but your endorsement makes me want to pick it up right away. I hadn't heard of The Drive In before, but I certainly have to check it out if it's one of your favorites. The synopsis sounds really fun!

[@AdamCesare]

You're going to love the Drive In! I've def got to listen to that episode. Do you have a direct link to share with everyone?

[@miketufaro5915]

The book that got me into reading horror was either r l stine’s fear street: the confession or it was the executioners by John d Macdonald (which was adapted into two movies both named Cape Fear).

[@OneBrokenDove]

Child- The book that got me into reading when I was young was "Alanna the First Adventure" by Tamora Pierce. Teen- The book that expanded my reading outside fantasy was "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer. Adult- The book that got me into Horror was "Misery" by Stephen King.

[@AdamCesare]

Great way to list it! Because we definitely go through stages, as readers.

[@OneBrokenDove]

@@AdamCesare Thank you!!

[@ultimateazaan6968]

"The subtle art of not giving a fuck" by Mark Manson got me into reading

[@missourigreen051]

I was a huge reader throughout my childhood but then stopped reading books when I became an adult, so the book/novel that got me reading again as an adult is from author Bentley Little The Haunted. I ended up liking the book so much I decided to read another book from the same author which is The Store (still reading it and almost finished with it, and really liking it so far).

[@legendaryreader39]

The Maze Runner series is what got me into reading.

[@daturatheband]

me too

[@ErikSmith57]

As I listened to your introduction, I tried to think of what author I would recommend. The one name that jumped to the top of my brain was Richard Matheson. I did consider one of his short story collections, though. Stephen King is always hit or miss, for me. Always has been. But, on your recommendation, I will check out Full Dark, No Stars. At the risk of being unfriended, I will admit that I have never read Sarah Langan. If I had never read Lansdale, or The Drive-In, I would unfriend myself. Never heard of Brother. I'll have to give it a look. As for your question, unfortunately, I can't remember that far back. I do think my reading habits were formed because I was always grounded, and the only thing to do was read. (This was long before cable TV, home computers, and video games.)

[@AdamCesare]

Lol. You're in for a treat when you start reading Langan.

[@louisyank5326]

1922 is one of the most faithful and best adaptations of a Stephen King story, love it!

[@ThatIckyGuy]

I don't remember what book got me reading, but the book that got me reading adult fiction was The Lost World by Michael Crichton. I read it in the 8th grade.

[@sij6169]

Five more - 1. Woman in Black, Susan Hill 2. Haunted, Shaun Hutson 3. Haunting of Hill house - Shirley Jackson 4. Nocturnes - John Connolly 5. The Bible - Seriously if you take this stuff as actually true then it’s terrifying!!!

[@nomarnoland2966]

Haunting of hillhouse is terrible

[@sij6169]

Tv show is. The book is a classic

[@sij6169]

Tv show is. The book is a classic

[@nomarnoland2966]

@@sij6169 whaat? Quite the opposite! The show was awesome, the book ended terribly

[@nomarnoland2966]

Check out some darcy coates novels, folcroft ghosts was great

[@Ilostbestgirltoacar]

To be honest as typical as it is, Harry Potter is what made me start reading, I wanted to read it so much that I actually learned how to read in english before I even learned how to read in native french just to read it in it's original format, so basically I started my bookworm habits at a very young age

[@AdamCesare]

Wow! That's awesome, Jem. I was just a year or two too old to really key into Pottermania, but I love and respect the effect it had on a generation.

[@Kacims]

The book that really got me into reading was actually Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, which at the time I probably liked more than the actual Star Wars movies. Despite the fact I hardly ever read Star Wars books anymore, or Sci Fi in general honestly, Heir to the Empire will always hold the place as the book that made me into a reader.

[@deanwhite8230]

Cool

[@thenewtommyrockets1180]

I’m 13 turning 14 and I’ve fully read 7 of Stephen King’s novels including the Stand. Right now I’m a bit over 900 pages through IT, and what I’ve read so far, It is my favorite horror novel. Throughout the books I fully read, The Shining would be.

[@raindrop3391]

I'm so happy you mentioned "Brother" !! It's one of my favorite reads last year..😍🖤

[@leeroyjenkins5067]

Playing bloodborne and silent hill 2 really got me into reading

[@octaviovazquez543]

Its wild that game lore gets people into reading, and holy crap does from soft like lore descriptions in their games

[@stews9]

Been reading since age 3 but I vividly recall Brothers Grim, Hans Christian Anderson, and so on. Lots of Little Golden books. Can't say what book actually made me a reader. Probably my mother reading TO me. When I was 12 or so, she got me a copy of Pickwick Papers by Dickens for Easter, (I always got a book in my basket), and that floored me, just LOVED it. So I'd have to credit that one for my adult reading.

[@sunnyblueskies6505]

The book that got me into reading: age 10 - almost forty years ago! “James and the Giant Peach”. I was enthralled and still remember to this day the exhilaration every time I turned the page.

[@someokiedude9549]

Hmm...some good books to get you started in horror...let's see... Stephen King's early work, especially The Stand, Salem's Lot, and The Shining. Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Edgar Allan Poe's stories, especially The Tell Tale Heart or The Black Cat Richard Matheson's I Am Legend Harlan Ellison's I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream or A Boy and His Dog. Alvin Schwartz's Scary Tales To Tell In The Dark (the old editions, the art will scar you for life)

[@Vixxing21]

H.P Lovecraft dude...

[@christianmegachad2898]

@@Vixxing21 neither lovecraft nor i have no mouth and i nust scream would be an okay book for begginers. for lovecraft maybe something easy like dagon or shadow over insmouth

[@arisistance1006]

I loveddd the art from Alvin Schwartz books, to this day I love those books to this day.

[@ivanstayner8818]

I have been told that the book called "house of leaves" is the scariest horror book ever written. Idk if this is true.

[@absurd3694]

Hey i am planning to read it as i have heard many aweosme thgs about that book

[@FriskyDingo36]

It’s okay... a little over hyped if you ask me. Good read, but exhausting

[@careyatchison1348]

A very dense, difficult read. Not for everyone. I'm glad I read it but it has about a million pages...

[@chrissybrooks7770]

I've tried reading it 3 times and I just can't get into it for some reason the way it was written makes it hard for me to get around

[@ivanstayner8818]

@@chrissybrooks7770 That's a shame. I have book the like that. You try your hardest but just can't seem to get into the book.

[@crackerass8379]

OMG WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BRAM STOKERS DRACULA GUYS THATS A G R E A T BOOK

[@thriddoctor]

1. The Pike by Cliff Twemlow (an English, freshwater Jaws) 2. Dragon by William Schoell (sick of vampires and zombies? Dragons are the ultimate monster and underused in horror) 3. Slither by John Halkin (a plague of flesh eating, snake like lizards terrorizes the UK) 4. Stallo by Stefan Spjut (all those norse stories of trolls were true!) 5. The Great Zoo of China (a kind of horror version of Jurassic Park with dragons replacing dinosaurs)

[@interestingmouse9961]

I jumped into the deep end starting with "IT". I'm glad I did, horror is now my favorite genre, and there's not a ton that I can't read now.

[@niriop]

Currently reading King’s Skeleton Crew (by and large good stuff) and just read the beginning of Matheson’s I Am Legend (which has been sat on my shelf for the past ten years, yellowing unread). Also recently finally read Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, which I would definitely NOT read as a first horror novel, but was pretty good. As to short novels for beginners of horror I’d recommend King’s Carrie (still a classic) and Barker’s The Hellbound Heart (up there with de Maupassant’s The Horla as one of the few horror stories to genuinely scare me). My level of horror experience is still quite poor though.

[@AdamCesare]

Very good recs! And I'm so glad you qualified Lovecraft with "definitely NOT a first horror novel". I get goth kids (teenagers) who come up to my table at cons and say "Lovecraft" when I ask them what they like to read but won't elaborate any further when pressed. And I was a teenager not long ago, I know what it's like, the posturing and the desire to be taken seriously by adults, but it's like "get outta here with that, you either DO read it and you're miserable or you don't read and you're covering with what you think I want to hear."

[@niriop]

I was exactly the same, trying to write Cthulhu Mythos stories at 16, striving to incorporate references to this and that story that I was too impatient to actually sit down and read. My own Lovecraft experience is still quite poor however. I recently purchased the three volume Omnibus editions so at least I'd have a fair amount Lovecraft on the shelf ready, but annoyingly they don't have everything he wrote.

[@Lewcifer586]

I read night shift and it when I was 11 or 12. Been hooked on horror since. Collected and I've read lots of king and koontz, Barker, Matheson, lovecraft, Poe, little, laymon, lumley, McCammon, ketchum, Masterson and so much more.

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

Reading IT by Stephen King is a good start for horror but the length of it is tremendously long and that's what makes it so good. It doesn't feel rushed at all, like most towards the end. IT is easy read and not too complicated. I just completed multiple books, I AM Legend book is amazing. Seemed a bit rushed towards the end. Love reading and fighting, being studying martial arts for years. Room 1408 is great too!

[@charmenietraumtor5671]

The Neverending Story by Ende got me into reading for an escape into fantasy when mom read it to me and I tried in vain to read it on my own too when I was little. But I really started to read in general by teaching myself to read Where The Wild Things Are and some fairy tales. I was able to read books on my own before entering school, I was something of an advanced level in reading throughout childhood. Out here reading King in fifth grade, getting the best scores on amount of books read. But nowdays I'm pathetic. I can't bring myself to focus on pages any more. Everything blurs and I feel like stupid trash.

[@scorpzero2245]

I can’t remember the first book I read but I always picked up horror books from the library when I was in elementary school.

[@Bizzarovid]

My picks for books to get people into the horror genre would probably be; 1. The beast house- Richard Laymon. This was the book that started me off readin paperback 80s horror its such an easy read and breezes through ticking all the boxes on the way. 2. The rats- James Herbert. A bit fusty and old fashioned feeling with it being a 70s British horror novel about a killer rat invasion, but that’s what so great, with the atmosphere of a amicus film on the written page and the perfect blend of humour and serious end of the world threat it all comes together to make a great little treat. 3. The rising- Brian Keene. Not quite straight zombies but it’s damn good! Once it turns into a road trip it becomes the kind of fiction where you love the characters in a genre where the characters usually take a backseat to the story it should also be read in partnership with its sequel city of the dead to form a coherent long novel! 4. City infernal- Edward lee. This ones for the person. Who’s willing to read something a bit more extreme, a bit more weird, and willing to tackle ed lees masterpiece of dark fantasy. The world presented in this novel is so realised and gruesome that you really don’t want to be there and the story is top notch with it almost being fantasy but through thee eyes of Edward lee, who if you enjoy this you should also check out!

[@kickster4u]

Penpal was the book that got me into reading for fun. It's a book meant for younger audiences, and I was 21 at the time, I could tell it was meant to startle young people, but I remember thinking the twists and turns the book took me really blew me away. The ending was awful, and I remember thinking "I bet I can find a better story with someone who actually knows how to write an ending." Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is my favorite book of all time though.

[@kerryplatt2545]

Brother is a fantastic book! What a lovely family those Morrows are lol!. I would definitely like to read more of Ania Ahlborn's books. I've heard Bird Box by Josh Malerman is a good horror book. I own it but haven't read it yet. And I love Stephen King! I've just recently watched the new IT movie, although I found that Tim Curry's Pennywise was far more scarier and creepier than Bill Skaarsgard's Pennywise!

[@ReadRemark]

To get all of your students to love a book is a HUGE feat! Adding Drive-In to me reading list right now.

[@AdamCesare]

It wasn't easy, but the book did a lot of the work! You're going to love The Drive-In!

[@LindseyMichelle35]

American Girl collection got me really hooked on reading back in elementary school! Cheesy but great books!

[@donttalktomebye]

as someone who was always into scary things as a kid, but never got to watch a lot of movies or read a lot..the way you have listed these out is extremely helpful! thank you!

[@eminemman4141]

I got into reading kinda late so I’d say George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire got me into reading, as well as A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

[@tristan6507]

A series of unfortunate events isn’t really horror

[@eminemman4141]

Tristan o_o Never said it was

[@SuperHappyFunBonny]

My brother forced me to read hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. So yeah that's where it all started

[@jonathanlee7877]

Check out pretty much anything by Clive Barker. He’s brilliant, with both his short story collections like the Books of Blood, his novellas like Hellbound Heart (which inspired Hellraiser, and his full length novels, such as Cabal.

[@AdamCesare]

Huge Barker fan.

[@anitacigarette]

I started out with Berenstein Bears. haha But when I was in middle school the first large book I read was the autobiography of Ryan White. That book really stuck with me, even the smell of it. I moved on to informative & horror after that, mostly Stephen King. Carrie will always be a favorite.

[@machAcab]

my 8th grade english teacher gave me I Am Legend to read after taking our yearly standardized tests to kill time. i loved it and finished it in 3 days. happy to see it on your list! amazing book

[@AdamCesare]

This makes me so happy, Joshua. I've taught it in a few classes and it's one of the few things I've found that *most* high schoolers want to read.

[@ciarajeanr]

I'm late to the party but it was Goosebumps. My mom used to read them to me at night and it gave me my love for horror. Still a constant reader to this day of horror. Thanks Mom :)

[@nilulal545]

R L stine was where i started and Kings book, first one i picked was Carrie...Watching your videos ive realized how many good horror books n movies r out there and i have been ordering lol cause i cant wait to read them. And to my suprise i didnt knew you were an author yourself so that was a pleasant surprise..I ordered 3 of your books Exponential, Video night, The summer job. Brother!! was good i read put the book down breath than came back to it!! Awesome review ⭐

[@tanninkline]

Found this video last night, now I'm three chapters into the I Am Legend audiobook 🔥 always was a fan of the film with Will Smith, but man is the book way better! Thank you for the recommendation.

[@sylvesterthekiibokinnie1637]

The books that got me into literature? Probably the Ronald Dahl children books like the BFG, Charlie and the giant peach and matilda

[@AdamCesare]

My wife's a huge fan and when we first started dating she had me read DANNY, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD because I wasn't familiar.

[@josgojiehyp2000]

The book that got me into reading was a children's book called "there's a boy in the girls bathroom" I also read a lot of Creepypasta, Tales from the Crypt, and Godzilla comics. Then I started getting into horror movies and eventually discovered Stephen King and I've been burning through horror novels ever since.

[@cursing_creations]

Definitely agree with I Am Legend. What an amazing book for being so short. I’ve read one Alborn book called Seed which I enjoyed.

[@gravestoneXD2]

The book that made me an avid reader is a horror book. Horns, I was in high school the movie was just announced, I saw the photo of Daniel Radcliff with the horns, it looked cool so I thought I'd check to see if the book was at the used bookstore in the local mall. It was, I bought and I remember distinctly reading in the back of my dads car unable to take my eyes away from the page, the second chapter with the donuts hooked me on the power of written words. And now years later, hundreds of dollars, and a overstuffed bookshelf later, l am still avidly reading

[@AdamCesare]

I love that book! Gotta say, I’m less enamored with the movie version, despite liking the director.

[@gravestoneXD2]

Yeah, same. It was a few years before the movie came out and yeah it wasn't that great. Glad it exists though because otherwise I don't think I would have found the book, and become a regular reader

[@chompachangas]

In early life I attended a private christian school. My parents were Jesus freaking reborns. In 1989 we moved and I started going to public school. In English class, we were assigned some Stephen King short stories from Skeleton Crew. My parents threw a fit and I was exempted from participating in the class discussion. It sucked. It was embarrassing. Now Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, and I've grown up to be a morally casual person and well adjusted.

[@enriquesanchez9016]

Christian people tend to be completely disconnected from reality.

[@kimberlygalvan4676]

Us Christians know that our time here on earth is only temporary and that God will welcome us to heaven when our time comes and will live their for eternity. We live our life to do the work of jesus christ and spreading the word of him. That doesnt mean we are "disconnected from reality".

[@chompachangas]

@@enriquesanchez9016 Nah, just the evangelicals and prosperity gospel people. They are bat-shit crazy.

[@sanriodeppressionthermos8602]

Holy fuck, i just finished silence of the lambs the book and now theres a hole in my heart that needs to be filled.

[@eyelessknights4274]

Why ?

[@Arsolon618]

The book that really got me into reading for pleasure was a Christmas gift from my dad, a paperback copy of The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. I followed that up with The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston, which is made even scarier by the fact that it's non-fiction, but written in the style of a novel. Great combo to read if you haven't yet!

[@AdamCesare]

Hot Zone I’m def going to look into.

[@mikefreeney3567]

Love the Pieces T-shirt bro!

[@DreamfactoryZero]

I noticed The Store by Bentley Little behind you. I'm almost done reading it. I'm enjoying it way more than I thought I would.

[@user-fp9ft2tb9g]

Im not into reading but I'd like to be and I love horror manga so I though why not

[@mollyg2323]

I was always a reader growing up but the Twilight series is what got me obsessed with books. It’s funny because now I prefer the horror, psychological thrillers and mystery genre. I can take or leave romance, lol.

[@ReadingRetail]

I’m living for your collection 📚 🎥 love it!