The Most Unsettling Sci-fi Books | The Horrors of Science Fiction

[@steveo20007]

Interesting fun fact: Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein during “the year without a summer” which was a 3 year stretch where a volcanic eruption pushed the earth into a frozen red-sky hellscape.

[@TheVaudevillain]

Yup. Was at a cabin retreat with Byron when it happened too. It inspired a lot of the bleak imagery for the both of them. The idea to write a horror wasn't from the weather though - a few campfire readings of German ghost stories prompted Byron to suggest a writing challenge where they'd dabble in penning a tale of the supernatural. The result was a short story Shelly would later expand and turn into Frankenstein, and Byron's Manfred (which Byron tells us is totally not based on Faust. What's Faust? Certainly never came up at all during the German storytelling sessions....)

[@eventhorizon2264]

Love Frankenstein and Mary Shelly

[@_Lust_]

Probably has something to do with why the book ends with death in a frozen waste land

[@Terroreyes-j8l]

Nice atmosphere for horror writing

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

3 years? That's crazy. I remember a few years back that Iceland volcano mucking up for a few weeks and it was chaos because airplanes couldn't fly

[@LimeofTheLord]

Ooh! Man made horrors beyond my comprehension!

[@Neoentrophy]

Ahh you don't need fiction for that, each and every news cycle brings you something new to be utterly horrified to the core by 😅

[@ben-ty9jo]

Beyond YOUR comprehension. I for one get the unfathomable horrors just fine

[@unavela]

​@@ben-ty9jothen they're fathomable

[@Teethmafia]

Actually Id call this “man-made horrors available for my comprehension”

[@no_problem8023]

Like 4 indictments! Inconceivable!

[@RichardWelter]

My favourite creepy sci-fi Stephen King is The Jaunt, not knowing what happens during a jaunt except that it is horrific enough to drive you mad is a terrifying idea.

[@tolitzrosel]

I think it's because NOTHING happens... it's like being locked in seeing nothing... being conscious for billions of years in limbo, seeing nothing, never dying from old age, no sights, no sounds, can't move... just blackness... anyone will go insane.

[@dalesajdak422]

Isn’t it just a horrifically long-lasting empty stasis where you’re conscious the whole time?

[@decayedparadigm]

I thought another author created the term the Jaunt when dealing with teleporting..I don't remember at all and I've read most of his books and short stories. Yet it's been awhile. I can almost remember detail by detail for everyone for his books.

[@RichardWelter]

@@decayedparadigm I also read somewhere that jaunting was used for transportation in a 50s or 60s story, don't remember the writer though.

[@9kyuu]

@@decayedparadigmthe term “jaunt” or “jaunting” in reference to teleportation originates from Alfred Bester’s 1957 novel “The Stars My Destination”.

[@extrantice]

possibly the worst thing, for me, about Hyperion, was subsequently learning that the Shrike was named after a real life bird with a very particular set of behaviours D=

[@ichmich9324]

Come one..... It is now even a civilization bird because some of them start to prefer fences over prickly trees or bushes

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

I knew beforehand, but only because of half-repressed memories of the British animated show "The Animals of Farthing Wood". Talk about childhood trauma!

[@SpacenSpooks]

If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.

[@GodOfWindSikar]

Funny thing is that in the czech translation, Shrike is called Scorpion, because czech word for shrike is ťuhýk, which is extremelly goofy sounding word.

[@Haruspex528]

​@@GodOfWindSikarthat's interesting haha, can you spell the word out phonetically so I can get an idea of how it sounds?

[@KHAT0VAR]

My personal favorite from Skeleton Crew was "The Jaunt." Very sci-fi and ultimately creepy. Might even hint at Todash Space.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Yes! I think "The Jaunt" might just be Stephen King's most underrated short story.

[@MySerpentine]

Longer than you think, dad! Longer than you think! (Longer than you think it is, or so long that you run out of thoughts? I always wondered.)

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@MySerpentine Still creeps me out thinking about it, whichever it is, which is what makes it such a great story.

[@hollychavezgalleryandposts]

The Jaunt and The Raft are my favorite short stories by him

[@thomash8079]

Survivor Type was his creepiest story for me, he did it without a single monster or supernatural event

[@summerkagan6049]

As horror goes " I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream" by Harlen Ellison is memorable. " A Colder War" by Charles Stross and "The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas" by Ursula K LeGuin and "Empire Star" by Samuel R Delaney all have elements of horror that have stuck with me.

[@slz987]

"I have no mouth and I must scream" for me is the scariest story I ever read in my entire life.

[@CaptainSpork7]

‘A Colder War’ is hands down one of the greatest Lovecraftian stories I’ve ever read. So bleak, so hopeless…

[@LucianTSkeptic]

@@slz987 Fun fact: "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is the most reprinted story in the English language.

[@spacebees86]

Was expecting a Three-Body shout-out but you've already talked a lot about it, and are the reason I read it. Death's End in particular was scary for me. Just,,, all of it. Existentially horrifying.

[@AdamGrier]

Same! Three Body Problem freaked me out.

[@anduril38]

Everything about the dimension strike scenes was freaky and chilling, such a great read.

[@spacebees86]

@@anduril38 We're in spoiler territory but it's one's own fault for opening the thread this far... The Fairy Tales freaked me out, because you feel the desperation in trying to explain something so complex through layers of metaphor. The false alarm was a hard read. What people are willing to do to each other to save themselves. But yeah, the "when will it stop?" "why would it stop" got to me. Like oh damn. Oh oh shit. And it's already happened before.

[@anduril38]

@@spacebees86 Yeah I probably should have thought that through :D loved the false alarm chapter as it was a rough sequence... then the real thing and everyone is standing there, broken and defeated... that was powerful.

[@spacebees86]

@@anduril38 People who don't want spoilers don't watch Quinn's videos until after they've read the books anyway. At least that's how I am. But yeah the collapse was intense, I had to go back and re-read some parts multiple times to try to picture it. Love the detail that, given the system's layout, they'd just use a different thing to get anyone hiding. Starry Night will never look the same to me

[@davidkleinman5002]

Ive been reading scifi for 50 plus years. I grew up in a house full of the classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Its great to have a literate and well read fellow to give me a network of books and ideas I havent come across. You and your channel are a great resource.

[@Sidtheriser07]

That sounds wonderful! I've had a fondness for the genre because of how it stretches human imagination. What books would you recommend, what stood out to you? So far I've read Hyperion, Dune, 1984, Children of Time

[@davidkleinman5002]

@@Sidtheriser07 definetly "The Three Body Problem" it epic.

[@williamhelgeland5762]

He is to me what oil is to murica 😂. (No offence). Quinn should be a mandatory YT channel to listen to weekly for all mankind. I could get deeper on that hill.

[@John-cf5im]

It is a blessing to grow up in a home where literature is important.

[@michaelstearns7544]

I think "Blood Child" the short story by Octavia Butler, was the most scary and gruesome story i have every read! Truly unbelievablely frighting!

[@helmutstransky3761]

Just read it, and liked it. So thank you for the recommendation!🙂

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Oh yeah, that one's great! Octavia Butler wrote some brilliantly twisted stuff.

[@frododododo]

Well that was gross

[@jlshel42]

Quinn, I was excited/scared when you said 1984. Read it in high school, again in college a few times…didn’t become terrifying until I worked in the US federal government for 14 years. The more life experience you have, the more some books just hit.

[@trashjash]

I'm just amused that he thinks we're not already at thoughtcrime levels. We don't have the mind-reading technology, but western governments have declared some basic forms of political beliefs as taboo and evil and if you side with anything not within their accepted political parameters, you're literally the result if Hitler and Satan had a baby. Might be due to the social conditioning, something he also states fearing. The scary thing about social conditioning is you don't really know it's happened to you unless you get a massive, reality-shattering kick in some manner, or just are accutely introspective and hungrier for truth than anything else.

[@winstonsmith6204]

It's one of my favorite books.

[@slizgi86]

What worth mention is the book called "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, that inspired Orwell to write 1984, it is very similar, just set in kind of Soviet Union s-f dystopia.

[@Severian1]

Glad you mentioned Gene Wolfe's masterpiece. Hopefully more people will give it a try. Definitely not for everyone but man, what a book. I love it so much.

[@jasonrhome710]

Seconded. This series gets better with each revisit. Some semi-spoilers to help accelerate the revelations jusssst a touch for new readers below. You can suss these out on your own, but it is a bit obfuscated. Still fun to puzzle out if you want. ... ... -This book is being translated by a manuscript "found" by Gene Wolf. There's some language usage that will need to be figured out through context, using both contemporary language and kinda proto-latin. Similar to the nadsat from A Clockwork Orange, There are appendixes at the end of the novels where Gene Wolf addresses his thought processes in the translation work that may recontextualize some passages. -Time dilation is important. -The "towers" Severian lives in at the beginning are defunct space rockets. That's how far into the future we're talking. -Severian is likely not as reliable a narrator as he says he is. And this probably a just me thing, but the main character's name is Sev-air-ee-en, not Sever-an. It got in my head incorrectly at some point and realizing I had been reading it wrong for a couple of years did some weird things to my connection with the book

[@kredonystus7768]

Urth is definitely a part of the original set and The Long Sun and the Short Sun are both excellent too.

[@dalellll]

it has everything. mad scientists, aliens, sword and sorcery, travelling performers, curses, witches, an animated empty spacesuit man... pure Halloween sci-fi.

[@louieBlaster]

​@@dalelllldon't forget time travel, multi dimensions and breaks tbe 4th wall

[@owensthilaire8189]

First tried to read it back in the '80s but I couldn't get into it. Bought it second hand about ten years ago and it is a very good book. Stuck with me a bit like a PKD tale would.

[@jake2011rt]

You cited Fascism here, but I think Orwell was speaking of totalitarianism in all of its forms. In fact, Stalin’s propaganda and information machine (and ideological suppression) would have been his easiest citation of the situation in the book playing out in real life.

[@dgage1776]

Leftists refuse to accept that the left is capable of tyranny

[@mr.dirtydannnnn]

This has nothing to do with what you said really, but obviously in America you learn about the propaganda of Stalin and how he controlled information, but by far the country with the greatest propaganda and information machine is the United States. A Soviet spy and a CIA agent meet up in a bar for a friendly drink "I have to admit, I'm always so impressed by Soviet propaganda. You really know how to get people worked up," the CIA agent says. "Thank you," the Soviet says. "We do our best but truly, it's nothing compared to American propaganda. Your people believe everything your state media tells them." The CIA agent drops his drink in shock and disgust. "Thank you friend, but you must be confused... There's no propaganda in America.""

[@dgage1776]

@mr.dirtydan3338 yeah, but we also have the highest standard of living, so you win some, you lose some. We're doing a lot better than most countries, most likely because of our violently overextended national security

[@mr.dirtydannnnn]

@@dgage1776 right, well we don't have the highest standard of living, we actually place 18th. It's not "win some lose some". we have been losing some and losing even more. Saying we are doing "alot better than other countries" means nothing when the USA is a big reason a lot of countries are doing so poor right now anyway

[@dgage1776]

@@mr.dirtydannnnn whatever list you're referring to is likely created by radical leftists, seeing as that makes up 98% of media and scientists

[@PC-ni6bp]

Love the Frankenstein shout out. Solid contender for my favorite book ever, no matter how much analysis and rereading I do with it, it always leaves me with more to think about

[@CrossfitSW]

The Gunslinger is one of my favorite books! The first line is perfect: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"

[@mymthegreyful]

I was so satisfied with " Gun Slinger " that it was years & years before i read the rest of the million and a half words of the story. Bonus ; usually when i look for a copy of The Gunslinger i use the ISBN of the first paperback edition so i can avoid the update to the story. It's his best work.

[@bobafettjr85]

What changes did he make from the original,

[@mymthegreyful]

@@bobafettjr85 the changes are listed in the introduction prolog to the updated versions. He aged Jake up a bit for one.

[@METALFREAK03]

The dark tower is also a film.

[@cristiankinzel9529]

@@METALFREAK03 nah

[@davidtatro7457]

​@bobafettjr85 no good changes, l promise you.

[@chrisspleit]

Halloween is my favorite season and with you providing some of my favorite content on KZbin, this made my day. Thanks Quinn!

[@tiduswhiteblade8535]

Quinn- I’ve commented before telling you that you’ve really turned me on to sci-fi reading. It started with the Three Body Problem. I read that based on one of your videos and absolutely loved it. Now I’m starting the first half of the Book of the New Sun. Thank you for having such awesome book recommendations. It came at just the right time. I’ve been wanting something new to read and now im jumping in. Thanks, mate. Keep up the awesome work. You’re spreading the good word about awesome books!

[@TheReaper1]

Production quality is insane! Another great video! Thank you for this Halloween Special!

[@TheMountainDemon]

Thanks for the Skeleton Crew nod! I also enjoyed how most of your choices evoke existential dread. That stuff is always fun. Thanks, Quinn!!!

[@joeclerkin2653]

The Dark Tower series is one of my all time favorite book series. The layers that King puts into it along with how it links to his other novels is well worth the time it takes to read all of them.

[@monsignorerasmus.6441]

I can say this reading the last dark tower books was one of the best things in my life.

[@narbwow8168]

@@monsignorerasmus.6441Because you were finally done with it, or because they were all so good? lol

[@monsignorerasmus.6441]

@@narbwow8168 both actually, the last book in the series took so long and took so much of my attention that when I finally finished I had no idea Michael Jackson had recently died. 🤣

[@jmarshal]

I’m not really a horror fan but I like to hear about the books out there. I like your opinions on the genre, that the scariest things are the unknown and the unfathomable, not just…a killer on the loose and slasher movies. Thanks for the great video!

[@bunkersnail9531]

I read Frankenstein a while back. Truly a great book. I was blown away by how it wasn't just some lumbering monster but more akin to a younger man who had been abandoned by both father and society. When he finally makes a friend, only to lose them. It breaks my heart.

[@xXBranflakeXx]

It makes me so happy to see The Passage get some attention. It is such a good trilogy!

[@hochebriones2]

The most disturbing story for me is not the “The Mist”. That one is a Winnie The Pooh adventure compared to the “Jaunt”. Imagine trapped without a body, just your thoughts in an endless field of white, fully conscious, for an eternity. Nothing Mr. King wrote is scarier than that. And nobody seems to realise it.

[@TheCaptnHammer]

I have read the entire dark tower series at least 7 times now. It is one of the best and most epic series I have ever read. Thanks so much for your videos. They are well thought out, narrated with eloquence and above and beyond what I expect from KZbin. You should be a literature professor. Happy Halloween!

[@christopherciolko2401]

"Longer than you think Dad!"

[@williamhelgeland5762]

Well, I've has. A comercial in Norway had a guy in a waitingroom that, had just came out of an elevator and was told to sit down and wait for his turn. He looks up at the demon behind the desk and asks for a newpaper called VG (Norways most popular newspaper). The demon shakes its head and the guy realise this is hell, always waiting blablabla. It would actually be worse than physical torture. I think maybe. Hope I wont find out.

[@davidkleinman5002]

It sounds like a vacation to me...

[@CubensisEnjoyer]

Came here for some recommendations and it made my day to see The Gunslinger as the first rec! So many great things to say about this book but my favorite quality is how perfectly the action parts flow. I always ended up reading more than I planned because if I hit an intense part, it felt unnatural to just put the book down. It gave me the same feeling I get when I play my favorite game of all time, Bloodborne. Completely surrounded by horror but you almost can't even fully take it in because your #1 priority at all times is staying alive. Such a satisfying read.

[@Statience]

Just started reading Hyperion for the first time. Loving it! I had never even heard of the series before I saw that you had made several videos on it. Now of course I understand that this is a very well known and appreciated series, it just happened to pass me by. But thank you for helping me find it!

[@helmutstransky3761]

All 4 books are great, sadly Dan Simmons could not hold the very high level after them.

[@Statience]

@@helmutstransky3761 C'est la vie Four great novels are more than plenty from one person. Dan Simmons really put his whole foot in when he wrote this

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@helmutstransky3761 I quite enjoyed "The Terror", apart from the fact that Simmons can't seem to write a realistic female character to save his life. But his semi-supernatural twist on what might have happened to the Franklin Expedition was quite good, and the miniseries with Jared Harris was excellent.

[@hollychavezgalleryandposts]

A call out to Berni Wrightson's Frankenstein at 15:09. Great artist! He also did concept art for The Mist (movie) which was discussed here, too.

[@clarkf3666]

Also wanna shout out “The Jaunt” which is in Skeleton Crew as well. Great Sci Fi elements and a truly horrific ending!

[@christopherallan4298]

Quinn, I actually picked up _Hyperion_ at your suggestion maybe a year or so back, and i was awestruck! Thanks for the great recommendation!

[@jonnybarnard8578]

Hell yea dude! The Dark Tower series has been one of my favorites since high school. Even though King kinda jumped the shark with a few aspects in the last couple books, it still works and I love it all!

[@whitemagus2000]

I like Steven Kings books of short stories the best. You can write about a single concept without having to explain everything in the world and doing a bad job in some parts that breaks the reader's suspension of disbelief.

[@nannywhumpers5702]

The Mist. When I read that one I lived on the coast in a small town where we had fog a lot. I have an active imagination and when I read that as a teen, let me tell you, I used to wander in the fog and listen and listen hard. I lived near a government facility...

[@jessefurqueron5555]

Grew up on sci-fi/sci-fantasy/horror books - movies the whole mix. After more decades than I care to mention of horror sci-fi and other - both books/movies just don’t “get” me anymore. The last jump scare I really remember was going to see Alien by myself (friends were still underage or didn’t want to see it) when it first came out, in an extremely dark theater - not so many “safety” lights back then. BTW, you haven’t seen horror till you’ve seen it at a drive-in..think Hotel Hell..hot summer night…tons of friends hanging In and around the back of the truck. Yep those were the days. Now I will say, horror and what disturbs someone varies a lot from person to person. My point is, nothing really gets to me anymore. With one exception. A book that’s not on this list and is actually quite hard to find. There’s two books written together, they are a series of short stories. Read them decades ago when they first came out. The first book is ok. The second one Scarred me for life. The author is better known for his sci-fi mercenary series Hammer’s Slammers; David Drake. His style is gritty military sci-fi writing. The two books of his I’m referring to here are 1) Men Hunting Things and 2) Things Hunting Men. The second one hit me somewhere deep inside, no spoilers. But for me, it hit hard. Nothing else has ever come close. Thanks David!

[@sidepunch]

Thanks for the recommendation mate, I'll definitely check them out If you got more recommendations, I'd love you them

[@TopSmoka]

You are by far the best science fiction reviewer in KZbin history

[@727Phoenix]

*1984:* One prediction George Orwell could never have made is that _we_ would be the ones buying the cameras. And our biggest fear is that no one will be watching us.

[@thesinfultictac5704]

Nah Brave New World did that

[@wicky4473]

I’ve read Frankenstein about four or five times over the years. Absolute classic science fiction/horror. And when you think about when it was written? Phew

[@н.джед.т]

Urth of the New Sun is amazing! _Shadow of the Torturer_ introduced me to so many things, from Sapir-Whorf to The Acts of Paul (Paul & Thecla). Amazing book... Gene Wolfe was a hell of a storyteller.

[@Bulletzen1000]

Good shout out on Hyperion, some classic horror in there. Also recommend the Stephen King short story "The Jaunt". King doing some Sci-Fi and horror which is rare from him.

[@ambermcdade2919]

Oh my GOD YOUR LIBRARY IS ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE MINE. it started reading King and Lovecraft around 10 years old, and I tell EVERYONE they must read the gunslinger series. When I try to get myself to sleep at night I imagine being in that world!! I think you are amazing with your (strangely identical to mine) favorite books and topics!!!!

[@JohnnyBsKillz115]

Quinn mentions the Gunslinger My reaction: 😫 Yessssssssssssssssss This series is WORTH IT!!

[@SickoYoda]

The disappointment and horror of the last dark tower story and Rolands fate has stuck with me throughout the years

[@jessemahoney9740]

I was so keen to read The Passage when you described it, it's right up my alley, so I went to get it only to realise that I already read the whole series not long after it came out!

[@marinoceccotti9155]

Burning candles in a library is the true horror scenario.

[@riamcsween4846]

Absolutely love your content, especially your Dune coverage so I'm beyond ecstatic that you mentioned the gunslinger...hoping to one day see an Ultimate Guide to the Dark Tower Series 🙏😊...keep up the awesome work!

[@nikpad5822]

The Dark Tower series is my favorite set book series from Stephen King. No lie happy to see it mentioned. A lot of cosmic/eldritch horror goes down in this series. One hell of a tale, though that ending hurts my heart lol

[@Blacklighting24]

The Terror by Dan Simmons also great, it’s a Historical horror fiction. Thanks for the recommendations.

[@Blynat]

Well now I have to go read all 4 Hyperion books again. It's definitely my favorite sci-fi series. The tree of thorns is really terrifying to think about. Like the shrike could just torture you forever if it's so inclined...

[@trakiul5556]

oh i LOVE to see Alistair Reynolds recommended. Chasm City and House of Suns are two of my favorite books. he's amazing 🙌

[@tomasverner5354]

Reynolds is awesome. I liked the Poseidons children trilogy a lot. I think it is as good as the revelation space stories. Not quite as bleak though. I hope you read them.

[@anticlaassic]

Chasm city is amazing but i‘ll admit i never caught on to house if the suns

[@anticlaassic]

⁠@@tomasverner5354revelation space can be scary af. The while concept of hypometric devices, which are so advanced they defie comprehension but still induce a deeply unsettling feeling in anyone who gets too close to them because some part of them knows the universe is being violated to an extreme degree is bad, i would say the attempt to go ftl by skade is worse. It feels like the universe is maliciously striking back at the humans and they got off lightly, considering we know inertia suppression can just delete objects and people out of the universe… They technology in these books just feels alive and like ita own entity

[@studentjohn]

Alastair Reynold's inhibitors, and the melding plague, are some of the scariest sci-fi creations I've run across.

[@anticlaassic]

Definetly

[@HMTVBrian]

Book of the New Sun seems right up my alley. Cool video, dude.

[@anticlaassic]

Revelation space does one thing incredibly well: it makes technology scary. From the arcane workings of conjoiner drives to the demented machine minds and the alien technologies like hypometric and inertia manipulating devices everything is a black box and sometimes scary things come out of these boxes and no one knows why or how. It honestly scares me to think about how Skade‘s FTL drive backfired…

[@MackGeddon]

1984 is a book that I'be read once as a teen. Although I acquired a beautiful hardback edition a while ago, I am not sure I will ever read that book again. The finale is maybe the most inhumane, soul-crushing and devastating moment in any literary work, at least for me personally. It is such an enriching, immensely important book, but I am not sure if I can ever stomach it again ...

[@digitalbookworm5678]

I've read and reread the Book of The New Sun series. It is a hard read due to Wolfe's use of archaic words and phrases. Something horrifying that has stuck with me since I first read it back in the 70s is Philip Jose Farmer's Blown / Image of The Beast. It gives an extraterrestrial explanation for all the horrors of myth and legend in a very adult format.

[@helmutstransky3761]

Sounds interesting, will look into it.

[@juneack5848]

Dude, I remember you from years ago, tried to find you via KZbin and there are so many quins. Glad to have found the OG again.

[@parkera0430]

Thank you sooo much for recommending The Passage! I’m reading The Twelve now. I can’t get enough of Justin Cronin’s characters.

[@altrimnell]

The Jaunt is one of my favorite and one of the first King short stories. The Mist is a solid recommendation.

[@thombly5772]

I'm more scared by brave new world than 1984. The brutal nuances are horrific. I'm definitely going to check out book of the new sun. Great video. Thank you, kind sir.

[@ar0010]

YYYYAAAAASSSSSSS! I read Three Body and Hyperion because of you. Moving on to Children of Time today, then Blindsight and Dune.

[@ryanlathotep]

I just wanna say I love your channel! I've read many of the books you've covered (not here particularly but on your channel in general). You have awesome recommendations that I look forward to getting into. Thank you, Quinn!

[@mattb4251]

Just used an audible credit for The Passage. Has high praise from King, apparently. Can't wait. Also, pretty sure it's "toe-dash". Every narrator I've heard says it like that instead of "2-dash."

[@TheoStimac]

See, I remember the audiobooks saying "TOAD-ash", but I'm starting to think I just projected the way I read it in my head at 14. Gotta love the reliability and universality of perception. Guess I have to go back and check.

[@BendingGrid]

Quinn, your Halloween special is giving me all the spooky vibes! 🎃 Your exploration of sci-fi horror literature is as captivating as ever. The Gunslinger's blend of western, horror, and sci-fi is intriguing, and the Dark Tower series' interconnected universe sounds like a mind-bending journey. The misty horrors unleashed by the Arrowhead project in "The Mist" are the stuff of nightmares - truly a chilling tale. Your recommendations cover such a diverse range of themes, from dystopian futures in "1984" to the existential horror in "Frankenstein." It's fantastic how you delve into the deeper layers of these classics. Now, speaking of immersive experiences, I couldn't help but notice you diving into the cosmic realms of Alistair Reynolds' "Revelation Space." The way he weaves horror into the vastness of space is pure genius. Keep enchanting us with your content, Quinn! Looking forward to more spine-chilling recommendations. Cheers! - synthwave music artist BENDING GRID

[@scottabc72]

The most sci-fi story in Skeleton Crew is 'The Jaunt' and in my opinion the creepiest. All great selections

[@narr3ntanz]

I am SO happy you mentioned Revelation Space

[@nukewaste]

I always felt that The Talisman was one of the better books King wrote, with Peter Straub. It helps give perspective to the Tower as well, with the focus on the Black House, and i strongly feel that the talisman within was and still is Roland's ultimate goal.

[@AI-dp3rd]

Didn't another piece of the Wizard's Glass cause his mother's death? Not sure Roland would want the Talisman. (Which unless I'm remembering the book wrong, is not available for him to take in any case - I don't want to spoil it, so I won't go into detail.)

[@roneon4]

I remember reading 1984 it was the first time a book slap me in the face and show me a new type of horror. Now when i think about about this book a chill cross my spine. This book was in fact a warning and is now to close that make it even scary. Funny "anecdote" or maybe scary: couple of years back I notice some people in a book store rearranging some books in one section; I notice they put some books in a way nobody notice their title and they were not clerks from the store and yes 1984 was one of those book and i think Gulag was also there.

[@GabrielVictor-wj9ke]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll definitely check some of them out. I noticed that you have a very interesting collection of books, it would be really cool if you did a bookshelf tour:)

[@becc8617]

I've only just stumbled across your channel this morning (and have already added 10 books to my Goodreads list since) but my god your library looks insanely packed with quality stuff, -do you have a library tour video / are you planning on making one?

[@fetmar]

New Quinn for Halloween!! Christmas came early!!

[@kellythomas545]

Your videos are getting better! What are your thoughts on Clive Barker?

[@Mg_Gamil]

The creepy haunting music in the background of this video is the best setup for this topic

[@jedewitz]

Oh man. Halloween week provides. New Nerd Cookies, new Quinn. I'm here for it.

[@sneakyking]

The scariest element in modern sci fi movies...the catering for short attention span of the audience

[@Tom_Fuckery]

fr.... give 3 hour minimum

[@wmpx34]

Maybe in sci-fi…not sure about that. But movies in general are getting slightly longer. People were complaining about the length of Oppenheimer recently, for instance.

[@sneakyking]

It's not about the length of the movie, it's about the short cut length of each scene. 80s 90s even 00 had much longer periods of the same short.

[@クローマーアックスエリク]

The terms used by Gene Wolfe in TBotNS are explained in the "Lexicon Urthus" by Michael Andre-Driussi. For example the term "Urth" is used to describe the earth. But Urth is also a deity of destiny from Scandinavian mythology, representing the past. This alludes that Urth is the destiny of the current world. TBotNS is very fun to decipher.

[@andrewmalinowski6673]

Mentioning the "thinnies" from "The Mist" immediately made me think of "Haven" which in the series served as a doorway into both a neutral realm between Earth and a parallel reality with advanced technology and the advanced society. Hearing mention of "The Mist" also brought up something I'd heard from a Ground Zero episode describing it as representing the idea of the government secretly trying to open a doorway into another world. With King I was immediately thinking of "The Langoliers" even if only seeing the TV movie version, the image of the floating head-like beings that devour "leftover time."

[@jessiemayfield6749]

I can’t believe how fun this was to watch. I don’t think any of these were scary but the effort? 10 of 10!

[@07sekhet]

This is a good list but I think it's missing Brave New World (unless you mentioned it in a previous video, then my bad). It's also becoming scary in hitting a little too close to home in certain ways in that our society compares to the society in that book. I read The Gunslinger a long time ago and it's a good introduction to The Dark Tower series.

[@Polygarden]

I love your book recommendations and how you describe them. I bought several books based on your videos and was never disappointed. Don't stop doing this!

[@disastermidi1990]

I love the dark tower series so much, there are so many strange ideas that fit perfectly together to be a gripping and terrifying story

[@sevillianrites]

I know you can't quote the final line of the final novel in the Dark Tower series. But that shit is probably the scariest thing Steven King ever wrote.

[@IzzyMarrie]

So hyped to watch this! Also, great intro. Digging the getup

[@MosHighChadro]

The Dark Tower series is an excellent read. One of my favorite stories of all time. Shout out Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Roland, and of course Oy.

[@Ou_phrontis]

A good post-apocalyptic book is “The Second Sleep” by Robert Harris. There’s no magical or supernatural elements, but damn does it have plenty of horror. 😳

[@napoleonfeanor]

What horror? That Yorkshire became the Northern Caliphate? While the general idea was good, parts of the story was dumb like main character turning against the church to protect technology and science. He was a young priest who wouldn't have turned against the church if he knew that the church isn't destroying old knowledge but collecting it to examine wĥat can be used. Also: why would all countries blame technology and forbid research. Makes no sense, especially because there seem to be many wars

[@asdfasdf-dd9lk]

wow, i've never heard anyone else mention it before! And yeah, it somehow gets across this absolutely hopeless, bleak vibe moreso than anything else I've read, without even anything that overtly "horrifying" in the grand scheme of things.

[@markpitt2474]

Cormac McCarthy's The Road is Awesome as well.

[@wicky4473]

Just listening to King’s latest book now on Audible. I go way back with his books. I remember being scared witless when reading Salem’s Lot as a teenager

[@bigsarge2085]

I just finished "Book of the New Sun" series. Wild!

[@BubbyBold]

I was just looking for a list of good scifi horror novels, thanks for delivering

[@Mewobiba]

You might also want to check TheShadesOfOrange who's made several videos with specifically scifi horror recommendations! Her presentation isn't as dramatic as Quinn's, but I've gotten great value from her recs before.

[@BubbyBold]

​@@MewobibaI'll be sure to check her out, thanks for the heads up

[@Flacopro40]

Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein is not the monster. Wisdom is knowing Frankenstein IS the monster.

[@RADIOSUICIDIO]

The Gunslinger is VASTLY underrated, not only as a King's book, not only as a genre novella, but as a piece of 20th century literature. It's a haunting, beautifully written vignette of this macrocosmic dreamscape that feels both alien and familiar. It's trully Stephen King at the very top of his game, and yes, you can read it as a standalone book, it ends openly but not in a cheap "cliffhanger" way. Then you can keep on with the subsecuent instances in the Dark Tower saga, wich is a very addictive, pulpy fantasy-scifi multiverse that sadly not very often reaches the heights of this first book.

[@CountofVatesgrad]

The Jaunt is another great story on the Skeleton crew collection. One of Stephen King's best imo. Its longer than you think....

[@DarkenPain]

Oh god. That one was the first to come to my mind when Stephen King and "good" horror was mentioned. That damn story lodged itself into my mind for over 20 years now. Forgot how it was called. But that story was just so well crafted. The father telling the son about the invention of the teleporter... and than this terrible idea the child has. Oh man.

[@QuinnsIdeas]

A video on this is coming actually!

[@hochebriones2]

Yes I commented that THAT was the most disturbing story. Maybe EVER. More than 30 years after reading the Jaunt I still get the shivers.

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

I've never heard of the story before, but the title reminded me of "The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester. It turns out that the title is an homage. I'll have to read it.

[@TVeldhorst]

Richard Morgans Altered Carbon has some real unsettling horror, mostly related to the human capability to make others suffer. Plus a mysterious alien race of "winged angels" that seemed to have suddenly disappeared, leaving all their stuff behind...

[@aresh004]

Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein was not the monster. Wisdom is knowing that he was.

[@dugs2366]

My favourite KZbin channel- and its not even close.

[@alejandromolina7270]

This is a horror anthology recommendation but Thomas Ligotti is possibly one of the most disturbing writers I have ever read. The best way to describe his writings is Lovecraft meets Kafka and anytime I read his works I feel unsettled. I'm not a huge fan of his works because they're so depressing and nihilistic, much Ito Junji. But I now a lot of people love his works so im just giving him a shout out.

[@rocky.sroger8855]

I remember seeing the gunslinger on a shelf when I was stocking books at a thrift store it's always had this rent free space in my head ever since then

[@50043211]

Regarding the monster of Frankenstein, Herman Munster is probably in its own way, the most accurate depiction of it.

[@remlya]

Where did your family magic book at the beginning come from? Would love to see more of it. If you made it, an overview of its construction. Looks amazing.

[@Vexarax]

Second Apocalypse series by R Scott Bakker is the King of Horror Sci-Fi imo. Some of the darkest, most brutal, most disgusting books ever written - they’re freaking amazing and as far as I know top every GrimDark book list 🙏🏻 They’re a bit like Dark Tower in that they’re a mix of fantasy and dark futuristic apocalyptic sci fi. It’s like if you took LOTR, Silmarillion, ASoIaF, 40k, & Lovecraft then blended it all together and injected the resulting monstrosity with mind-altering substances.

[@razieldumas]

Dude, I loved your review of The Sparrow, as well as your thoughtful analysis of it. I recently read Ship of Fools, and it seriously fucked me up. The final third of the book, from the point where they find the old woman all the way to the end was just about traumatizing. Please please PLEASE give it a full length analysis, I haven’t found a single one!

[@ivanberden7427]

The Dark Tower is such an amazing series, really underappreciated in my opinion.

[@agm5424]

The best portrayal of Frankenstein's monster can be found in the series Penny Dreadful. He is most definitely the best character and just listening to him talk poetry and philosophy is one of the highlights of the show.