Top 10 horror books... OF ALL TIME!

[@timkjazz]

#1 - Ghost Story - Peter Straub #2 - Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons #3 - Swan Song - Robert McCammon #4 - The Shining - Stephen King #5 - Last Days of Jack Sparks - Jason Arnopp #6 - The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris #7 - The Damnation Game - Clive Barker #8 - The Land of Laughs - Jonathan Carroll #9 - House of Leaves - Mark Danielewski #10 - The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty #11 - The Ceremonies - T.E.D. Klein

[@devradenny8354]

I just recently read Ghost Story! It was a good one. My Dan Simmons pick would be Drood. One of the most underrated books imo.

[@kevinjones4808]

Good list. There are two scary books that I would add Killing Lessons by Saul Black and Adam by Ted Dekker

[@luisino20023]

All males autors...

[@NighttParade]

HOUSE OF LEAVES YESSS

[@jj1818]

​@@luisino20023and?

[@d.christophertatum2936]

Clive Barker’s “Books of Blood,” which includes the books published as “The Inhuman Condition,” “In the Flesh,” and “Cabal” in America, feature some next-level horror writing. I have never encountered a writer who delivers weird visions with such precision and clarity.

[@robc111]

The reveal in the story Sex, Death and Starshine that Constantia is dead made me slam the book closed, turn on all the lights and try [unsuccessfully] to forget.

[@georgeclarke1348]

Just finished one of the best vampire novels I've read. "Let the Right One In." Terrific!

[@DrasticSkuba]

I just recently started it. Really enjoying it so far

[@tonycurtis4088]

The swedish film is great. Hollywood one is ok too

[@williambowers4903]

Decent movie also. Not as good, but, watchable.

[@DJYoue]

It's so good! I loved the book and actually enjoyed both movie adaptations too

[@debhanzlik540]

I agree! This book was awesome!

[@OkByeNw]

Hmmm... can't help but notice there doesn't seem to be any Goosebumps in that stack.

[@SuperStrangSshadow]

Great list. Pet Sematary is my all time fave book and glad that The Ring showed up on the list too. I don't get scared of horror either even though it is my fave genre. I care more about a good story with a lot of atmosphere.

[@Northern_Calling]

Ray Bradbury is my all time favorite authors, but heavily for his short stories and essays. I was thrilled to see Uzumaki on a list!

[@brettocheltree7437]

This video with the lighting and the library in the background and your choice of books along with your descriptions, makes me want to delve back in to the horror genre. Been a long time away.

[@badrad9226]

This was a fantastic video . The background and the microphone 🎤 perfect vibe . I love extreme horror , horror and thrillers .

[@CeeBee781]

Pet Sematary is my favorite King novel. I finally read it soon after having my daughter, my first and only child, and found it a devastating examination of parental love and grief. You can’t know until you’re a parent, the fear of loving someone that much… The nightmares where you lose them, where they drown, where they’re diagnosed with a fatal disease, where they are kidnapped or stabbed or burned up and you can’t stop it, waking up in tears, and the shattering knowledge that it COULD happen, has happened many times, is happening to a child like yours and a parent like you at this very moment… Being a parent is damn scary. King really captures the dread, and then the actual crazy-making misery of the worst happening. I grew up in the woods of New England (VT and NH) and I also love how he captures life there, the people and the landscape and the language. I know Judd. He’s a very real, well drawn character. Just a great book.

[@Tonzoffun0420]

Pet Cemetery book was so creepy

[@matthewharper7333]

It is a rewrite of the Monkeys Paw

[@tyghe_bright]

Yes! I love Clive Barker for his *writing*. The Great and Secret Show, Weaveworld, and Imajica are among my favorite books of all time. Of those, the first is horror with fantasy elements--but the others are fantasy with plenty of horror elements. And Bradbury. Such a master of the craft.

[@Meow-Meow501]

The Barker books you mentioned are also some of my favorites as well.

[@Meow-Meow501]

You have a gorgeous home library! ❤

[@dreamjayme11]

I read Clive Barker’s “The Thief of Always” as a teenager and it chilled me to the bone. I was petrified. Maybe because I was still not far from childhood and understood how a kid thinks but it put me off his books, by my own choice, until I was older and more mature. Ready to dive in again.

[@mattfeest5809]

The Great and secret show is a masterpiece❤

[@stevelira52524]

Coraline (great movie) when it was written seems like they looked to Thief as inspiration.

[@H457ur]

In the vein of “Not Horror by Clive Barker” is “The Thief of Always” which is, believe it or not, a children’s book. Not even YA - I’d recommend it for a fourth grader - but it’s brilliant and worth reading even as an adult. It has horror elements, but made to creep out kids more than anything. As you say, Clive Barker is an incredible writer, and this kid’s book is among my favorite books of all time.

[@devinmccormick6438]

Great frigging book

[@mindisnyder8454]

I'm a horror Instagrammer, and I'm impressed with your list after you said you don't read much horror. There are so many fantastic horror books, and I was delighted to see Uzumaki in your top 10. Definitely check out those books you listed as gaps in your reading, and may I add The Haunting of Hill House as a a must read for any fan of the genre.

[@drbuckley1]

Agreed. Speaking of masterpiece, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" never gets old.

[@mindisnyder8454]

@@drbuckley1 Agreed. Fantastic book.

[@shrekuwuwuwu]

may I get your Instagram account??? I need horror recommendations

[@cliffhamrickwrites2378]

I've read the Hellbound Heart. It is almost exactly like the movie. The big difference is that Kristi Cotton is a friend and not a daughter. Otherwise, it's exactly the same. Of course, Clive Barker took his own book and adapted it to the screen, so you shouldn't be surprised.

[@CliffsDarkGems]

Glad to have stumbled upon your channel. You have some great entries in your list. I love Clive Barker and The Damnation Game is an incredible debut novel. Weaveworld is my favorite and it has strong horror elements. The Shining is an awesome choice. The movie portrays the father so differently, and this is one of many things that upset King. I absolutely love Ray Bradbury and this would be close to top 5 for me too. His prose is absolutely gorgeous! My favorite novel of all time is Swan Song by Robert McCammon, followed by Weaveworld and The Stand. N

[@phaedruslive]

Swan Song over Boy's Life?

[@CliffsDarkGems]

@@phaedruslive Yip, Boy's Life is definitely in my top 10, amazing novel.

[@markbaumbargt3430]

Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" deserves to be on your list.

[@johnbarker8305]

Damn straight!

[@bellacavender8999]

I would like to throw out Misery by Stephen King. Just the intense realism in the way she fades in and out of her psychosis and how you see everything from his perspective really unsettled me. Ive been in situations where you are listening for every little sound and you are absolutely powerless. He tries to keep hope but it is shattered over and over by her. Not only that but having a break from his reality to read chapters of his book shook me as well because just like him, its the only true reprieve you get in the book.

[@Meow-Meow501]

I concur.

[@frehleyrox]

Many of SK’s novels are not actually “horror”. I understand horror is relative and subjective, but the media labeled King the “king of horror” decades ago and it stuck. However, the bulk of Kings work can be categorized more in the suspense and sci~fi genres with frightening elements. Misery is one of Kings best novels. But I certainly wouldn’t call it a horror novel.

[@lisapoe888]

Seriously how many King novels can one have on the list😅

[@googaboogaloo]

Misery is kings best book in my eyes. I love other books by him more but misery doesn’t get bogged down with in kings own words “diarrhea of the typewriter”

[@kevinu9528]

Misery was my first novel in the 6th grade and introduction to novels and how awesome a good book can be.

[@LenHazell]

Nothing wrong with your list but, just some off the cuff recommendations in no particular order 1) James Herbert The Spear 2) Richard Matheson Hell House 3) Robert Bloch Complete Stories 4) R. Chetwynd Hayes The Partaker 5) Graham Masterton, The Manitou 6) Peter Straub Ghost Story 7) Shaun Hutson Relics 8) Shirley Jackson The Haunting 9) Gary Brandner The Howling 10) Edward Buller Lytton The Haunted and the haunter

[@Speed202]

I'm copying this to read. Thank you.

[@Persewna4]

I don't have a top ten, but for my Stephen King picks it would either be Misery or The Stand. I wouldn't say Misery scared me so much as disturbed me the most. The Stand is one of my favorite books of all time.

[@Will-sj1kx]

Yay, you got the Exrcist right but should be higher on the list. The writing is outstanding. It’s a masterpiece

[@paulvoorhies8821]

I think the Exorcist is an overrated book. A bit of a slog. The movie is far better. Also, Rosemary’s Baby is far better written.

[@nunyabiz2889]

​@paulvoorhies8821 This is subjective opinion. I love the movie but thought the book was better and was miles away from being a slog. To each their own, eh? I found it to be a page turner that I had finished in 3-4 days. Watched the movie again right after and found that I didn't really understand a lot of the movie before I read the book.

[@lordlollops1]

Yep definitely agree, just finished my second reading of it and will read it again -its a beautiful book , the descriptive prose, the characters especially Father Karras and his relationship with his mother, the guilt he felt was heartbreaking. The audiobook version read by Blatty himself is outstanding and is on KZbin free to listen to.

[@Kuyjac258]

The exorcist is my all time favourite book and film. I love how we got to delve more into the power of suggestion where it was just briefly mentioned in the film. Also Regan’s possession starts off slower and you get to see just how gorgeous and sweet she is before the nightmare starts. I can’t fault the film I love it but the book is still my number one book.

[@stacielara9856]

100% agree. Just bought a new copy on my last bookstore trip.

[@randyruger9063]

Berserk is the undisputed king of manga imo

[@rmvmoose27]

That’s an absolute fact. It’s the only manga I’ve read and I won’t read another manga because I know it won’t live up to the masterpiece that berserk is

[@Dazfitz87]

100%

[@waymire01]

If you want "old" Barker, you need to read The Books of Blood. It's a mixed bag of short stories that ranges from comical to insane to straight out gorefests. This is where Midnight Meat Train, Rawhead Rex, and Harry D'Amour came from. I much prefer his short work (including Cabal and The Hellbound Heart) to his novels.

[@Crizzybooks]

Awesome list. We share a lot of the same favorites-LOVE Uzumaki. Ring is next on my TBR so glad to hear some good praise for it. Awesome library by the way.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

Thanks, I pretty much built it from scratch. The room not the bookcases. Hope you enjoy the ring I thought it was great

[@matthewkirkhart2401]

Yes, Pet Sematary is the greatest horror story of all time. The last two pages are the best last two pages of a horror story ever written.

[@Laurielism]

Pet Sematary has always been my favourite King book.

[@kathyorourke9273]

I agree on Something Wicked This way Comes. It less horrifying than darkly spooky. I love it.

[@Michael_Wertenberg]

Great video. Yes, definitely check out more of Clive Barker. I've read them all and Weaveworld is my favourite (though not really horror). I hope you've gotten around to it, and I hope you liked it as much as I did. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these great books. Your #2 also figures very high on my Top 10.

[@paulsimpson3113]

I would accept the king in yellow as horror but like how you used this to get an 11th choice in a top ten, great work

[@civoreb]

Thank you for having variety that shows your taste.👍🏼 Usually I see a lot of KZbin algorithm picks for these kind of lists. The Ring book was so effing good. I wish I could experience it all over again.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

@@civoreb I agree with you about the ring book

[@peterratter6603]

I envy you being at the beginning of your Clive Barker journey; as with many authors, e.g., HP Lovecraft, we can revisit and savour them, but there is nothing quite like the frisson of the first reading. I recently reread Weaveworld and gave myself a long overdue reminder of why I love Barker's writing. While I'm still waiting (im)patiently for the next instalment in his Abarat sequence, I would have to say personal favourites are Cabal (filmed/adapted as Nightbreed), Imajica, and The Thief of Always. The latter is a polished gem of a story, somewhat reminiscent of Ray Bradbury. That is a massive compliment to Barker, by the way. While I love Something Wicked This Way Comes, I think I prefer The Halloween Tree, though both are good. What appeals to me about Bradbury's work is that when he writes from a child's perspective, it is never mawkish or trying to hard to be cute. It's as though he never lost the child's-eye wonder at the world.

[@ClockworkWyrm]

Still holding my breath for the next Abarat book.

[@juanitagagne2707]

Was really happy to see your number one as my number one. Never had a book ever stayed with me like that one did. I have been a life long Stephen King fan but I find his writing changed AFTER his accident and I have such a difficult time connecting with the books he wrote post injury. I have one that sticks on my brain, 666 by Jay Anson and the book Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist. In my top 10 overall. Ghost Story by Peter Straub is pretty cool too. Enjoyed your list, and agree with the analogy of It and The Shining..It tucked me in on the FIRST page and The Shining tore my soul all the way to the end. Keep turning those pages!!

[@PaulRidgeway-h7l]

Authors who should be on this list: Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Brett Easton Ellis, and Thomas Harris.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

this is a great video and i really like your format. also cool to know that you also been covering manga as well

[@jerryrpettus1926]

I would have reversed positions on the two Stephen King books, IMO. For me, The Shining was a book where you can't put it down, you have to keep turning the pages to try to save that little boy. Pet Sematary, OTOH, was so obvious to me from the set up that King was going to rip your heart out over that little boy and then nothing good would happen from there. I dreaded turning each page of PS, whereas, in Shining I started it at 5PM, at 7 PM I got up and locked all the doors and windows, at 9 PM I turned on every light in the house and read the book until I finished. I had no problem laying PS down and coming back later.

[@eddiejc1]

"The Shining" the bok is about a man who loves his son but turns into a monster who wants to killhim. "The Shining" the movie is about a man who secretly HATES his wife and son and then is given a Byrne a push but a nudge---to do WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. Stephen King based the character of Jack Torrance ion himself, so it's no wonder that he was greatly offended by Stanley Kubrick's interpretation.

[@nunyabiz2889]

I recently read The Exorcist and Between Two Fires (Christopher Buhlman) back to back and needed a break from horror afterward because they were both so intense. Now, I am reading Elfstones of Shannara to cleanse my pallet before reading my next horror 😅.

[@dianadavis286]

Between Two Fires is one of the best horror novels I've read in a long, long time. There was just something so Dante's Inferno about the whole experience.

[@MarkO-uc9yc]

So glad you mentioned it. Jumped straight to mind when I saw the video title.

[@angusfraser747]

Glad Between Two Fires got a mention here. Might be my favorite book of the decade! Definitely in my top 10

[@Jdanej]

Really surprised Between Two Fires isn't mentioned. He needs to read it! Also, Elfstones is the best Shannara book!

[@tinypinata505]

Awesome list! I've read some of these. Some others are on my list. And I learned about a couple new ones. Kudos!

[@kcsubotai]

1) Hell House - Richard Matheson 2) Salem's Lot - Stephen King 3) Heart Shaped Box - Joe Hill 4) Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury 5) The Exorcist - Wm. Peter Blatty 6) Hellbound Heart - Clive Barker 7) Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist 8) Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu 9) Dracula - Bram Stoker 10) Ghost Story - Peter Straub Honorable Mention: The Empty House - Algernon Blackwood

[@silverivy1313]

I know this is an old video of yours but I love that you mentioned Uzumaki. I am a HUGE fan of Junji Ito, I've read most all of his official translations and a lot of unlicensed ones (shh, don't tell anyone that) and each and every one of them is so bizarre, so carefully crafted; he just has this way of creating entire worlds that are abnormal but once you're sucked into them, they don't seem as weird anymore because he can draw you in so well. I highly recommend his two series Tomie and Gyo if you liked Uzumaki. He also has a lot of short stories collections, which admittedly, some are better than others. I liked Kai, Sasu a lot, as well as Ma no Kakera!

[@brothajohn]

I could shred this list, but I suddenly realized I was jealous because the reason this list is flawed is because you have the joy of experiencing better books in front of you. Your Clive Barker admission alone made me cry. But then you get to read those books FOR THE FIRST TIME! Dracula, Frankenstein, House of Leaves, Ghost Story, and Carrie are all great. Plus every book you did list is fun as and wonderful as you said AND you listed two books I haven’t read: The Strain and Uzumaki, so those are on my list now. Thanks a ton 👍

[@katmancilla5777]

I bought House of Leaves and I'm so excited to give it a try.. but I'm intimidated.

[@brothajohn]

@@katmancilla5777 it is a challenging read, but so worth it.

[@ms-abominable]

thank you for finally filling in this knowledge gap!!!!! i finally have some scary books to read! thank you!

[@aestheticalrose4553]

The exorcist is one of the few books that made me cry, not out of sadness, but out of fear. Not fear of the devil, not fear for myself, but fear for little Regan and her mother.

[@jamesbittle469]

You should check out Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It's a horror/dystopian hybrid story, and it might be right up your alley.

[@jacobjohnston3983]

Honestly, Pet Sematary had me sobbing uncontrollably, and not even for anything supernatural or scary that happened. When Judd’s wife dies, and he’s just left dumbfounded because they’ve been together for decades, I was in SHAMBLES. Had me crying in the car on my drive home, thinking about my own wife who I’ve only been married to for a year and a half, thinking about what might happen decades in the future when we’re as old as Judd is.

[@GentleReader01]

People who write and study cosmic horror agree with Lovecraft’s enthusiasm for The King in Yellow. Yes, it’s horror.

[@mattfeest5809]

Repairer of reputations, with the voluntary euthanasia boothe...*shudders *

[@melindaloomis1]

I read The Shining as a teenager and remember feeling grief-stricken at the end over the misfortune that befell the Torrance family. It's been a long time and I couldn't remember why it affected me so much - you reminded me of why. It wasn't about the hotel. Now I need to go back and read it again.

[@benja6902]

I recommend the 6-book Adversary Cycle series (of which includes 'The Keep') by F. Paul Wilson. And also, the Blood Brothers trilogy by Brian Lumley.

[@jasonmcluskie7102]

The Keep. Great book. He's got a lot more

[@waymire01]

I've read everything Sai King has ever written. I highly recommend Revival, one of the most underrated of his books. It has amazing character development, and it has stuck with me ever since I read it. I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

@@waymire01 I hold that book up as a shining example in my mind every time I hear people complain about Kings endings.

[@dianadavis286]

10, Ghost Story by Peter Straub 9. Pet Sematary by Stephen King 8. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 7. Watchers by Dean Koontz 6. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin 5. Swan Song by Robert B McCammon 4. Experimental Film by Gemma Files 3. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker 2. The Books of Blood by Clive Barker 1. Psycho by Robert Bloch

[@Riverwind5]

I personally don't think Needful Things gets enough love. Maybe it's because I grew up in a small town and have seen first hand the pettiness of neighbors you've known your whole life, but to me the true horror of the book is how quickly a small town can disintegrate by mere notions was truly horrifying. While I don't hate The Shining, for me I Needful Things had more of an impact.

[@marshalljordan5956]

Pet semetary nails down so many different elements of horror. So happy to see so many people that agree with it being at least in the conversation of goat. King has more than a few that could be on this list and nobody could argue. But if SOME part of pet semetary doesn't scare you, you're a certified psychopath. Im with you on the not really getting scared of movies or books. Turn off all the lights but a reading lamp, and read just the sequence where dr creed is trekking to the burial ground with gage. Truly terrifying. Great list

[@thequintanashow5058]

HI!! Weird question but what’s your lighting set up?? It looks great!!

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I actually did a gear tour video a few weeks ago where I go over all my equipment, including lighting.

[@peterconlon8234]

Nice list. I've read virtually all of Barkers stuff: The Damnation Game remains my absolute fave simply because it takes everything he's great at and dustills it into one fantastic story....doubt you'll be disappointed by any Barker if you love this one. Huge King fan...neither of your picks would be mine: i definitely cede the top spot to 'Salems Lot and, if narrowing down to just horror, would put The Mist next. Btw.....Ghost Story is a must...

[@sadee4175]

We have some really similar tastes. So glad to see uzimaki and something wicked this way comes show up on the list. When I was watching and saw the shining come up instead of pet Semetary I was like "well ok I get it but..." course then it's at the top. God that book messed with me because the fear of losing a child and the feeling of grief is so freaking real.

[@captnsquashypant82]

The king in yellow has been one of my favorite books that seemingly no one I talk to has heard of for decades. I was so excited by season one of true Detective where they talk about this book and put a Spotlight on a wonderful and creepy book

[@nathanhall9345]

Silver Nitrate - Silvia Moreno-Garcia Lone Women - Victor Lavalle The Shining - Stephen King NOS4A2 - Joe Hill A Child Alone With Strangers - Philip Fracassi Red Dragon - Thomas Harris Obelisks - Dust - Ari Marmell Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz Battle Royale - Koushun Takami Uzumaki - Junji Ito

[@Phwonk]

I've played all the Metro games and they all have amazing atmospheres as well. There's nothing else quite like them. I've been meaning to read the books but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[@davidreed2626]

@23:50 for me the best writing of the whole book was when they were outside the house and the father gets let on to the secret ladders the boys had made within the ivy. When his father tells him that the son will pull the rungs out of the wall on his own one day so he shouldn’t worry about him (the father) pulling them out-chefs kiss. What an amazing way of showing what growing up and out of boy-hood is

[@VioletWolfQueen]

So excited to see Uzumaki on your list! Everything by Junji Ito is absolute gold! Another manga you may enjoy is "Blood on the Tracks" by Shūzō Oshimi. Not really a horror but it is a very fascinating story. Some other horror book I loved that you may enjoy: "Another" by Yukito Ayatsuji. "Suicide Forest" "The Catacombs" or "The Sleep Experiment" by Jeremy Bates. "Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson. Not sure I'd call this one a horror story exactly either but "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami is absolutely brilliant. Happy reading!

[@cliffhamrickwrites2378]

The King in Yellow really isn't a horror book. It's more weird fiction, but it did influence the best horror writer of the 20th century, HP Lovecraft.

[@shanecc]

I know I’m very late to the party but “Paradise 1” by David Wellington has lived in the dark reaches of my mind ever since I read it. For any fans of space horror, you won’t regret it.

[@randychapman3943]

Dracula- Bram Stoker and Frankenstein -Mary Shelly. If you haven't read them you're missing out.

[@Cullene4]

In Pet Sematary, I have long believed that the page or so when the father is chasing his son, who is racing towards a road with oncoming traffic, is the best thing Stephen King has ever written. It is a perfect and wholly tragic piece of writing. The book belongs at the top of your list for those words alone.

[@marshalljordan5956]

There are just 6 or 7 sequences different kinds of horror. The part where he's walking the walk to the old burial ground and you can't exactly tell that there's a wendigo spirit stalking him or if he's just going crazy... utterly terrifying.

[@MegBatsBujos]

Oh, and to answer your question - I haven't yet thought through my top 10 horror books of all time, but I have thought through my top 10 horror short stories / novellas of all time! Here's the list: 10. The Girl from the Hell (Margo Lanagan in Cursed) 9. The White People (Artur Machen) 8. The King in Yellow (Robert W. Chambers) 7. The Willows (Algernon Blackwood) 6. An Episode in Cathedral History (M. R. James - in most of his collections) 5. Blanky (Kealan Patrick Burke) 4. Carmilla (J. Sheridan Le Fanu) 3. Mother of Stone (John Langan, in A Wide Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies) 2. The Fall of the House of Usher (E. A. Poe) 1. The Shadow Over Innsmouth (H. P. Lovecraft)

[@patrickc.6183]

+1 for Algernon Blackwood; love The Wendigo

[@Dazfitz87]

I love the damnation game! Probably my favorite Barker book. Great to see it get some acknowledgement 👏

[@Downhuman74]

You need to seek out Clive Barker's Cabal, The Hellbound Heart and The Books of Blood - those are essential Barker horror novels. And maybe The Great and Secret Show and Everville if you want to see Barker take a stab at horror-tinged modern fantasy. And I would have had IT at number 1 with Pet Sematary at number 2 (with The Shining around 5 or so). Personal preference, though. Pet Sematary was the book that made fall in love with horror - it was my first horror novel. But IT just took my head clean off - epic and terrifying. For me, nothing has come close since. It's not just a great horror novel. It's a fantastic piece of legitimate literature. Nice list, though - you've given me some stuff to check out.

[@beingL]

#1 is so good. I read it on vacation every 2 years. Haunts me every time. Makes the time memorable.

[@Brand_of_the_hawk]

Saw the berserk collection in the background. Instant sub

[@salemslotandmore8278]

Thank You for the List and Video 😀

[@user-b3i2q]

Ooohhh I like horror! I'm getting back into reading books, and I've been watching a lot of these types of videos where readers talk about their "top #" lists. I actually haven't read any of these! The Damnation game sounds interesting. I'm adding some of these to my amazon list, saved for when my paychecks allow me to buy them. :D Thank you!

[@juliealbright5191]

Thank you for putting "Something Wicked this Way Comes" on your list. I am going to reread it this Oct...Such a great read. Kudos for hitting me out of left field with that choice...Wasn't expecting it but think it belongs...Pet Semetary was great...I read that his son Own was almost hit by a car in Maine, and that idea popped into his head. I'm not sure if he lived next to a Pet Cemetery at that time...Something makes me think he did.

[@Darvit_Nu]

Intensity by Dean Koontz. I had trouble reading this one. It is incredibly intense & yes, has the most apt name for the book! I'm extremely happy to see Swansong by Robert McCammon on here.. it's one of my favorites! I'd also like to add "The Tommyknockers" by Stephen King. I do not like his newer works but do enjoy his earlier work. The list you have here is really great works!❤‍🔥

[@richardbale3278]

Brian Lumly's "Necroscope" series kept me going for years.

[@haggardkev]

Have you read the john dies at the end series?

[@possessedbygenesis8585]

As much as I love the big Stephen King horror classics like The Shining and IT, I find his situational horror to be more effective. Books like Misery, Gerald’s Game, even Cujo really got under my skin in a way the supernatural stuff never did.

[@BethR-vf8ne]

I loved the strain, off to a good start with this list. And the audio book for the exorcist is one of the best I’ve ever heard. Loved every minute of it. And I’m really excited to get into my Stephen King phase.

[@benja6902]

'Metro 2033' and 'Uzumaki' now in my cart. For something completely different, I picked up a Japanese horror book called 'In the Miso Soup.'

[@maryking8834]

Something Wicked This Way Comes!!! I absolutely adore this book-so glad it made your list

[@jstyler2583]

I read Pet Sematary as a teenager, sitting in my living room, thinking 'this isn't so scary' Then I turned out the lights to go upstairs...

[@Meow-Meow501]

Yup, I read Pet Cemetery when it first came out, so no movie to know the plot. I was a teenager so not even a parent and when it got ‘to that’ scene, I was so gutted I had to put the book down and walk away from it for a week before I could pick it back up. It’s one of the only books that’s ever done that to me.

[@nerdwizard21]

I cant recommend The Ring Trilogy enough. I just finished it recently and its become my favourite series of books, with Ring becoming quite possibly my favourite book, period

[@almatoledo1608]

Great voice, presentation, tempo 👏 well done.

[@JoeHuesos]

I didn't know the strian was a book! Loved the show. Thank you

[@EmmaFrostRules]

Looking for some good Clive Barker horror. I humbly suggest The Great and Secret Show. It's my favorite. Although you are right about The Damnation Game. It's damn near perfect.

[@mattjones7226]

That's my favorite, too. It would make for a great miniseries.

[@thattrickydude]

Not a big horror reader but the only book I have read that might improve this top 10 would be Jurassic Park. I think most people classify it as horror, goodreads does. Felt like it to me. Nitpicky but sometimes I wonder why people make top 10 lists and don't put the top 10 books on there, haha. If IT and The Shining are the same quality, wouldn't that knock the 10th place book off the list? I get that he's trying to have different authors on the list but that doesn't really make it top 10 of all time then does it? It's also not giving Stephen King his due if you're just not including it to switch things up. Great list regardless and I really do need to go on a Stephen King run sometime soon. Regarding "something wicked this way comes" man, I saw that movie when i was young and it terrified me for years. Same with "It" actually.

[@nunyabiz2889]

Just read this a couple of months ago and loved it. Definitely fit in the horror genre a lot more than the film did. Good stuff 👏 👍.

[@raymondteodosbandlabvlog1676]

It’s actually more sci fi than horror, but this is where genres tend to blend, because there are definitely horror elements in the book. However, it’s more in the vein of sci fi

[@thattrickydude]

There is only one sci-fi element in the book, and that's the reconstruction of dinosaurs from DNA, something we seem close to doing in real life. Whereas the whole book is written in a horror/suspense style. so... idk have you read the book?

[@samueldelerme427]

Thank you so much for reminding me of "Pet Semetary" and why it is such a unforgettable book, especially once you become a parent!

[@fepatter]

You really have to read Ghost Story. Also, old Robert McCammon. Personally, I would have had another one or two King titles on the list, but I haven’t read several that you mentioned.

[@drbuckley1]

Recommended, Koushun Takami's "Battle Royale."

[@dawnpowers7626]

IT was my choice as scariest of King's novels. (I don't read much horror other than his books.) There's a description not far into the book (it happens before Georgie's death) of Bill having to get something out of his basement. It's a long paragraph about him having to reach out in the dark for the light switch. I grew up in a house with a CELLAR, and I FELT that fear of having to reach out into the dark, not knowing if a hand was going to reach up and grab me. I had had surgery on my right hand and it was all bandaged up. I couldn't do anything but turn pages with my left hand. I read this book in a week, in daylight hours only. Scary stuff. Hey! Ho! Let's GO!

[@jamesmontgomery7074]

I loved what you said about manga/anime being just another medium for storytelling and that there is nothing stopping that writing to be any less than in any other medium.

[@brassteeth3355]

A decent horror novel is a rare thing. A very rare thing. I've read some and would like to read some more so thanks for sharing your list with us.

[@KingCrusoe]

Frankenstein has a weird stigma around it - love/hate kind of thing; tons of people hate it, but just as many adore it in my experience - but it is genuinely one of my favorite books of all time. Assuming you haven't read it still in the time since this video, I absolutely recommend reading it. Just go in with the right expectations: it's nothing like the adaptations, firstly, and it's...kinda esoteric in a weird way. I've not read anything like it since, and it was one of the earliest books I read when I came back to reading a few years ago.

[@worldindustriesfreak]

The Shining is for sure one of my favorite books by Stephen King. Might have to give a re-read soon!

[@MitchJohnson0110]

The original Dracula is up there for me. I have yet to see an adaptation that captures the vibe of the original. Adaptations always seem to have some sort of aim to romanticize, humanize, or sympathize the character of Dracula in some way. When in the original book he is clearly an ungodly monster and his attempts to appear human when he needs to are very thin veils. Like a killer robot wearing a bloody human skin face as a "disguise". Way creepier.

[@susruthasam7657]

You surmised my thoughts on the Shining so perfectly! It is the book about the dad for me too.

[@KetchupCanvas]

My Top Ten for Horror Books is: 1. IT by Stephen King 2. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric Larocca 3. Night Shift by Stephen King 4. Gyo by Junji Ito 5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 6. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (I put short stories in my book lists too lol) 7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 9. The Jaunt by Stephen King 10. Tomie by Junji Ito

[@SMtWalkerS]

Great list and I am ready to read some horror new to me. I agree with "Pet Semetery" as number one. Having lost many people I love to death, you do have that fervent wish that they would come back, but this book (and every zombie movie) reminds you that this would be a nightmare, and that you must accept death, no matter how painful it is. I love Ray Bradbury, particularly his short stories, and was glad to see "Something Wicked" included. The fall atmosphere in this is just great. My list would also include Richard Matheson's 'I am Legend" and Robert Bloch's, "Psycho".

[@Maximus0623]

Your Stephen King analysis is spot on. I’ve always considered It a coming of age book first and horror to be a secondary element. I read Pet Sematary after having kids and think it’s his best horror book. If I didn’t have kids, I might have The Shining at #1, but Pet Sematary reads differently if you’re a parent.

[@vonniedemers5683]

I read Weaveworld in the 90s....its good. But it is slow to get into. But if you like the descriptive writing you'll get lots of it there, but be patient. I recently reread Pet Semitary as an adult and parent. I read it the first time in highschool in the 80s...its a totally different story after you have kids. I love the original movie and hate the remake. The first movie you felt his desperation. You felt his heartbreak. The way you feel about "The Shining" is how I feel about Cujo. In the movie he's a crazed dog bent on killing. In the book you feel so sorry for him bc SK tells you in the dogs words that he doesn't k ow why he's hurting those he loved before. If you watch the mini series of the Shining you'll get the version of the book bc SK and the directer worked hand in hand to makes Jack a redemption arc in the end. His love for one last moment saves his family. Good list. I'll have to check out more of your videos.

[@hosswik]

I feel you with the second guessing your horror choices. For example my favorite book of all time is “From The Corner of his Eye” by Dean Koontz. The book often leans into horror but is 100% a suspense thriller.

[@hosswik]

But top 10: 1: Twilight Eyes; Dean Koontz 2: Demonata book one Lord Loss; Darren Shan 3: Cirque Du Freak book 4; Darren Shan 4: Tommyknockers; Stephen King 5: IT; Stephen King 6: By the Light of the Moon; Dean Koontz 7: Odd Thomas; Dean Koontz 8: Intensity; Dean Koontz 9 Gil’s All Fright Diner; A. Lee Martinez 10: Dead Living; Glenn Bullion

[@mattfeest5809]

So glad you gave an honourable mention to The King in Yellow. While not typically horror it did influence so many other horror writers ❤

[@jaimieharris5275]

Clive Barker to read: Books of Blood, volumes 1-3, Weaveworld, and Imagica. The latter two are more dark fantasy but have very horrific scenes.

[@halifirien]

Weaveworld is one of my favorite books. I hope you like it.