Top Ten 80s Horror Paperbacks

Part one of a two part video series wherein I choose my favorite 80s horror paperbacks in my collection that I have read. Part two, worst 80s horror paperbacks: • Bottom Ten 80s Horror ...
*damn it, I forgot to move the text back on Slimer after making the intro. Sorry. This is the kind of top quality you get here around the Book Graveyard.
**I totally have two Stephen King books in the shot on the bottom left. Ha! But they are two I haven't read.
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[@secretfirebooks7894]

The phrase "undercover at the nude beach" sounds like an oxymoron.

[@kevsplitterskull3209]

And undercover how? For what purpose? Were the sharks posing as nudists to lure people into the water, and this was ththe only way you could catch them? I mean, if you're a plumber, you're just a naked plumber. If you're a cop, you're just a naked cop. I really have to read this.

[@sfwordsofwonder]

"I'm a simple person who likes simple things" says the guy with the lavishly stained custom bookcases behind him. I haven't heard of any of these books or authors, that is why I love this channel. I rarely find any interesting old horror when I'm hunting books but I'll be on the lookout for a few of these.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@sfwordsofwonder Haha! Ira, you're the king of comment burns. I had it coming.

[@PulpMortem]

Haha LAVISH. Come down from your Ivory castle and hang out with the rest of us down here, Nick!

[@chrisw6164]

People complain it’s hard to find horror paperbacks like this, but trust me, it was hard 30 years ago too. These writers are all new to me except Monteleone.

[@scottjeune154]

@@chrisw6164 it was hard when these were new

[@squashchefan]

Totally agree with your point about the length of novels . Much rather have a punchy 200 page novel than a long drawn out 500 pager. Why I much prefer the pulp paperback era

[@geraldmartin7703]

Blame Stephen King who must get paid by the word.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@geraldmartin7703 he definitely started it all

[@carihislop161]

Loved the countdown! I'll be keeping an eye out for Rip Tide. Sounds hilarious. I don't understand why so many authors of older books or their heirs (unless they sold away the rights to their stories forever) aren't selling their stories in e-book form. Seeing the bookshelves behind you - your house must smell amazing. 70's and 80's paperbacks had a particular scent. Maybe it was the glue and ink they used. Paperbacks don't smell the same these days.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@carihislop161 yeah, I don't know. Last year I was trying to start a shirt company with all old paperback covers. I tracked down the family of one of the artists and offered them money and royalties of each sale but they weren't interested. I don't get it. The art was over 50 years old and not doing anything for them. Why wouldn't they want to do it? The only thing I can think is that they thought it would be tacky to have his art on a shirt. They never did tell me why.

[@carihislop161]

@@TheBookGraveyard If the artist created the work for book covers you'd assume the artist would love to have their work on t-shirts - it's very pop culture. It's sad their heirs couldn't be bothered. Good cover art deserves as much respect as any other kind of art.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

After posting this video I had a conversation with Fathom Press who said they are indeed republishing Rip Tide!

[@kevinsbookcase59]

With my 46 years in the book business, I am exactly like you. I have always supported the "B" or Independent author as much as I can. I still do to this day. In my store, I push them more than the mainstream authors. Loved your list. I remember every single title coming into the bookstore I was working at during the 80s!!! Loved your list!!!😊

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@kevinsbookcase59 I love the less traveled path! There's always treasures to find (and pitfalls) but with the bigger stuff you pretty much know what you're getting.

[@davidlarramore1990]

"So what we have here is some convoluted shit at the beginning". And that is how you begin a book review. Loved it. First time I've run into your channel and these types of books were a huge part of my diet in the 80's. And I like the way you talk about things. So, yeah, I've subscribed. Look forward to more of you and your books.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

ha! I'm very professional. thanks so much!

[@PrometheanBlade]

Hey cool! Props for the bookmaze reference, I’ve bought books there too! Bookmans is also awesome. Thanks for the recommendations as well.

[@cleverlydevisedmyth]

omg I've lived in Phoenix my whole life and have never heard of 'BookMaze'! I need to go there this weekend! :) Thanks for the info. Awesome collection of paperbacks you have there!

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Hell yes. I miss that place. If you remember come back and let me know what you thought of it or what you got.

[@wbbartlett]

I'll have to check out Book Maze, I'm not too far from Mesa.

[@kennykool100]

2 that I loved were: The Sentinel, by Jeffrey Konvitz. It was turned into a great horror movie in 1976. Another was: Funhouse, by, Owen West, which was also a great 1980’s horror movie.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Nice! I have the Sentinel but haven't read it yet, though I have seen the movie. Funhouse is new to me. Going to have to check it out

[@BadTasteBooks]

Some covers here I've never even seen! Excellent selection, I haven't read a single one of them. And I'm completely sold on Rip Tide!

[@bjlowe85]

Amazing video Nick. Few to track down now

[@1776almaden]

Great selection.... enjoy your videos... enjoy all the great covers... I especially like that these books and the covers are not "sanitized" or "politically correct". 😀

[@leefisher6366]

24:40 - Are you not going to mention when Mark Stark and a narc try to park in the dark when - hark! - the shark barks, sparking remarks?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

haha! No need to get snark!

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

This is a Great list of classic horror. Thank you for this😎👍🏻

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Hey, thanks for watching it!

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

@@TheBookGraveyard No worries. Loved your video, well impressed with your collection, it’s awesome and puts mine to shame 🤣👍🏻

[@r655321]

"What the fuck does that even mean?!" made me LOL hard! Subbed!

[@littlelibraryofhorrors]

Rip Tide has been on my want list for ages now simply for the cover. After watching this, I'm making it my next purchase. It sounds simply amazing. Great video, Nick!

[@jessicanewmom1018]

As soon as I saw Henry Bemis and horror, I subscribed.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

He just wants a little time to read, is that asking too much?! Ha! Thanks!

[@Night_Nerves]

Such a great list! There's definitely more than a handful of titles here that I need to track down and read

[@joshdean5449]

Great video. All of these books sound like a lot of fun. If you like Native American horror, then you might want to check out a book by John Saul called “Sleepwalk.” Some people would probably argue that it’s really a thriller, but it’s still pretty cool.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@joshdean5449 I absolutely love thrillers also, so I'll check it out! Thanks!

[@StivNagen]

Horror is one genre I don't read, but I still watched the whole video!

[@TheBookGraveyard]

thank you Stiv! Hopefully it was somewhat enjoyable. haha

[@StivNagen]

@@TheBookGraveyard I always get a few laughs watching those review videos.

[@jnmortell66]

These are excellent! Do you have a recommended list of anthologies or short story collections in the same pulpy vein as the novels?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

I have a few paperback anthologies but haven't read any I'd particularly suggest. I did do a flip through review of this awesome collection of pulpy horror stories called Atomic Werewolves and Man Eating Plants. It has a bunch of Weird Tales type zany horror stories collected from magazines published in the 40s-70s. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIe3o4CEd7Oih9ksi=p1yE3aXIP1wLq5zx

[@thevintageviking4752]

Great reviews! There’s a few I’m on the lookout for now! Thanks for the recommendations!!

[@TheBookGraveyard]

awesome, thank you!

[@creepyquills7092]

I have read Slimer. I have always loved the trope of a character (or characters) arriving to a place that is deserted, and we have to find out what happened. I love my vintage horror novels. I am trying to get all of Ruby Jean Jensen. She has some great scary doll images for her novels. The have republished her novels and made them too modern for me. They are cute but...I like the vintage scary doll look much better.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Absolutely! I also love RJJ. She was going to be on this list but the one I had picked out was from the 90s

[@creepyquills7092]

@@TheBookGraveyard I’d love to see your collection.

[@itsjezzer]

It says a lot about my misspent youth that the only one of these I've read was Rip Tide.

[@smalltowntyrants]

Proteus (1995) is the film inspired by "Slimer". Enjoyed your video. Thank you.

[@PulpMortem]

Ok I can't stop thinking about Rip Tide and now I'm on the lookout for it. UGH why do I do this to myself.

[@splintert4231]

Nighttrain looks promising. Slimer seemed like one I'd want to read, but then I read a review where they mentioned a lot of gratuitous sexual violence, which is not my jam, despite the fact that all kinds of other horrific violence is just fine to me. I wondered if you were going to mention James Herbert's The Dark, which is an all time favorite of mine. In fact I am looking for recommendations for some really crazy, pulse pounding, action heavy horror like The Dark, where practically half of London is dead by end of that book.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Yeah now that you mention it there was some sexual violence in there. It wasn't without point though if that makes it any better. Like, I think the author really wanted you to hate the one character. As far as action heavy horror I'd say Wet Work by Phillip Nutman. I think that book would be on a lot of people's top ten lists.

[@richardbrown8966]

Stephen Gallagher, who wrote Valley of Lights, is actually English.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@richardbrown8966 Interesting! Maybe he just took a Phoenix vacation and wrote the book there. Ha.

[@scottjeune154]

@@TheBookGraveyard i always thought the brits went so hard for explicit horror writing because they were writing their gore movies post Mary Whitehouse legislation.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@scottjeune154 Totally agree! I suggested that exact thing in my review of Nighthunter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqGWqIKagquYpKcsi=2p7IGdBI1h9arauU&t=1107

[@scottjeune154]

My fave will always be The Scream by Skipp and Spector

[@TheBookGraveyard]

those guys always get lots of love. I need to check them out

[@scottjeune154]

@@TheBookGraveyard oh helllllll yes you do. Demonically possessed vietnamese lead singing metal band with eyeless zombie fans turning water hoses filled with gasoline on their arena crowd to start a mass sacrifice???? Theyre the kings of Splatterpunk.

[@markbaumbargt3430]

Got most of these. Favorite writers of the eighties and early nineties were Charles L. Grant, William Schoell, Edward Lee, Kathryn Ptacek, Harry Adams Knight, Ruby Jean Jenson, Dana Reed, and Gordon Lizner, whose "The Oni" is well worth checking out.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Awesome! I have books by all of these authors but have only read about half. I originally had a RJJ book in the top ten until I looked at the year and saw it was from the 90s.

[@coolstuff6558]

The Burning by Jeff Fain was one of my favorite lesser-known 80's novels to read

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@coolstuff6558 just looked it up, sounds fun. My wife loves witch & Satan in her horror so I might have to get that for her. Thanks!

[@PulpMortem]

Slimer sounds so rad

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@PulpMortem It's great! And not good bad either but actually a creepy entertaining read.

[@coolstuff6558]

The Fungus was another one by Harry Adam Knight that's worth checking out !!

[@creaturesbookreviews3074]

Just subbed your channel. This video was such fun!

[@HighPriestessK]

I am so glad I found your channel.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Glad to have you here!

[@kellswitch]

What if Donald D Cheatham is a well known author who lost a bet and had to write this?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

haha it's possible!

[@brendonford3838]

Spoiler alert: 10 worst 80s horror books is just gonna be king books.

[@Squawking_Squatcher]

You need to read The Bog, by Michael Talbot. Published in 1986, it's about an archaeologist who moves his family to a small English village after one of his grad students finds a bog body. It's absolutely fantastic and centers around an ancient evil that demands human sacrifice - the bog body being one example. One of the best books I've ever read. 314 pages long. And, the facts around the history and even the methods of preservation at the dig site are spot on. (I'm an anthropologist who has been on a couple archaeological digs.)

[@TheBookGraveyard]

I have! I loved the Bog. It almost made it on the list actually. I particularly enjoyed how out of nowhere at the end it becomes a fantasy novel with centaurs and stuff haha.

[@buckiemohawk3643]

F Paul Wilson had some really good ones. So did James Herbert but theres always a few stand outs that are good

[@johnwalsh4857]

yah read slimer and Fungus(aka. Deathspore )love both of em. Harry Adam Knight is a pseudonym for his real name John Brosnnan from Australia.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Even better that he's from Australia!

[@danielhunt2538]

I’ve gotta take a trip to Bookmans to try to find some of these

[@TheBookGraveyard]

I pulled a ton of 80s horror from both of the Phoenix area locations of Bookmans. Also check out the Bookmaze in Mesa. The Book Gallery has some every once in awhile. They also have two locations; one in Mesa and one downtown Phoenix. The half priced books out in East Mesa usually has some and there is a record store in East Mesa called Uncle Aldos Attic and he has a small selection of vintage paperbacks. Maybe not 80s horror but some earlier era stuff.

[@johnwalsh4857]

my top ten fave 80s horror paperbacks are in no order: Erebus Shaun Hutson yah very gory mutant vampire novel. and action and the gore were over the top Body horror galore. Yep Hutson was known in the 80s as the goriest sickest splatterpunk . They even had a feature on him in Twilght zone magazine. The Skull Shaun Hutson, more very gorey stuff and body horror too. MIrror Graham masterton, starts out like your typical haunted mirror story and then becomes apocalyptic later, love the ride. Assassin Shaun Hutson: London hard men criminals meet zombies, with lots of gunfire , nope these are not gut munching infectious zombies but rotting non cannibalistic fulci movie looking zombies . sorry got cut short have to run will be back

[@TheBookGraveyard]

I haven't read any Hutson yet. Sounds like I need to!

[@johnwalsh4857]

@@TheBookGraveyard yes he is a great writer. the so called king of gore, well he has been less gory lately.

[@heathen6165]

Slimer was made into a film called Proteus here in the UK. Directed by FX guy Bib Keen , and stars Doug Bradley..briefly..Pinhead himself.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@heathen6165 awesome, thank you! I knew someone would have the answer

[@seannyhan2254]

Here's my list, by author, and in no particular order: John Skipp and Craig Spector - The Scream - The Light at the End - The Cleanup Joe R Lansdale - Acts of Love - The Night Runners Dean Koontz - Twilight Eyes - The Watchers

[@fuckgoogle8661]

I know Skipp. He’s a great guy and would love that you enjoyed those. If you haven’t checked it out try his and Craig’s book the bridge. It’s worth a read and it’s probably the most underrated of their collaborations.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Nice! I have a few Skipp and Spector but haven't gotten to them yet. I know they get high praise

[@halifirien]

I got rid of a lot of my paperbacks over the past few years, but “Transformation” is still on my shelf and exempt from the purges.

[@StormReads]

Interesting books, I love old covers!

[@TheBookGraveyard]

Thanks! Me too!

[@waymire01]

Wow.. that's an impressive collection. Maybe you can help. I read a book somewhere around '87 that has stuck in my head, and I cannot find it again, I've tried on/off for years. It's about a couple that move into a house that is demonically possessed.. like it's trying to break through but it has to build strength by feeding off of them.. it was creepy as heck and the one scene that I remember vividly is the demon walking down the stairs, half formed.. only a pair of legs. Ring any bells?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@waymire01 oh damn, I don't know that one, but if you find out, let me know cause it sounds awesome.

[@IsabelAnderson-g2h]

Transformation is awesome haha

[@remlya]

Thanks for omitting Stephen King from the list. Just saw a similar video a few minutes ago and most of the books were written by him. Undoubtedly influential, but so many others worth mentioning.

[@connieshultz8137]

Found a few on Kindle, look forward to reading them! Not Riptide tho😂

[@TheBookGraveyard]

After making this video I talked with an independent publishing house who said they acquired the rights to Riptide so there will be a reissue coming soon!

[@whattheboredom9967]

Rip Tide sounds like the book ever written 😂

[@TheBookGraveyard]

the best worst book ever written for sure!

[@whattheboredom9967]

@@TheBookGraveyard and now it is a definite must read for me lol. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@isabelleprovosty2406]

What about a review of horror movie screenplays 80s paperbacks ?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

I do have some movie novelizations but I've only read a few. Maybe I could do a video just flipping through them. I did do a review of the B-horror movie novelization of Blue Sunshine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqGWqIKagquYpKcsi=2O_nr2lEutvy6lcZ

[@PatrickBonner-x9h]

Theare is shaun huston paper back among that lot

[@karentaghizoghi453]

I think that I like your reviews better than reading books.

[@Summalogicae]

Cool Tor Horror t-shirt!

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@Summalogicae thanks, I printed it!

[@bloodytapes4516]

great vid!

[@reneeschnarr6260]

Have you heard of The Making of a Monster by Gail Peterson? (It might be Pederson damn autocorrect)

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@@reneeschnarr6260 I have not. It sounds like a true crime book. What is it?

[@reneeschnarr6260]

It’s a vampire story. A housewife is turned into a vampire and she’s not happy about it-she feels guilty when she kills people but doesn’t have it in her to commit suicide. At first she’s homeless and her only friend in the world is an elderly homeless woman until she meets a werewolf who kills the elderly woman. She eventually moves into the condo owned by the vampire who changed her and, since she needs purpose in her life, joins a rock band. After that things get complicated because she has to hide what she is and she slowly starts to realize that she’s being stalked.

[@fishycentaur2384]

Anything from Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. Especially the first 5 books.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@fishycentaur2384 I haven't read any of his Necroscope but I read Demogorgon and liked that one. I've heard people say his Lovecraftian stuff is good too.

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@fishycentaur2384 I haven't read any of his Necroscope but I read Demogorgon and liked that one. I've heard people say his Lovecraftian stuff is good too.

[@seannyhan2254]

His Psychomech series is also good.

[@Adeadghost2970]

Would you compare Rip Tide as so bad it’s good in terms like The Room’s status?

[@TheBookGraveyard]

@Adeadghost2970 haha I've never seen the Room but I would say it's probably more like Miami Connection in it's so bad, it's goodness. It's action packed.

[@soopahsoopah]

Damn this channel rocks my ass hard

[@TheBookGraveyard]

haha thanks!

[@respobabs]

Monteleone = MONT uh lee ohn

[@TheBookGraveyard]

haha I like to say the names in ridiculous ways but I honestly didn't know how to say that one so I made it sound extra wonky. Now that I know I wish I would have it said it in a heavy French accent

[@klipkultur3680]

A top 10 of the worsts??? Ok. That's where we're getting some Stephen King's

[@TheBookGraveyard]

haha no, to be fair, no Stephen King there either.