The list of the worst horror books will help you choose a literary work for the evening, if you want to tickle your nerves. Naturally, not only films are suitable for this, but also novels, chilling stories and short stories. At all times, writers paid a lot of attention to this genre, so if you want, you can find a work for every taste.
1. "Pet Cemetery"
In the list of the worst horror books, the first place is given to the work of Stephen King. This is a recognized master of literary horror. One of his most famous books is the novel The Pet Cemetery, written in 1983.
This is a post-modern Gothic novel in which a Creed couple with two children moves to the city of Ludlow. In the neighborhood with a new home, children constantly bury their pets. The head of the family, Louis, receives a warning from his already deceased patient, who forbids him to go into the forest, located behind the pet cemetery. But he repeatedly violates this prohibition. King in his novel exploits the fear of losing a child and necrophobia, that is, the fear of corpses and funeral supplies.
Interestingly, the idea of this novel, which was included in the list of the most terrible horror books, was born from him when the writer buried his cat Smaki. When King finished the novel, he considered it so creepy that at first he didn’t even want to print it. But because of problems with money, he nevertheless agreed to the publication.
The English-speaking audience enthusiastically accepted the novel, agreeing that this is one of the worst horror books. The Pet Cemetery won the Locus Award. Critics who did not like the novel noted that the nature of the fears described in the book was very superficially examined by the author. King's work was first filmed in 1989 by director Mary Lambert, in 2019 another film adaptation is expected. The novel is deservedly recognized as the worst horror book in the world.
2. "Lullaby"
In second place is the novel "Lullaby", which the American writer Chuck Palahniuk wrote in 2002. Since then, he has been included in the lists of the worst horror books.
In the story, journalist Karl Streitor examines the syndrome of sudden infant death. This is a real pathology, when the baby can die almost instantly in his crib or in the arms of his parents. A reporter finds out that children die after they read an old African lullaby. Initially, it was pronounced over the wounded or hopelessly sick, when the tribe needed to move to a new place. It turns out that the song is still valid. People around Karl begin to die from her - his editor, a noisy neighbor, as well as passers-by, who simply meet him on the street.
In parallel, this terrible horror book tells of the cunning realtor Eden Boyle, who uses this spell for her own selfish purposes. At the same time, she has many other oddities that the eerie heroes of Palahniuk always have. For example, she primarily sells houses inhabited by a poltergeist or ghosts. She gets the exclusive right to sell them, capitalizing on the fact that owners change every few months.
3. "It"
It is not surprising that the master of literary horror has more than one work on the list of the most terrible horror books. In 1986, he wrote the novel "It", in which he immediately touched on many important topics for himself - the strength of a united group of people, the power of memory, the impact of injuries sustained in childhood, on adulthood. The work is in third place.
At the center of the story are seven friends from a small fictional American town called Derry, which is located in Maine. They have to fight a monster that wakes up every few years to kill children. At the same time, it can take almost any physical form, disguising itself as what a person fears most. The narrative in this very scary book of horrors is simultaneously conducted in several time intervals. One corresponds to the childhood of the main characters, and the second to their adult life.
It is noteworthy that initially the villain was conceived as a troll under the bridge, but then the author decided to develop the idea, forming a collective image of various monsters. In this creature there are features of a werewolf, vampire, and even an alien life form.
King projected his own childhood memories into children's behavior. In the first year, the novel was sold in more than two and a half million copies, entering the top of terrible horror books. The book immediately entered several lists of the most terrible works of a century and a millennium, although some critics noted that the narrative turned out to be protracted, confused and overloaded, and the ending was not the most successful.
Others, on the contrary, liked the idea of a dual narrative system, a large number of heroes, historical interludes. A lot of controversy went around teenage sex scenes described in the novel.
4. "The ridges of madness"
In the list of very scary horror books in fourth place is the work of American Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the novel "The Ridges of Madness." It was written in 1931, becoming the key product of the cycle of myths about Cthulhu.
The book tells about the geologist Dyer, who is trying to convince other scientists to send a research expedition deep into Antarctica. This opens up the terrible details of previous expeditions in which Dyer has already participated.
In 1930, researchers while drilling shale rocks found fingerprints of unknown living things. After some time, mountains were found comparable in height to the Himalayas. Dyer himself called them the ridges of madness. A camp was set up at the foot, while drilling in the cave even more remains of ancient animals were found.
The finds did not end there. In the cave itself there were terrible creatures described in the occult book Necronomicon with webbed wings and tentacles. When the group of researchers didn’t get in touch the next day, Dyer’s second squad went to their temporary camp.
A huge hurricane almost destroyed it. Almost all the equipment was damaged. In addition, specimens of mysterious creatures disappeared, as well as clothes, supplies and many things of the group members. The bodies of humans and dogs were disfigured. This is the plot of the novel, which is included in the list of the top 10 most terrible horror books.
5. "The Fall of the House of Asher"
Another master scare the reader, the founder of the detective genre - American Edgar Allan Poe. He mainly wrote short stories and short stories. One of his most creepy works belongs to the same genre, which is included in the list of terrible horror books, which is located in fifth place, “The Fall of the Asher House”.
It was first published in 1839. At the very beginning, the narrator receives a message from his youth friend Roderick Asher and goes to his estate. Even when approaching the house, he draws attention to the gloomy landscape that surrounds everything around. A subtle crack cuts the entire building from top to bottom.
From the owner of the house, he learns about a mysterious hereditary disease, due to which all of Asher’s feelings are agonizingly aggravated, he can’t tolerate bright light, screaming colors, loud sounds. His whole life has recently been filled with terrible fear.
Roderick is convinced that a certain force has settled in the house that he cannot figure out. The narrator finds out that Asher’s sister is also sick, she is indifferent to everything, literally melts every day. And recently, her condition has been especially worsening.
The narrator and Roderick talk a lot, like old friends, somehow the landlord sings the song "Ghost House", then discussing that plants are able to feel and understand what is happening around them. Because of this, the atmosphere around the house constantly thickens, which for centuries has influenced the fate of their family.
Finally, his sister Lady Madalein dies. Roderick asks the storyteller for help to lower the body into the dungeon before the funeral. They close the coffin and lock the iron door. Anxiety Roderick after this only intensifies, over time, it is transmitted to the narrator. About a week before the storm, they hear strange blows, the nature of which they cannot establish. Asher opens the window and watches the raging elements.
Then Roderick says that in reality they buried his sister alive, he understood this, thanks to heightened feelings, but was afraid to admit it. At this moment, the door opens and Lady Madilein appears in the room, she is exhausted and covered in blood. Falling into her brother’s arms, she carries away with him his already lifeless body.
The narrator runs away in horror, noting that the crack, which he noticed at the very beginning, is expanding. Poe's work is deservedly one of the worst horror books in the world.
In the reviews of the work you can always find references that this story became the standard for Gothic literature. Poe had many imitators and followers.
6. Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's fantastic novel Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus, was written in 1816. This is an English work that was anonymously published two years after. The life story of the scientist Victor Frankenstein can always be found among the 10 most terrible horror books.
Researchers want to comprehend the secret of the origin of life, as well as learn how to revive lifeless matter. To do this, he creates an artificial person from parts of the corpses of several people. But then he realizes what he has created and abandons his brainchild. The nameless monster is hated by everyone because of its ugliness, and it begins to pursue its creator.
The novel "Frankenstein", which is included in the top of the most terrible horror books, organically combines elements that are inherent in romantic and Gothic works, as well as science fiction in general. This is one of the first novels in which scientific methods are used to create the monster, so Shelley can be called the founder of science fiction.
It is interesting that the writer creates the first version of the novel when she is relaxing in a Swiss villa with Byron and friends. At the suggestion of a classic of English poetry, all members of the company compose eerie stories. The prototype for the main character for Shelley was the alchemist Johann Conrad Dippel, who worked in the 17th century in the German castle Frankenstein.
Fans of this novel immediately notice that this is not so much a mystical as a philosophical work. Here, it is more important for the author not to scare the reader, but to talk about the tragedy of the creature, which has become unnecessary even to its creator.
7. "The ghost of a house on a hill"
Another contender for getting into the list of the worst horror book in the world was also created by a woman. This is a novel by the American writer Shirley Jackson, "The Phantom of the House on the Hill." Today, the work is in seventh place.
It tells about Dr. John Markway, who studies the paranormal. To advance in his work, he invites several people with heightened extrasensory abilities to spend several days together in the so-called House on the Hill, which is considered ominous. This terrible horror book claims to have ghosts in it.
Two girls accept the doctor’s proposal - Theodora and Eleanor Lens and potential heir to the house, Luke Sanderson.
Apparently, the spirits of its former owners infiltrated the House on the Hill. He immediately challenges courageous researchers, frightening them with suspicious sounds, knocks, and the cold that appears from nowhere. Paranormal forces are especially attentive to the virgin Eleanor, who is extremely insecure. Her story recalls the fate of the nurse of the last mistress of the house. Theodora is attracted to her, at the same time hoping to establish a relationship with Dr. Markway.
This strange love triangle destroys the sudden arrival of the wife of the scientist Grace, who immediately declares that her husband is engaged in nonsense, she is ready to prove it, spending the night alone in the most terrible room in the house. All night, the inhabitants hear strange sounds from the room where Grace stopped, and in the morning she disappears.
Eleanor, who mentally wanted her rival dead, blames herself for her disappearance. She decides to follow the call of the house and goes up the unstable spiral staircase, followed by the doctor. When Eleanor sees Grace in the window, he realizes that the house took the explorer's wife instead.
Markway decides to complete the experiment, but Eleanor refuses to leave. Only succumbing to persuasion, she gets into the car, but, following the road through the park, she again sees Grace and crashes into a tree. The scientist’s wife at that time was really in the park. As it turned out later, it was at this place that the wife of the man who had built this house a long time ago died.
8. "Exorcist"
"The Exorcist" - the famous novel by American writer William Peter Blatty, which is in eighth place on the list. It tells about the priest Lancaster Merrin, who is involved in archaeological excavations in northern Iraq, where the head of the demon Pazuzu is found.
At the same time, in Washington, at Georgetown University, the mother of a young priest, Karras, was dying, who had been in a psychiatric hospital for a long time. He is very worried about her death, appeals to his superiors with a request to allow him to temporarily remove him from compulsory services.
Another heroine of the novel is Chris McNeill, who takes part in the filming of the film on campus. Her daughter, who is 12 years old, begins to experience strange attacks. Mother leads her to the doctor, with whom the girl begins to behave unusually aggressive. Her seizures, during which the bed trembles, occur more often. During attacks of unconsciousness, Regan begins to speak in a strange male voice and make unusual gestures. Doctors suspect she has a brain disease, but examinations do not confirm this diagnosis.
Soon, under mysterious circumstances, the director of the film, in which Chris was shot, dies. He falls out of the window of Regan's room. The murder is being investigated by Detective Kinderman. He finds a figurine made by a girl near the corpse of a man. Kinderman inquires in detail about what happened father Karras, wanting to connect the death of the director with another crime - the desecration of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, doctors are desperate, not knowing how to further treat Regan. They advise Chris to try to turn to the exorcists for help. The girl goes to meet with father Carras.
While the priest examines the girl, she announces in an eerie voice that her name is Devil. Karras attributes this to psychosis, believing that the girl is crazy. He has to doubt this when Regan begins to speak in a strange language, which turns out to be English, turned upside down. Karras is tormented by doubts, but he nevertheless asks permission from the Catholic Church to conduct the rite of exorcism.
Experienced exorcist Merrin arrives to conduct the ceremony from Washington. They are trying to expel the evil spirit from Regan together with Father Carras, the demon begins to threaten them, as a result, Merrin dies from a sudden heart attack. Regan giggles ominously as Carras unsuccessfully tries to save Merrin. Seeing that it is useless, Karras rushes at the girl, demanding that the demon move to him, freeing the child. The demon agrees to this, but as soon as this happens, Karras, who has a moment of enlightenment, is thrown out the window. After this, Regan quickly recovers; together with his mother, they leave this city forever.
This is an ageless classic of a good and solid work of the horror genre. The mixture of mysticism and religion always resonates with readers and provides excellent feedback.
9. Dracula
The terrible stories in Bram Stoker's horror book "Dracula" make this book one of the most creepy and place it in ninth place. The novel was written in 1897, then repeatedly filmed, its main character Count Dracula became one of the most popular movie characters of the XX century.
The book tells the story of a young lawyer, Jonathan Harker, who travels to Transylvania to make a real estate deal with a local aristocrat named Dracula.
He buys an abandoned abbey. But an ordinary deal turns into a few months of chilling horror for a lawyer. It turns out that Dracula is an immortal vampire who needs new possessions. He leaves Harker to reprisal for three of his brides, also bloodsuckers, and he leaves the castle in a box with the earth from his native places.
The bride of Jonathan Mina Murray comes to her friend Lucy in the coastal town of Whitby, where a mysterious ship arrives soon. There is no crew on it, only the captain’s corpse is found at the helm. At this time, Lucy begins to suffer from severe blood loss, which forces her fiancé Arthur Holmwood to seek the help of Dr. Seward. This is a close friend of Lucy, the owner of a clinic for the mentally ill.
It turns out that Seward has long been interested in his patient, who appears to be Renfield. He eats spiders and flies in anticipation of the arrival of some almighty master. Professor Van Helsing, who specializes in rare diseases, invites you to consult about the condition of Lucy Seward. He immediately determines that the matter is the interference of dark forces, prescribing a blood transfusion to her, as well as precautions incomprehensible to others, for example, spreading garlic in her room. Van Helsing realizes that there are vampires nearby, whom he has to confront for the first time.
Bram Stoker, with his novel, brought to light one of the most popular subjects of the 20th century, to which not only writers, but also directors still tire of returning. This is a classic book that everyone should get to know.
10. "Terror Zone"
If we talk about modern books, then you should pay attention to the work of Mikhail Parfenov. He has the worst book - The Terror Zone. This is a collection of the popular "father of the domestic horror", which is in tenth place on the list.
In this book, an ordinary minibus turns out to be a monster from distant worlds, and an army of insects attacks a high-rise in Mitino. An elderly man fights with a monster, in which his elderly mother moved in, and an arachnid creature hunts for newborns.
Here are just some of the plots of his terrible stories. They are perfect for fans to tickle their nerves at the end of the day.