UK Book Club discussion

Hi all, I am a huge fan of Stephen King and have been reading his books for years. I read The Shining when i was quite young and I was genuinely scared throughout - even reading again (and again) it still sends shivers up my spine. There are a few of his other novels that scare me but I've never quite had the same feeling from any other author/book. I'd love some recommendations of books that have kept you awake at night?! Thanks.

When I was 13 I took a book by Clarke Ashton Smith on a school residential trip. Ashton Smith is 1930s gothic horror a la HP Lovecraft. Not good for a young lad.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clark-Ashton-...

I want so much scared as freaked out by Dean Koontz and his book intensity...because it is so intense.

It's always the realistic ones that get to me, forget clowns in gutters, and supernatural goings on, the ones that actually could and DO happen
unnerve me!

The thought of a Tory/UKIP coalition.

Ian wrote: "The thought of a Tory/UKIP coalition."
Whatever might happen in the election, at least we are lucky to have a western democracy. Many countries in the world are not so privileged and have really frightening 'governments'. I would find it scary to live in such places.

Ian stole the smart arse answer I was hoping to post.

I read the susan hill book , the women in black . I read it over a number of dark winter evening which added to the atmosphere of the story. This is probably the scariest book I have read , and I have read a lot . if they have read the woman in black , can anyone suggest a well written but more scarier book than this

The Exorcist scared me as a youngster. There were scenes in the book that really creeped me out. One that I recall specifically was when the priest is listening to the tape recording of Regan's (*sp*) demonic voice, then winds the tape back.. Well, anything else would be spoilerish, but a very scary book.

The shower scene in Psycho. Terrifying.

The Secret Of Crickley Hall by James Herbert, I listened to this on my way to Leicestershire and it scared me so much I was actually speeding up the M42 at 90 miles an hour!

I love SK too and I had trouble reading Misery, I had to read the end to see what happened before I could carry on reading.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "The Secret Of Crickley Hall by James Herbert, I listened to this on my way to Leicestershire and it scared me so much I was actually speeding up the M42 at 90 miles an..."

It was on tele last year wasn't it - The Secret of Crickley Hall? I loved it. Pretty damned spooky. That ruddy cane!! I can still hear it now.

Agree with Carol above - the shower scene in Psycho. In fact, the whole of Psycho! The Silence of the Lambs totally freaked me out when it first came out and I went to watch it as a teen. Buffalo Bill - he was the scary one, not Hannibal. Absolutely terrifying.

I agree The Woman in Black is scary and the recent remake with Daniel Radcliffe had me on the edge of my seat.

Others which scared are IT and Salem's Lot by Stephen King. With both the films were even more terrifying.

The scariest book I read recently was 'dark matter' by Michelle paver, a real sense of place and threat , gave me goosebumps.

The troop by Nick cutter and dead sea by Tim Curran are both great and very unnerving. If you like SK then salems lot igra classic and I would say his creepiest

Andrew wrote: "The scariest book I read recently was 'dark matter' by Michelle paver, a real sense of place and threat , gave me goosebumps."

I agree Andrew. I read that too. She did a great job of building the tension. It comes to a real climax as it gets darker outside as well as in the plot. Very well done

I found Pet Sematary quite unnerving, along with The Amityville Horrorand The Secret of Crickley Hall

I'm scared of long corridors when I can't see the end because of a twist or bend.

I hate anything with spiders and snakes, I know classic but there you are I am. I also steer clear of any horror book or film as I don't seem to be able to let it go. Anne

What scares me? The sheer number of people who actually, genuinely seem to love reading teenage vampire novels.

I'm a total lightweight and avoid anything scary. Most frightening book I've read is Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell. I kept checking the doors were locked for weeks afterwards. I won't be reading any more of hers. ...

Scariest stories ever, however:

1. Who Goes There, by John W. Campbell Jr. (if you don't recognize the title, think *John Carpenter's Thing*)

2. It! by Stephen King

3. The Colour Out Of Space, by H P Lovecraft (one of the only books written in the pre-nuclear era, I think, which describes anything remotely as horrific as nuclear fallout)

4. Nineteen Eighty Four, by George Orwell

5. Brothers of the Head, by Brian Aldiss

Dominic wrote: "4. Nineteen Eighty Four, by George Orwell"

Interesting definition of 'scary,' Dominic :-)