Stephen King Fans discussion

Which book of King's scared you the most?

The scarest book for me (so far) was Pet Sematary....then The shining. For me books are scarier than the movies....I know some poeple are different...but maybe it is because when I really get a chance to read it is late at night and when all my kiddies are in bed...its all quiet...who better then to freak you out with a creepy story then Stephen King?

Posting my comment from the other thread here, as it is more appropriate:

I don't really find Stephen King books scary as a whole. Rather, different parts of them scare me.

The build-up in the The Tommyknockers had me really freaked out... The scene with the dog's eyes glowing had me sleeping with the light on for about 2 days, but then I didn't think that the actual threat in the book was scary.

The tunnel scene in The Stand used to scare the crap out of me, but after reading it more times than I can count, it's kinda lost its punch... The same with Room 217 in The Shining.

I don't think that I read Stephen King for the scare factor anymore. I just find that I miss the stories if I have been away too long. ;)

Yep, his short stories are definitely scarier as a whole than his longer stories and novels. Maybe because the "short-story" format allows for a more open ended conclusion? Leave a bit to the imagination?

Some of the short stories that gave me a scare:

The Raft (Skeleton Crew)
The Mist (Skeleton Crew)
Survivor Type (Skeleton Crew)
Jerusalem's Lot (Night Shift)
Children of the Corn (Night Shift)

"Survivor Type" is one of my favorite short stories... Anyway, I'm sure I missed quite a few good ones, these are favorites that just popped into my head.

I guess I'll say The Tommyknockers. Any book that makes me dream about it three times while I'm in the process of reading it is definitely doing something right.

The Shining scared me to death. The first time I read it I was living alone in Alaska, newly there didn't know anyone and reading King late at night. Not a good mix, but still fun to be scared!

well, pet sematary kinda scared me, since i only read it at night... nothing scary in dark tower or insomnia, and carrie wasnt scary either...

for some reason, everything's eventual had a kind of creepy feeling to it...

I tend to get more scared and freaked out by his short stories then his novels!

I'm not sure. It's gotta be a toss-up between Salem's Lot and The Shining.....and maybe even Pet Semetary. And I have to agree with Becky, he has alot of really scary short stories:
The Raft
The Mist
Jerusalem's Lot
Children of the Corn
These are some of my faves!

Salems lot for sure....I remeber the chills i got when I read the part with Danny Glick hovering at the bedroom window. I looked out my bedroom window at the time and wow, what a rush....

J.P.

Ok, as weird as it might sound I was terrified when I read Pet Cemetary. I remember reading it as a teen when I lived at my parents house and I can remember sitting on the couch by the front door just paralyzed with fear. I couldn't read it when I was home alone. Did anyone else find that book scary?
Heidi

I don't know why you would find it weird Heidi, I would imagine that a lot of people consider Pet Sematary one of King's scariest books. I doubt that you are alone in being scared while reading that one! :)

I think it was that book that really allowed me to realize the power of reading over watching a movie and how much more of an impact on you it can really have. It engages your mind so much more. The part of the book where he is digging up his son.....oh it still gives me chills.
Heidi

I definitely have to reread Pet Semetary! It was my first and I absolutely loved it! And it scared the hell out of me as a kid! It's been way too long!

The Stand cause that shit could happen ! maybe not the good vs evil part but us killing ourselves

I think the books are always scarier, because my mind can come up with more than goofy dead-people costumes. I think Pet Sematary and also It. And the one movie that was scary to me was Children of the Corn but that is probably because I was about 10 when I watched it, and that Malachi guy freaked me out totally!

I notice he uses tunnels a lot - the one in the Stand, the one in the Talisman (the Oatley tunnel, if I ever saw a real place like that, I'd LEAVE) and the Shining.

I have read some of the older stuff lately, and find that he has grown so much as a writer, that the scary parts are less gross and more scary now...

OMG Jennifer how could I have forgotten It? That book was so scary I could barely get through it. I should read it again now as an adult and see if it is as scary.

I am 3/4 of the way through IT, and it sure has it's scary parts, but it also has some great charaters. That is one of the things I love about King, he really lets you get to know each charater very well. Can't wait to see how it ends, I have feeling I better have every light in the house on. I swear during some parts of the book already I have to stop and look around and make sure my kids are all accounted for.
One night during one creepy part of the book I was at the library and some older man kept looking up from his lap top starring at me...and when I made eye contact he just kept starring without looking away from me, so I tryed to smile a little....and he wasn't smiling back, just this weird intense stare....from then on I was out of that room and stayed close to where my daughter was....freakin wierd.
Bad timing for a creep to be starring at me for no particular reason...lol.

He saw you reading King, Jennifer, and thought it would be funny to scare you! ;)

lol, you're probably right! That was my thought as well, he did a good job, he was creepy.

Salem's Lot! I read it way too young, and it has never left me. I know vampires aren't real, but still... they scare me. Especially King's type, as opposed to the hip Anne Rice or Charlaine Harris versions. Plus, add in the Marsten house... what's a girl to do???!!!

I just read 'Salem's Lot(finished it today), and I must admit, I didn't find it very scary at all, in fact, at time the book came off as a little hokey and cartoonish to me.

It was still a good read that I enjoyed but it isn't even remotely close to being one of his scariest, in my humble opinion. I believe that goes to The Shining, from what I have read of his work.

But I haven't read 'It' yet. ; )

I gotta say IT scared me the most. My mother makes fun of me cuz I still won't go in the basement because of that scene with Georgie going down to grab the Turtle Wax. gives me the willies :)

Salem's lot, hands down! I read it just a few years ago for the first time, and I was afraid to turn off the lights at night while I read it! And that doesn't happen often nowadays I can tell you.

When I was younger it was probably "It".

The Shining of course because while not the first King story I ever read it was one that scared the crap out of me.Misery does too in that real life crazy stalker fan way.I could so see some weird fan of King's doing that to him.

I don't know if I would say I've been scared by a book, but certainly disturbed by some. Those that would fit into the most disturbing category would be 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, It, and Pet Semetery, as mentioned by many....

But I'll also throw Gerald's Game out there....I'm somewhat claustrophobic and I hate being confined. I read that book on a long bus ride and it gave me the willies.....

I don't scare that easily, but there were some that disturbed me

"The Moving Finger" from Nightmares and Dreamscapes (I kept plugging the bathroom sink for a few days after that, couldn't even look at it LOL)

"It" (Pennywise the Clown was damn creepy, and I'm not normally scared by clowns)

"N." from Just After Sunset (I keep hoping my OCD will never get that bad LOL)

"The Breathing Method" from Different Seasons (just creepy, especially because I have had a child)

I LovE Misery of all his books :) However, The Stand (when it first came out and was untainted by the publicity) scared me to death ;o

I thought Pet Sematary was creepy, but a book that scared me from start to finish, one I've never been able to reread, and don't think I'll ever be able to, even though I did love some parts of it, is Desperation.

Normal people being possessed by an evil force, one person in a group possessed and the others not knowing who, a child's intense loss again and again; all put together to make this a terrifying read.

Plus the Regulators, its companion read, was like having a second helping of the same.

I also agree that short stories can be more intense - my scariest are:-

Gramma - Skeleton Crew (?)
Everything's Eventual - Collection of same name

Scenes from novels (you called it Becky):

*******possible spoilers********

1) In Gerald's Game, when Jessie realizes there is a giant "man" lurking in the dark corner of her bedroom; I nearly threw the book across the room!

2) The Tommyknockers, Hilly Brown sending his brother to Altair 4 -- sad and scary!

3) Delores Claiborne, when her husband almost climbs back out of the well

4) Misery, when Annie makes it out to the barn and the police find her with a chainsaw in her hands! :0 That whole novel pretty well disturbed the heck out of me.

5) Pet Sematary, Zelda!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6) IT, the drains, the drains, the drains.

Dreamcatcher when they were discussing McCarthy I was freaked out.

I think I commented on this thread before...not sure. Oh well, I'll answer again....

Pet Sematary

I'm just surprised at how long it took for someone to mention It lol! That was just terrifying.

Also for some reason the setting of Dreamcatcher (up all alone in the woods during a snowstorm) really...idk if it freaked me out per se, but it made the book very memorable and the horror that much better. I loved the part where (view spoiler)[ Jonesy almost shoots McCarthy because he thinks he's a deer. Very creepy, very detailed and very well done (hide spoiler)]

I read everything's eventual a while ago. The man in the black suit was a great scare. I still look over my shoulder when i go in the woods lol.

So far, The Shining.

Kathryn wrote: "So far, The Shining."

The Shining was a scary one! (view spoiler)[ the part that scared me was the elevater at night! (hide spoiler)]

Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his house alone; it really freaked me out. Maybe the vulnerability??

It because it tapped into childhood fears; mostly just the beginning; i guess for the same reason.

Salems Lot when those boys were delivering the casket... *shudders*

Alondra wrote: "Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his house alone; it really freaked me out. Maybe th..."

I thought the scariest part of Salem's Lot was (view spoiler)[when Ben Mears drives an ash baseball bat through undead Susan Norton's heart (hide spoiler)]

Dan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his house alone; it really freaked ..."

Oh my god I forgot about that!

Dan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his house alone; it really freaked ..."

eewww; yeah. i remember.. oh, how sad that was for him. the whole town just withered and died... :/

Victor wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "So far, The Shining."

The Shining was a scary one! [spoilers removed]"

The scariest part for me, which even gave me a bad dream, was (view spoiler)[the bathtub scene when the dead woman comes after Danny. O..M...G... (hide spoiler)]

Kathryn wrote: "Victor wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "So far, The Shining."

The Shining was a scary one! [spoilers removed]"

The scariest part for me, which even gave me a bad dream, was [spoilers removed]"

yeah, the lead up to that scene was ccrreeeppy..

I would go with It... Nothing scarier than a clown.

Jim wrote: "I would go with It... Nothing scarier than a clown."

Werd. Lol

Someone mentioned that King's short stories are scarier. Going to agree with that. 'N' was very freaky! I think 'Bag of Bones' is probably his most frightening work for me as ghosts tend to be something I am more prone to believing could possibly exist.

Alondra wrote: "Dan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his house alone; it rea..."

Yeah actually, it was sad. It wasn't like in Dracula when (view spoiler)[Arthur Holmwood has to drive the stake through undead Lucy Westerna's Heart (hide spoiler)]. No, that wasn't sad, but it was equally as terrifying. Anyway, back to 'Salem's Lot, yeah I just kind of liked her character. Stephen King shouldn't have done that to her. Still gotta give him props for the fear factor though...LOL.

Dan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Dan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Angie wrote: "Which book of King's scared you the most? "

It and Black House. I have no idea why Black House, but when Jacks blind friend was in his hou..."

yeah; Lucy was over the top anyway. Salems lot, you knew everyone was gonna have a bad end; but you were hoping Sai King would be sympathetic. tragic.

BTW; 'N' was too creepy. I agree that the short stories are much creepier. He likes to pack a punch. :)

Where is "N" featured?

Kathryn wrote: "Where is "N" featured?"

Just after Sunset... *shudders*

For me, it was The Shining. Of course, I was only about 11 or 12 when I read it, but I was terrified out of my mind. Had to sleep with the lights on for weeks. Did that stop me from reading? Nope!