As the horrors take over the night during Halloween, we are bringing you the best books with scary stories to get you in the mood.
Here are some of the masters of the genre, with tales that have crossed the letters and terrorized the dark corners of readers’ minds. So, enjoy the chills as you bite your nails in fear.
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Gothic novel
Published: 1818
Pages: 166
Author’s nationality: UK
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a literary classic that has left an enduring mark on popular culture. It addresses universal themes of unbridled ambition, creation, human nature and the ethical consequences of science.
The story was conceived during a summer when Shelley was in Switzerland with her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron and other friends. The stay in the village served as inspiration for a challenge: the writers present were to create horror stories and she was inspired by conversations about the implications of science, experimentation, life and death.
Who’d like this?
There are many artistic adaptations of this world-famous story, but those who want to delve into the real words that brought Frankenstein’s monster to life should read Shelley’s work.
Quotes
- “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
- “If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!”
Readers say
- “Undoubtedly this book has won over hearts all over the world and maintained its value and intensity for three centuries and will keep doing it for the centuries to come,” says an Amazon user.
- “Mary Shelley’s timeless classic, Frankenstein, stands as a haunting testament to the human pursuit of knowledge and the consequences that accompany unchecked ambition,” says an Amazon user.
The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe
Horror short story
Published: 1839
Pages: 26
Author’s nationality: USA
This is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most celebrated works. The masterpiece follows a narrator who visits the gloomy mansion of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher.
As the narrative evolves, elements of doom, madness and mystery are revealed with an atmosphere of physical and mental decay of both the family and the house.
Who’d like this?
Readers who love chilling climaxes, character psychology and gothic storytelling will be delighted with the way Poe spun the plot.
Quotes
- “His heart is a suspended lute; As soon as you touch it, it resonates.”
- “A cadaverousness of complexion; an eye large, liquid and very luminous… finely molded chin, speaking, in its want of prominence, of a want of moral energy.”
Readers say
- “Very creepy. Poe really knows how to set a mood and a cold, depressing, scary one at that. An imagination such as his was not wasted as he is a good author of horror,” says an Amazon user.
- “This is a wonderful tale! It’s (almost??) perfect!” says an Amazon user.
Carrie, Stephen King
Horror novel
Published: 1974
Pages: 320
Author’s nationality: USA
Carrie is among the most successful of Stephen King’s works, one of the most recognized writers of the genre in current times. The story follows Carrie White, an outcast teenager with telekinetic powers that manifest under emotional stress.
The book addresses themes of school bullying, repression at home, revenge and abuse, representing an effective narrative of the dark fears of the human mind.
Who’d like this?
For readers who want a story with an in-depth exploration of human psychology and who love supernatural horror stories.
Quotes
- “Sorry is the Kool-Aid of human emotions. It’s what you say when you spill a cup of coffee or throw a gutter ball when you’re bowling with the girls in the league. True sorrow is as rare as true love.”
- “But hardly anybody ever finds out that their actions really, actually, hurt other people! People don’t get better; they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don’t stop pulling the wings off flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it.”
Readers say
- “Loved it from beginning to end. It grabs you early and makes you want to keep reading. King is a genius!” says an Amazon user.
- “Stephen King was at the top of his game with his first published novel Carrie. It is a very well written book that fills the reader with emotion and makes us want to reread it,” says an Amazon user.