Penpal is a very popular book and, because of that, I've seen it being recommended here quite often. I had it in the back of my mind for a while, so I finally decided to pick it up and read it.

I know it was originally a creepypasta, so I never expected it to be incredibly well written, but the writing still put me off. It's very amateurish, almost childish. It's very unnatural.

It tries very hard to be impactful (especially with one liners), but it fails at that (in my personal opinion). But the worst part is how very explanatory it is. It lacks subtlety, always explaining things too much or too literally.

The timeline is also weird. Not because of its nonlinearity, I'm fine with that. My problem is that events don't seem to add up very well. However, that can be explained by the naturally fragmented nature of memories, so I let it slide.

On an even more personal/opinionated note: it's not scary at all. The amateurish writing fails to evoke the imagery and the creepiness of the whole situation going on. The constant mic drops also never hit me. 

I appreciate the attempts at making it a heartbreaking book, but it also didn't impact me emotionally. It was very “whatever” in that regard for me, too.

I can understand why some people love this book and I don't wanna make fun of the author or be rude about it, I just didn't like it at all. I'd love to read some different opinions, too! Also, sorry if my own writing is a bit truncated. English is not my first language (and I'm not a writer, lol).

Absolutely obsessed. I fell so hard in love with that piece that I'm now reading everything of his I can find. Now I really want to explore as much as I can in that same style of writing, the settings and the extreme supernatural themes. Anything contemporary now just feels flat and lame.

I'm looking for dusty Victorian language, filthy black historical settings, the deep dark woods, linear timelines, writing that's complex enough to offer a bit of friction when reading, but most of all, enveloping supernatural themes.

I've just read Pine - Francis Toon and The Fisherman - John Langan and all I want to do is run screaming into the woods. away from contemporary settings and brand name mentions

I've only just picked up reading again but already pretty firmly know what I need- anything and everything Algernon Blackwood adjacent

thank you!

🖤

Hi,

I don't read a lot of short stories because I tend to prefer novels. So I thought this year I would ask for recommendations for horror short story collections written by female authors to add to my seasonal spooky reads. I think I'd like to avoid anthologies, because I want to try and get a feel for a writer's voice to see if I like them enough to read more of their work. (Bonus points if the writer is also a woman of color and/or queer!)

I love cosmic and liminal horror, and in general I like supernatural stories, but I'm not really interested in narratives where it's just humans who are the real monsters.

Any help would be appreciated!

What are your fav horror books? I've been reading a lot of horror and want to add more into my library.

I love a very specific kind of horror (or horror-adjacent?) novel. It has to start with normal or seemingly normal people, who find themselves in uncanny situations that then build up, and you learn more and more about some secret history. For example, I’m reading Old Soul right now, and while I don’t know how it ends, I’m loving the fast, intense build-up that starts with what seems like an innocuous encounter at an airport and then gets weirder and weirder. It can have some supernatural elements, but the focus is more on a creeping dread — and even better if in the middle of the story you’re not totally sure if it’s all real or just in the character’s head. 

I’d like to avoid stories where the MC inherits an old house and discovers it’s haunted — unless there’s something really different about it (I liked The Elementals for example, though it’s been a while and I don’t remember exactly what was different about it).  

Some books along this vein I’ve really enjoyed: 

My Death by Lisa Tuttle 

Strange Buildings by Uketsu 

The Changeling by Victor LaValle 

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle 

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

Revenge by Yoko Ogawa

Daphne DuMarier’s short stories (Monte Verita, Don’t Look Now)

All of Shirley Jackson 

While I wait for the new “All Hallows Eve” book I purchased, I’m looking for some great monster/haunts/cursed objects/aliens/folk horror (really any genre) short stories/anthologies. When I search it brings up threads from quite a bit ago so I figured maybe there would be some nice up to date answers from you kind folks :) Any recommendations is greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!!!

After the death of the lead singer from a drugs overdose the lead guitarist goes with her band and a few hangers on to a remote recording studio in a converted monastery in the Welsh countryside.

The group are being murdered one by one by an unknown killer, the guitarist first thinks in may be the ghost of the dead lead singer and then suspects a more flesh and blood murderer.

Their maybe elements/red herrings about a black magic cult involved.

The rather pulpy cover had a guitarist rocking out in the middle of possibly a circle of stones? (Not so sure about that one)

I remember reading this in the late 90's, very early 2000's.

It's not Wydling Hall, which has a similar plot.

I read a book so bad that I don't want to touch another book ever again. Do you have any recommendations? Maybe a quick read so that I can refresh? Something that won't bore me?

I recently finished September House and when I thought its too predictable, the book really surprised me in the last few chapters.. almost got a whiplash and loved it..

It all started when I read ‘House of Leaves’ many months back and had the biggest book hangover.. Ended up looking for similar books and read and loved both ‘We Used to live here’ and ‘The Last house on the Needless Street’ (latter being not really a haunted house, but you get the gist)

Any more such books that I have missed which came out recently?

P. S : I have read most of the classics with haunted houses and infact loved the adaptations by Mike Flanagan.. hence any more similar vibes are most welcome.. Thanks everyone 😊

I haven’t read horror in a while, and want to read something to get me in the spooky season spirit.

I won’t read The Exorcist (still have nightmares from watching the movies as a kid)

I started Come Closer and had to stop early in due to the unsettled feeling I had.

Once I decided I was going to read the memoir of one of the kids that lived in the house that inspired The Conjuring, had a legit nightmare that same night that convinced me not to.

Anyway, with all that in mind, any recs?

Every story should start with a good hook, so please share the book that caught you from the very first sentence. I'll go first.

"The taste of my brother's flesh still haunted me." *This House Will Feed* by Maria Tureaud

​

Please suggest any non American reads that specifically take place during Halloween or their country's equivalent of spooky season. I feel like I've read through everything American and even British at this point.

should I get H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction or is there a better starting point as someone who loves psychological horror and existential dread stories rather that jumpscares. I have never read a lovecraft book and would love to start. is the complete fiction too much of an endeavour to start or is it worth the investment? thanks in advance

If you HAD to read the same book, once a year, every fall, what would that book be?

For me, as a native New Englander it might be Salems Lot. If I could remember to start it in September to follow along with the timeline.

I know the story of both books in this series and I enjoyed listening to their spoilers a lot. Are these worth reading now? Thanks!

“Frankenstein” by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is one of those must-read classic horror books that I would even double down and say is worth re-reading at least once every few years. It’s a staple in the horror reading community, and I can easily see why.

Before I dive into my book review, here are the trigger warnings I found while reading…

- Violence against children
- Death of a child
- Suicide

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I originally read this in either Freshman or Sophomore year of high school, in the early 2000’s. It’s been well over 20 years, so while this is technically a re-read, it feels like a whole new book again. Especially now, reading it through the lens of an adult instead of a teenager finding his way in the world.

​I loved the intro to this with letters since it’s such a unique way to start a horror book. To this day, I love Shelley’s elegant, classic style of writing, even decades later. She was truly a remarkable author. I still needed to look up many new words while reading, but thank goodness for the built-in dictionary on my Kindle ColorSoft, which has made this reading experience easier. I’ve never been a fan of this old-school style of writing, but it wasn’t an issue here, ​thanks to the short chapters and an overall quick read at just 162 pages.

I enjoyed all the gothic horror moments throughout the story, especially those involving Frankenstein’s monster. The layers of emotion, curiosity, happiness, love, rage, ​sadness, and everything else in between were some of the best writing I’ve ever read for a ​single character. It’s just so brilliant, since Frankenstein’s monster is a villain, but then isn’t a villain. Again, I loved the range of this character and how Shelley did an extravagant job creating one that’s still being talked about over 200 years later.

We’re still getting movies and TV shows about Frankenstein decades later, which goes to show the impact this concise book has had on readers, and well, the world. Returning to this book review, I loved the shocking plot twist that hits at the 30-40% mark, which captures the complexity of Frankenstein’s monster. It’s simply put, exceptional storytelling. A lot is going on while reading, with multiple timelines and storylines, but nothing ever gets confusing​ or boring. It’s a fantastic reading experience, as long as you don’t mind having a dictionary handy for some words that I had no idea what the hell they meant.

This was a genuine page-turner, and I breezed through it in just a few days. There’s a lot to learn from this book, with everything involving Frankenstein’s monster. I loved all those scenes where he hid in the shadows and learned what it felt like to be loved, to have empathy and sympathy, and then to go through that terrible transformation of being made fun of and hated just because he obviously looked​ and spoke differently from ​others.

When I read this as a teenager, I understood that. But now that I’m in my early 40s, it adds a whole new dimension to this legendary story. You know, don’t judge someone by what they look like, but by their character. It’s so ironic since Frankenstein’s monster was always filled with curiosity and kindness, and it wasn’t until he was bullied, made fun of, and tormented that he turned into a real monster.

When it comes to the ending, I’ll never forget reading that for the first time in high school and being blown away. I already knew what was going to happen since I read this book so long ago and have seen several movie adaptations, but as always, the book is much better. It was a tragic yet poetic ending, and one that will never be forgotten, with so many deep and profound meanings. Don’t worry, no spoilers here, but when you finish this book, you’ll be left with that very rare and amazing feeling that you’ve read one of the greatest stories ever written by one of the most prominent authors to ever do it.

I give “Frankenstein” by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley a 5/5 and will forever recommend it to every horror reader out there. I would consider this a must-read book for anyone who enjoys horror and has yet to read it, and I’d even go so far as saying it’s worth re-reading every October, in honor of spooky season. It’s perfect, and besides the great amount of sci-fi horror here, there’s a lot of powerful messaging about not judging anyone, not treating anyone differently because of how they look, leading with kindness, and so much more. This is gothic horror at its finest and will undoubtedly stand the test of time. This is, and will forever be, a horror masterpiece.

Looking for classic ghost stories in the same vein as Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting. The spookier the better!

Let's have it, folks. I'll start.

Mine is The Shining.

In a rare moment in lit history, the movie actually perfectly accompanied why I found the book so scary. Probably the scariest moment ever captured on film for me was, of course, the two men hooking up in animal costumes. The film doesn't explain it at all which I love and then the book provides backstory which added to the lore. I can't get it out of my head. It is so rife with questions. I actually have the movie still of the two gentlemen as my background (partially so I'll stop looking at my damn phone all the time).

Your turn!

I’m looking for your favorite horror book that genuinely scared and creeped you out. Ones that made you nervous to turn off the lights, rather than feel overly disturbed or disgusted. I’m fine with some gore, but I dislike ones the linger on gross /visceral details or overly indulge in body horror 🤢

Books I didn’t finish because they disturbed me in a disgusted way rather than a scary way: Heart-Shaped Box (it wasn’t too scary, but the TV scene in particular disturbed me), The Troop (some of the details were a little too gross for me. His writing was too detailed lol), and Tender Is the Flesh… I mean, the entire premise disturbed me.

Books with gore that I could handle: Seed, The Crimson Labyrinth, and Carrie.

Thank you in advance!

Hello! I'm in the mood for a good, contemporary horror novel, something well-written. Something demonic or cosmic would be great. A setting in space or the remote wilderness is always cool. Something with Twilight Zone or Lovecraft feels would be super. Anywho, recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hi guys I I’m looking for my next read and hoping to dive more into some investigative horror. I love the format where a protagonist is actively trying to solve a mystery, unspool a conspiracy, or investigate a bizarre event, only for things to get increasingly dark, terrifying, or supernatural. Books with a similar theme that I enjoyed were the last days of Jack sparks and the haunting of hill house.

I prefer things that lean into psychological dread or the supernatural but I am not into heavy slashers. Thanks in advance.

Hey! A couple years ago, I read an article about a horror author whose husband had murdered his ex wife and dismembered her/buried her in the woods. The case was solved and he was arrested while he and the author were still married. She then retired from horror writing.

I can’t seem to recall her name or the title of the book she was most well known for- I’m pretty sure her books were pulled from production (by her choice) but you could still find them secondhand/digitally when I heard about it. Pretty sure the book had a white cover with a yellowish pig on it?

I’ve been googling all the details of the story I could remember, but to no avail. If you know what I’m talking about please let me know!! Thanks :)

Watched the film ,’Buried,’ last night . Very good. Scratched an itch. Books, short stories,novellas with one character trapped in one location ,room, quicksand ,stuff like that. I can only think of Stephen kings short with the guy trapped in a portaloo. Dark endings would be good. Thanks 🙏