Did anyone else have a terribly hard time getting through the Shining?

I have read a few of King’s other books (the Institute, Billy Summers, started the Stand and have similar troubles). I want to read some of his others and have a small collection. But I have been reading the Shining for over a month now (books never take me that long) via audiobook, ebook, and paper book and cannot stay invested like other books I’ve read. I am usually done with a story in a matter of days.

I really like parts of it… Danny, the concept of the “shining,” the chaotic down spiral with the drinking, the creepy hotel. But it is so SO long winded. I’m at chapter 11 now. Going to push through.

What makes it so popular and highly recommended for entry to horror?
Anyone else have trouble?
If not, why do you love it?

Hello! I recently got into reading and I’m currently close to finishing misery. I’d like to read more Stephen King and am looking for recommendations on the next book. While I’ve definitely enjoyed misery, I’d be interested in reading more of a scary book that keeps me up at night. I’ve thought about salems lot which seems very good, but I’ve heard it has a slow start so I’m wondering if I could stick through it as a new reader. Any recommendations for my next Stephen King book is appreciated! Thank you in advance.

From Goosebumps, to Bone Chillers, even the 80s were big on it. Objects coming to life!, now it seems to be all about people, who are taking over an object or think they are inanimate objects. I mean, sure, it's more realistic, but I read books to get away from the real world, and would love to read an adult version of Night of the Living Dummy, where Mr.Wood kills.

Hey everyone,

I am having a really had time deciding what to read next. I finished Coffin Moon earlier this month and currently wrapping up Diavola. I wanted to switch things up a bit and so here I am.

I know that Night Film is more of a mystery thriller (which is fine by me!) but each one of these books has a certain unique element that I think is interesting! (ala, Mockumentary/Uses emails, images, etc.). I personally think Night Film would work best for a chilly October evening so I am leaning towards that but any input would be greatly appreciated! thank you!

I'm a little nervous posting this considering how popular the book is, but this has been on my mind lately and is driving me a little nuts.

I was so excited to finally read it a few years ago after hearing about how so many people loved it, but I didn't unfortunately. It really bothered me that the 'Jack' in the story was meant to be Jack the Ripper and that it felt like we were supposed to think that was cool and root for him. If I remember right, other characters were based on Dracula, Sherlock, etc. so it was jarring to me that Jack the Ripper was thrown in with the others when he's based on a real serial killer who slaughtered multiple women. Am I taking this too seriously? Did I miss something? I don't think I've seen this discussed and I'd like to hear how it landed for other people.

I just finished Stephen Graham Jones’ short story “This is Love” in After the People Lights Have Gone Off and I have scoured the internet and this subreddit looking for some discussion on it but can’t find anything that really answers my questions.

Ok so, SPOILERS (haven’t done the spoiler tag before so if it doesn’t work, stop reading now):

Jonathan and Lucas get in a fight, Lucas walks off and Jonathan is kind of caught up in his own thoughts. Essentially sometime after he goes to the bathroom, reality splits and what he experiences (Lucas coming back at dusk, them buying sunscreen, looking for the wallet) that’s all some supernatural experience? What actually happens is the boy’s father thinks Jonathan hurt his missing boy, kills him (insane reaction, call the police maybe?? Anyway) then Lucas returns, gets spotted and then flees and gets hit by a car on the interstate, and in a supernatural loop it’s Jonathan driving?

Is that a correct interpretation or did I miss something important?

I read the first prose novel in the Something is Killing the Children universe over the weekend, and found it to be an overall satisfying experience. I bought the hardcover and also the Audible version, which is how I read it this time.

This is the first iteration of SIKTC outside of the comic series. The series focuses on a young woman, Erica Slaughter, who is part of the Order of St. George, an organization that hunts and kills monsters created by children's imaginations.

My spoiler-free thoughts:

1.     This is an excellent entryway for people who haven’t read the comics and don’t know anything about the SIKTC world. My wife, whose only exposure has been me unsuccessfully urging her to read the comics, loved the novel and had no difficulty tracking the story despite lack of foreknowledge. 

2.     The book is set prior to the Archer's Peak arc, so Erica is younger and newer in her time with the Order than in the main arcs of the series; she is hunting alone though, no longer traveling with Jessica.

3.     While the comics are primarily from Erica's point of view, the novel focuses on her in some chapters and on several of the local characters in others. For the most part this works, but there were a few sections that dragged on longer than they needed to.

4.     The town (Badwater, Idaho) is portrayed well, with its unique set of locals with secrets and anxieties. There is a satisfying twist near the end involving one of them and an aspect of their history that wasn't what Erica thought it would be.

5.     There's a new kind of monster involved here, one that I don't think we've encountered yet in the comics, but I hope we will. What makes it distinctive has to do with an unusual aspect of the child who has manifested it.

6.     The novel touches on the deeper lore of the Order and the House of Slaughter, but not in great detail. It explains what matters for the story and doesn't attempt to do more.

Overall, Hope is a Knife is a worthy addition to the SIKTC world, providing an engaging story for longtime fans and an accessible introduction to the universe for the uninitiated.

Hopefully it will motivate some non-comics readers to give the graphic series a try.

Rating: 4/5 or B+

I used to be obsessed with Masterton as a teenager but now everytime I pick up a new title of his these books just repell me. I finished White Bones recently and the ending was just so, so disappointing and reeked of transphobia(?). I know both these men were writing for their times but it seems no matter the book theres always something so inherently misoginistic, -phobic or racist, just something awful. And I'm not taking about writing a character that is, in fact, -phobic.

For example, I can't deal with how King in "Bag of Bones" (major spoilers ahead!) decided to brutally and completely unnecessary murder the main woman character, making her toddler daughter an orphan and therefore describing this child as "looking like she could get pregnant at 16"?? This book contains also one of the most gruesome rape scenes I ever saw described, and.. for what? Is this sort of violence towards women the only way of inducing terror they know? I'm so tired of horror that is unambiguous with sexual violation, and is purely relying on shock value in such detailed descriptions of said scenes. Not to mention the main character walking around his house while thinking about his dead wife with a boner. It's just so embarassingly obscure. What is yall insight on the matter? Did you ever noticed this pattern yourself or maybe among different horror books?

Hello! As the title states, I am seeking recommendations for horror-loving creators who post vlogs, especially ones with cozy elements, such as their pets, cooking/baking/coffee and tea making, reading on camera, crafting, outings such as library and bookstore visits... the list goes on, but you get the idea! I love watching cozy bookish videos, and am searching for people who have the same favorite genre as me. I don't mind if they read other genres too, of course! If it helps, I really enjoy oliviareadsalatte's vlogs, and angyl can't read is a favorite channel who makes great vlog-style content sometimes. I will happily check out ALL of your favorites!

Wondering if anyone is able to spoil part of this book for me - there are content flags on StoryGraph for “animal cruelty/death” but I’ve come up empty handed in figuring out exactly what it entails.

I’m sensitive to animal stuff, specifically cats, so would love if someone who has read this is able to spoil that aspect and let me know what I’m in for!

Thanks in advance :)

Edit: Thanks everyone for the spoilers! I’m going to leave this post up so there’s at least a search engine result if someone else goes looking for answers like I did.

Hi all! I’ve been a big horror fan since forever but only recently started delving into the world of horror novels, starting with Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman (which I enjoyed) and Bird Box which I absolutely adored! Also tried some of his other works, like Malorie and Daphne, both of which I didn’t really like.

I’m currently giving Grady Hendrix’s stuff a go, starting with My Best Friend’s Exorcism which I DNF as it didn’t really grab me, and now onto How to Sell a Haunted House which I’m liking more but still finding alright (the characters are incredibly unlikeable). Doesn’t seem like I’m huge on his work.

But since I’m new, I’m still looking for more recs if anyone has any! Would like to give another author a whirl, and I’m looking for stuff that’s preferably not too long (under 120k words is fine) and easy to read. Please drop any suggestions below!

So, I've been reading science fiction and fantasy books for a decade now, but I only discovered a taste for horror literature for a few two or three years ago, and these past months I discovered Clive Barker. Now I am obsessed with him. I got on physical editions the six volumes of the Books of Blood and also Cabal in Brazilian Portuguese (my native language) and on my Kindle in the original English I got Weaveworld, Imajica, the first Abarat book and The Hellbound Heart (this last one only because I ordered a physical copy of the book on October 3rd but it is taking to long to arrive so I run out of patience and bought the e-book already). After I finish reading The Hellbound Heart I am watching both the 1987 and the 2022 Hellraiser movies.

Anyone got more suggestions on what more Barker works a newbie Clive Barker fan should consume? I also thought of buying on Steam the Hellraiser: Revival game but I am not sure if I am interested in first-person games.

I just finished The September House and absolutely loved it but I’m not sure what to read next. Any recommendations?

Hello!
With it being the spooky season, I’m in the mood to read a scary paranormal horror. I have been looking around and nothing has caught my attention yet, was hoping I could get some recommendations here!!

Some books I’ve read and really enjoyed that fit the vibe:

- Episode Thirteen
- Incidents Around the House
- The Last Days of Jack Sparks
- Hex
- Diavola
- The Handyman Method

Thank you!! :)

Hello! I am hunting for a niche, adult supernatural horror/dark fantasy novel I read that was likely published in the 1990s. It was a medium-sized hardcover edition with a very distinct cover design.

The Cover Art: The front jacket was uniquely textured or painted to look like ancient stone (like a fresco or artifact), and it prominently featured a hieroglyphic depiction or outline of a female figure.

Crucial Rules: There are absolutely NO vampires in this book. They are undead, but it is purely an Egyptian immortality/undead concept, not a traditional monster or blood-drinking story.

Here are the specific plot details I remember:

• The Neighbors: A mysterious family of ancient Egyptians who are secretly undead/immortal. Far from being dusty wrapped mummies, they are supernaturally flawless, exceptionally attractive, and ageless. They live an incredibly luxurious, lavish lifestyle.
• The Setting: They reside in a grand, wealthy estate located somewhere in the American South, right along a river. Moving water seems central to their presence.
• Key Visual Detail: The mother figure (or an incredibly beautiful woman in the family) is constantly applying dark kohl/coal eyeliner to her eyes as part of her routine.
• The Protagonist: A younger woman who lives nearby. The book completely skips any standard police, detective, or murder investigation tropes. Instead, the plot is driven entirely by her intense, sensual fascination and hypnotic attraction to this glamorous, mysterious family and their lifestyle.

This is a standalone, obscure adult dark fiction piece—definitely not a mainstream bestseller by Anne Rice, Christopher Pike, or R.L. Stine. Does anyone who collects 1990s hardcovers or niche supernatural fiction recognize this cover or premise? Thank you!

I’m sure this is asked a million times but I never actually find what I’m looking for. I want vampires and I want them scary, but also sexy. I’ve read all the obvious answers(Anne Rice, Dracula, Carmilla etc). I don’t like the hunter/vampire trope or the never ending ‘I was married into a vampire kingdom’ type stuff. I don’t want pick me characters like twilight or stories about harems. I didn’t think it’d be this hard to find, but I keep trying and ending up with so much cringey writing or just disappointing stories.

I’m leaning toward a more romantic gothic feel, but I’d also be interested in a dark and gritty story. I just am tired of ‘woe is me’ brooding or the self hating vampire male characters. I don’t need more of the female characters who feel so try hard or somehow are described as the most average girl to ever exist but somehow the most important person to walk the earth and everyone is obsessed with her.

Happy spooky season! I am craving an eerie, creepy, unsettling space book. I loved dead silence by SA Barnes, and just read Ghost Station by the same author and loved the concept but it definitely could have been creepier.

Open to anything where there is something wrong, but some ambiguity - is it a disease, an entity, a haunting, or are they all going insane (or both?). I don't love a creature feature unless it's a slow, lurking, hidden being (vs a scary monster that's chasing everyone down).

Thank you!

A nonfiction book set during the 1880s-90s of the Chicago’s Grand Exposition World’s Fair and the arrival of the infamous serial killer H. H. Holmes. Erik Larson gives a dual sweeping narrative on the lives of both the architects who built dreams to reality and the serial killer who destroyed everyone he came across. Every chapter goes back and forth between the two narratives and shows the eventual circumstances that binds the two together. And the aftermath of the two events and how they shaped the way Chicago is represented today.

Going into the book, I was going in with a bit of guarded expectations as I’ve read some reviews on the book beforehand, saying though the writing is excellent and close to an actual fiction book, the architecture side of the narrative was a bit boring compared to the serial killer parts. And I tried going in with an open mind, but expected to be bored eventually by that side as well. As I’m more interested in the H. H. Holmes side than anything to do with architecture and the political/economical history of Chicago. But I was surprised at how invested I became into the lives of the architects and the obstacles that constantly fell in their path to accomplish the almost impossible task of the Chicago World’s Fair in such a small-time frame. Larson writes the architectural side almost as a thriller in itself with buildup, suspense, a sudden revelation that caught me off guard, and the constant anxiety of wondering if something awful is going to happen next. Though, compared to the H. H. Holmes' section, the architecture side can still be a little boring at times with the political sides going in circles with politics and getting into arguments with who and how something can be built. I found it all interesting to read through, but not everyone might enjoy that side of the narrative. 

The H. H. Holmes' section of the book is where the other side of the grand vision of Chicago turns into the darker and grimmer side of city life. Where Larson describes in detail how the struggles of poverty, schemes, death, and sickness enraptured the city to an insane degree. To where someone like Holmes was able to trick, profit, and murder many unfortunate people and hardly anyone batted an eye for a long time. And reading about the way Holmes went about committing the murders and the sadistic ways he carried them out was a bit hard to stomach at times. But Larson does a good job of not overly describing everything in gruesome detail where he gives just enough info to know what's happening or happened and then moves on with letting the reader fill in the blanks. With this being a dual narrative, some facts of Holmes and the people he killed are a bit sparse and it moves at a quick pace throughout the book. From a pacing and narrative perspective, this made the process of reading the book a breeze. But if someone wants to solely focus on Holmes' entire history and his victims, then another book might be better suited for that purpose.  

Even though I’m not an American History buff and there were name drops of certain historical figures that I wasn’t too familiar with, the ones I did notice was a cool nod to the way The World’s Fair shaped the economic history of the United States as a whole.  

Overall, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Erik Larson was able to write this nonfiction thriller/architectural history book in such a captivating way that I couldn’t stop reading. This is my first Larson book, and I look forward to trying his other books in the future.

Hi!

I recently read Root Rot by Saskia Nislow and it totally blew me away– I loved the Grimms fairytale feel of it all. It reminded me of (a grown-up version of) a passed-down folk story you'd hear as a kid that was significantly darker than expected, Aesop's fable gone wrong type of deal. The tone reminded me of The Lamb by Lucy Rose, another read I gave 5-stars, so I was wondering if anyone had recommendations that matched that same feeling! I have Winterset Hollow on my TBR, which I feel like based on the synopsis could give the same vibe, but was looking to see if anyone else has titles to add to this niche.

Not necessarily looking for direct fairy tale retellings per se, but definitely open to them if you feel they fit!

I’m looking for a horror novel that genuinely gets under your skin and makes you feel uneasy even after you’ve put the book down.
I’m not really looking for gore, splatter, or typical horror tropes like a monster chasing someone or a ghost suddenly appearing. I’m looking for something much more subtle, disturbing, and psychologically unsettling.
For example, imagine a woman sitting on her couch, reading a book. Something licks her leg, and she assumes it’s her dog. A moment later, her dog walks into the room from somewhere else. So what just touched her? Did she imagine it? Was something actually there? And why did her brain immediately come up with a perfectly normal explanation?
That’s the kind of horror I’m looking for. Something that makes ordinary situations feel fundamentally wrong, where you start questioning what you’ve seen or experienced.

I’m also really interested in unsettling social situations: having dinner with someone who seems perfectly normal at first, but gradually starts behaving in ways that feel subtly wrong. Nothing obviously supernatural or over-the-top, just this growing sense of dread that something about the person or situation isn’t right, and you can’t quite explain why.
I want that uncanny, almost nauseating feeling of not being able to trust your own perception or understand what’s happening. The kind of horror that triggers primal fears and makes everyday things feel disturbing afterward.
What are the most genuinely terrifying, deeply unsettling horror novels you’ve ever read?

English is not my first language, so I used some help from ChatGPT to write this post. I’d really appreciate your recommendations!

I love horror, but feel like most modern horror novels I read these days aren't that scary, or even trying to be scary. It feels like there's a whole sub-genre I'd call "horror-ish" that have horror elements, but whose primary project is something different. Usually something elevated and refined. And I don't mind elevated and refined at all -- so long as the book is also scary as hell.

For reference I read Last Days by Adam Nevill last year and thought it was a very scary reading experience. Incidents Around The House was also creepy (not interested in the movie).

I want to read something dark and evil that will give me nightmares. If it's ghosts I don't want the ghosts to be misunderstood or tragic. I want true malevolence.

I don't really find body horror scary -- or cannibalism or anything with a human 'monster'. Something supernatural or unknowable or cosmic horror works for me.

Anyone out there able to help me?

Hello, I’ve just finished The Dorians by Nick Cutter and absolutely loved it. I am now in the mood for more test subject/science experiment gone wrong type of horror plz give me your best recs