Looking for a truly terrifying read? Any suggestions?

[Newspeak]

I am looking for a novel that will scare me straight out of my skin. Not blood and gore, but a physiological horror. Any suggestions?

 

[mgb_phys]

Make room Make room - Harry Harrison, it's the story that 'Soylent Green' is based on but that is the least disturbing part of the story.

 

[Winzer]

The Shining, it is 10x scarier then the movie!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Ummmm... never read any books that I thought were scary really. Currently I have a booked called In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami. I haven't started it yet but I understand that it is supposed to be the Japanese version of Silence of the Lambs. Unfortunately it looks to be a rather short book, more of a novella.
I'll try to get on it soon and let you know what I think.

 

[arildno]

"IT CRAWLS!" is a novel that makes your skin, well..crawl.
I read it once, and I was so terrified I burned my book after having been in continuous nightmares for 3 weeks. After that, the horror receded somewhat.
I won't tell you the author or publishing company, because tender souls should not be tempted to go looking for this horrid masterpiece. Nor will I tell you the language in which it is written.

 

[Newspeak]

"IT CRAWLS!" is a novel that makes your skin, well..crawl.
I read it once, and I was so terrified I burned my book after having been in continuous nightmares for 3 weeks. After that, the horror receded somewhat.
I won't tell you the author or publishing company, because tender souls should not be tempted to go looking for this horrid masterpiece. Nor will I tell you the language in which it is written.

Good grief! I have never heard of anyone doing this!
I am tempted to give it a look.
Could you please tell me the author?

 

[radou]

I remember a friend mention Kafka's "The castle" to be extremely intimidating, although philosophical in nature. Never read it, though.

 

[flame_m13]

House of Leaves. i remember reading somewhere that it's not intended to be a scary book, but everyone i know whose read it, myself included, was freaked out by it. it's the kind of book that has you looking over your shoulder. very captivating and weird.

 

[arildno]

Good grief! I have never heard of anyone doing this!
I am tempted to give it a look.
Could you please tell me the author?

Nope.
I am a comitted philantropist.

 

[turbo]

The Exorcist is a very well-written and creepy book. The movie was a cartoon, in comparison.

 

[arildno]

A short story of excellent calibre is "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

 

[larkspur]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312958358/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[just__curious]

A short story of excellent calibre is "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

read that in school, not scary at all.

 

[Newspeak]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312958358/?tag=pfamazon01-20

This looks good. Thanks larkspur!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I remember a friend mention Kafka's "The castle" to be extremely intimidating, although philosophical in nature. Never read it, though.

Its not a scary book... well depending on your definition of scary I guess.
Its political satire. Tedious might be a better word to describe it.

 

[Anticitizen]

The most terrifying book I've ever read is George Orwell's 1984, because it's absolutely believeable.

If you want more creepy-horror, check out the collection of HP Lovecraft, freely available on the web.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The most terrifying book I've ever read is George Orwell's 1984, because it's absolutely believeable.

If you want more creepy-horror, check out the collection of HP Lovecraft, freely available on the web.

I've not read much of his work but it didn't seem terribly creepy to me.
I hear Poppy Z Brite is supposed to be really creepy. Also very gory though.

 

[DaveC426913]

The most terrifying book I've ever read is George Orwell's 1984, because it's absolutely believeable.

This was my first pick too. I've never had a book ... color my view of life like that.

 

[Anticitizen]

I've not read much of his work but it didn't seem terribly creepy to me.

Really? Lovecraft's atheistic view of horror was pretty effective to me - I remember him using the phrase 'a blasphemy to science' to describe the nature of the creatures discovered in Antarctica in 'The Mountains of Madness', and 'obtuse angles that behave like acute angles' on the island in 'Cthulhu'. There's a certain horrific obscenity to it, akin to the more mainstream horror gag of undead zombies. Ah well, different strokes...

 

[turbo]

Even if you have seen "The Exorcist" film, please read the book. Especially if you were brought up Roman Catholic. Read it alone at night on a weekend. I did, and I couldn't put it down, then I didn't want to go to sleep.

 

[binzing]

Hot zone (or something like that) about Ebola is pretty scary, not in the traditional sense though.

 

[Crazy Tosser]

"IT CRAWLS!" is a novel that makes your skin, well..crawl.
I read it once, and I was so terrified I burned my book after having been in continuous nightmares for 3 weeks. After that, the horror receded somewhat.
I won't tell you the author or publishing company, because tender souls should not be tempted to go looking for this horrid masterpiece. Nor will I tell you the language in which it is written.

do you mean Edgar A. Poe's "Tales to Make Your Skin Crawl"?

 

[Math Jeans]

do you mean Edgar A. Poe's "Tales to Make Your Skin Crawl"?

Honestly its much more freaky to have a hypnotist make you think that your skin really is crawling.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

I just found Kafka weird. I read Metamorphoses and a couple of his other stories, maybe I just didnt get them. Anyway, you should read some Stephen King. He is scary. Try Pet Sematary. Dreamcatcher is a little twisted but not scary.