And we will begin our journey through the dark and terrible pages of literature from the end of the 19th century and take a short break to relax a little and calm the imagination at the end of the 50s of the last century.

So, the top best horror books of the twentieth century await you.

This amazing mystical-psychological story was written and published in 1898. This work still causes controversy among literary scholars, because many believe that the events described by the author were real.

The story begins with several people gathered around the fireplace. One of them decides to read a manuscript that was once given to him by a woman who is now dead. The narrator believes that all the events in the manuscript are real.

The manuscript is full of strange and mystical events that happened in one aristocratic family. The new nanny, who was only twenty years old, became a free witness, and then a participant. The girl sees ghosts and is sure that her charges see them too. Trying to save innocent children, she only makes things worse.

But what exactly happened to the heroes of the story, you have to find out for yourself.

A short story published in 1902 inspires fear and modern readers. This small work can be read in no more than 20 minutes, but the topic will shiver every time you just remember the events described there.

Sergeant Morris returns home after completing his military service in India. As a souvenir, he brings a dried monkey's paw, which can grant three wishes. But you have to be very careful what you wish for, because they can turn into a disaster. Even though Morris never became happy, his friend still wants to use the monkey's paw.

By the way, this is why several horror films have been made based on the story, so if you strong nerves– enjoy watching!

If you are a lover of horror and mysticism, then you are certainly familiar with the work of this author.

It would seem that such a terrible and terrible thing could happen if a small meteorite fell into the yard. Many will answer that there will be nothing left except the funnel, but not Lovecraft’s heroes. After the fall celestial body Simply terrible things happen to the farmer's family, while everything around them simply dies and the meteor evaporates. Many years have passed since then, but strange and sometimes simply terrible things are still happening in the place where a meteorite once fell. Will he be able to main character find out the truth or face something beyond understanding?

It is with this story that the story of the fictional deity Cthulhu begins. The story was published in 1927, but was not appreciated during the author's lifetime. In 2005, the story was filmed and from that moment on, Cthulhu became very popular. "Call of Cthulhu" was the first in a series of stories that made up the world of Cthulhu.

Three stories that are interconnected by the investigation of incidents that are directly related to the dark deity.

In the first story, Thurston finds a clay bas-relief depicting Cthulhu. From that moment on, strange visions begin to haunt him; in addition, creative people also see such visions.

The second story is the story of the policeman Legrasse, who took part in the capture of the sect in 1907, where Cthulhu was worshiped. In this part of the work you will learn in detail about all the horrors that the sectarians did.

The third part tells about even more strange events that are connected with a dark and bloody deity. In this part, Cthulhu himself appears, leading death with him.

"The Dunwich Horror" - Howard Lovecraft

The action takes place in the city of Dunwich, where a strange creature has appeared that hunts livestock, and at the same time is not averse to trying something else or someone. Residents are terrified, and three desperate doctors will have to unravel the mystery.

The novel appeared in 1931 and is considered the main one in a number of works about Cthulhu. One of the film companies was going to film the book, but later decided to abandon it. Some motifs of the work are found in the film “Prometheus” by Ridley Scott.

The action takes place in Antarctica. Where did the expedition go? One of the groups finds ancient city and a strange burial. A detailed study of the remains reveals that these are not people, but rather strange creatures. At night the group mysterious circumstances dies and some of the remains disappear. The second group begins to explore the city, but a difficult test awaits them. Will they be able to choose from the animated city of Cthulhu?

"Who's coming?" – John Campbell (alias Don A. Stewart)

The story was published in 1931, and in 1973 it was recognized as one of the best science fiction works. The story is also known under the following titles: “Who’s there?” and "Something". It was under the latter title that several films were released.

Found in Antarctica spacecraft, which crashed 20 million years ago. A frozen pilot is found in the ship, and the scientists’ main mistake was the decision to unfreeze him. The alien can take the form of anyone who has become his food. A group of researchers is trying to figure out which of them is alien. But you will find out what this creature is trying to achieve if you decide to plunge into the world of horror.

This science fiction novel is known to almost everyone who watched the film “I Am Legend,” but this is far from the first film adaptation of the work. The book was published in 1954.

The plot takes place in Los Angeles, where he stayed the only person, whom he bypassed scary virus. IN free time Robert Neuville seeks a cure for the disease to save the rest of humanity. This virus turns people into vampires. Robert himself is immune. During the day, he walks around the city and kills sleeping vampires. One day he meets Ruth, who can walk in the sun, but cannot stand the smell of garlic. He tests her blood for the virus and finds out that she is infected. Ruth tells him that some vampires have been able to adapt to a new life and want to build a new society. A hunt begins for him, which could cost him his life.

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson

The book was published in 1959 and received the highest praise from contemporaries.

The action takes place in an old house in which the owners are even afraid to stay overnight. One day, a group of people come to the mansion and want to investigate the castle for otherworldly phenomena. They couldn't even imagine how this summer would end.

This story has been filmed twice.

The psychological novel was published in 1959, and a year later the first film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock appeared. The second film was released in 1998.

The novel takes place in a motel that is gradually falling into disrepair. Fewer and fewer guests visit this abandoned corner. The motel is run by Norman Bates' mother, who is willing to do anything to maintain her power over her son. She is ready to kill, but what will Norman do? Or maybe he is to blame for the strange murders that constantly happen at the motel?

So, you have met the second ten best horror books. Now all you have to do is find the courage to get acquainted with each of these wonderful books.

Everyone determines the list of the best for themselves, but let’s try to focus on the most popular and take a quick look at the alternative.

Had a huge influence on the genre Edgar Allan Poe. This is especially true for his work in psycho-horror, when the work does not hit you with cruelty and dismemberment in the forehead, but slowly squeezes the head with suspense and loss of sanity. " The Tell-Tale Heart", "Black cat", "Metzengerstein"Of course, "The Well and the Pendulum"" - a rich choice. Old Edgar did not deprive lovers of mystical metaphors of his attention (" Mask of the Red Death", "William Wilson") and fans of body horror (" The truth about what happened to Monsieur Valdemar"), there is enough material.

Since we're talking about psycho-horror, the real king of the genre is Howard Phillips Lovecraft(as they say, everything is ours). With the help of remarkable style and famous painful images, Lovecraft masterfully transports the reader to the locations of his works and conveys such threshold states as psychopathy and catatonia with frightening accuracy. The author's signature feature is the transference of the consciousness of a person who is slowly (and sometimes vice versa - instantly) going crazy. The suspense in his fairly short works is such that Bava himself would be envious, and the games with the reader’s imagination impress with their perversity. Howard gives the most detailed, but extremely point descriptions, allowing the imagination to connect everything together: it turns out to be powerful, creepy, and exhausting (the constant forcing of fantasy makes the brain work like a gasoline generator). You can grab almost everything from Lovecraft indiscriminately: " Dog", "Nightmare in Red Hook", "Picture in an old book", "Buried with the Pharaohs", "Winged Death", a series of stories about Randolph Carter, sweeping" Shadow over Innsmouth" And " Ridges of Madness";even a poem" Star horror"(certainly in the original) evokes respectful awe.

The most popular horror author is probably Stephen King. If only because none of his colleagues has left a greater legacy than him in pop culture. It is distinguished by stories stretched out over time, full of small but interesting details. Stephen works in a variety of subgenres, so the reader’s task is to find his own (although many, many people swallow everything related to King without any consequences for the body). In his stories you can find wild fantasy, grotesque and surreal (especially good in this aspect " Raft" And " Finger"), there is a brutal dystopia (" running Man"), mind-blowing suspense (" Misery", "Shine"), pure mystical horror (" Carrie", "Losing weight"), as well as fantasy, childhood memories, sci-fi and manuals on how to write books (by the way, a great thing for those who want to, but don’t succeed). King is not always translated well, and he himself is sometimes written down and stretched no one needs for long pages, but probably everyone, regardless of beliefs and age, can find King stuff to their liking.

Another venerable author - Robert Bloch. Bloch writes very interesting plots ("Train to Hell", for example), does not shy away from visualized violence and is very well-read, which is reflected in his changing style (you will get both Lovecraft and Poe). The choice is rich, but special attention worth paying attention to short stories, as well as novels" Psycho", "Couch" And " American Gothic"plus story" The dead don't die".

And finally, a living horror classic Clive Barker. Barker is not for everyone because of his language (too... sensual, or something), but his images and plots can be admired endlessly. The first three are required reading" Books of Blood", then - to whom what: from someone " Imajika", someone has - " Frozen Canyon", while others continue to study the remaining ones " Books of Blood". And, of course, " Hellraiser" - if only to compare it with the film and be surprised at how much is hidden in the seemingly familiar story.

This is one of the most popular modern horror sets. But we should also not forget about Dean Koontz, Ambrose Bierce, Shirley Jackson, Bram Stoker, Richard Matheson and (why not?) Hans Evers.

As for the alternative to the mainstream, it lives in the underground. Let's look at a few authors as a guide.

David Wong "John will die in the end". An excellently written eclectic novel: there is horror, and sci-fi, and grotesque, and twists... Everything is so good that Don Coscarelli took on making a film adaptation. And so he did. The title, oddly enough, does not contain spoilers, so grab it and read it boldly, the book is first grade!

Matthew Stokoe and him" Cows". This book makes sense for extreme lovers and fans of ultra-gore. Stokoe, albeit for the purpose of creating a metaphor, regularly goes into deliberate, but no less sickening provocation, so sex with animals through pre-drilled holes, murder, dismemberment , as well as eating excrement is a common thing for him. But if you are attracted by the visual side of violence and the stale atmosphere of despair, hopelessness and meaninglessness. human existence, then "Cows" will occupy an important place in your home library.

"Exquisite Corpse" Poppy Bright- more arthouse than horror, but for fans dark side You will definitely like the literature. Huge character work (based on famous serial killers), a branching plot, excellent language and an icy narrative instantly made Poppy (at that time a girl) a sensation of the literary underground.

"Satanburger" Carlton Mellick- a masterpiece of eclectic American pseudo-pulp, stuffed not only with an interesting message about our reality (and its alternatives), but also with references to all kinds of horror cliches. A massive alien invasion, a homosexual Satan reviving people and...uh...parts of their bodies, undead punks and the unbridled atmosphere of a small-town crust concert that coincided with the end of human civilization! A worthwhile item in every way!

And since we’re talking about litandeground, we can’t help but mention James Havok and him" Butcher shop in paradise"You can endlessly writhe in attempts to convey all the convulsions and polychaetes oozing with lymph of Havok's epithets, his mutilated and, frankly speaking, disturbingly dreary love for Gilles de Rais, his thoroughly sick fantasy... But it will not only take a long time, but also be useless It's easier to quote:

Today our invasion will inflame the impoverished village, already cursed with chopped black meat. My pack of hound pigs snatches the rebels from the fields where victory trumpets used to sound, the soldiers nail the men upside down to the crosses, setting their faces on fire. After talking confidentially with the horse, I find a whole camp of pregnant wives hugging each other in the manger. One is dying before my eyes, a tar doll, chewing, crawls out of its smoking loins; the other, fulfilling the nightmares poured into flasks with her breasts, relives the story of how the Devil attacked her on the eve of many centuries. Solemnly declared his septic bitch, he enters the bedchamber, rips the skin and meat from her husband's sleeping bones to feed his dogs, after which he impales her on his penis, as if on a stake - cold, scaly and hefty, like a blacksmith's hand. She pinches and pulls at her cheeks, remembering the two swollen blowholes at the root of his serpentine organ, dripping narcotic sludge as one hits her furious clitoris and the other screws into her rectum. Here the two-horned tongue scrapes out the lining inside her womb to wash away all the slop, retreating just at the moment when the goat's thighs twitch psychopathically, and freezing mucus floods the internal chambers. After this frightening intercourse, her dreams were full of pyromania and cannibals in caves, she is forever pregnant, but she continues to have terrible shriveled menstruation, for the devil's seed is made up of the smallest cannibal sephiroth colonizing the vagina, where they construct unquenchable coal fires over which they barbecue from the delicious sperm of her mortal admirers.

As practice has shown, you cannot hold the joystick and cover your eyes with your palms at the same time, fearing another monster jumping out of the darkness. At this point, the remnants of my nerves stood up and left the room, loudly slamming the door. But the inspiration remains. For all the abundance of monsters, the nightmare-ridden city of Yharnam is beautiful. Gothic buildings straight from Romania and England victorian era, ornate lanterns and the moon admiring its reflection in puddles of blood. Yes, this is the same dissonance when something so creepy and frightening manages to attract you even more strongly. And most often books are guilty of this. Horror books.

Progress does not stand still, and along with it, human fears change and evolve, taking on a completely unexpected form. Horror no longer hides under the bed or in the closet, it chooses a more sophisticated way to intimidate the victim. It inspires awe with its unpredictability, not sharp saw(although some things remain unchanged), he learned to influence a person from the inside, awakening his own demons from sleep.

The presented selection of books in the genre of horror and mysticism opens up new facets of fear to the reader, when the reality of what is happening makes the blood run cold, but it is no longer possible to stop. When a victim can change places with a bloodthirsty killer and not notice it. When it is enough to go to the mirror to see the most terrible monster.

Dan Simmons "Terror"

On May 19, 1845, two ships "Terror" and "Erebus" under the command of Rear Admiral John Franklin left the pier of England, going to harsh arctic ice in search of a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. But they never returned. To this day, the fate of the missing expedition excites the minds of scientists and sailors. Shrouded in the mystery of their disappearance, the Terror and Erebus joined the list of ghost ships.

Dan Simmons presents to our attention quite unusual look literature, a fictional reconstruction of real events - cryptohistory. This is where the author’s imagination is truly limitless. Having added mysticism to the already chilling events, the author has recreated such a vivid picture of what is happening on ships trapped in an uncharted land that the book feels like a bone-chilling arctic cold, and the pages turn with the sound of ice grinding against the stern.

Scurvy, the taste of leather belts and strips of flesh torn off in the cold - all this is the devilish naturalism of the narrative, which makes you tremble from the darkness surrounding you on all sides. The atmosphere of horror is reinforced by despair, hopelessness and hunger, when one glance at a comrade makes one drool and the most terrible monster awakens in the person himself. A monster against which the death wandering in the ice simply fades.

This is a powerful, breathtaking novel in which we see everything that happens from the first persons of the team. Painstaking elaboration of details, weaving real names and events into the plot create the effect of complete immersion, instilling fear even when no visual danger exists. Thanks to the author's measured style, a book of a thousand pages can be read in one breath. Simmons approached the creation of alternative history with such responsibility that just by mentioning "Terror", breaks out in a cold sweat.

“If a gentleman in a tuxedo, sitting in a well-heated library in his London mansion, is able to understand that life is given only once, and it is miserable, wretched, disgusting, cruel and short, then how can a person who cold night pulls a sleigh loaded with frozen meat and skins across an unnamed island to frozen sea, under a raging sky, a thousand or more miles from any civilized center?Walking towards my death, so terrible that I can’t even imagine.”

Joe Hill "Heart Shaped Box"

Jude Coyne is a seasoned rock musician who delights his fans with dark, hardcore songs. He is well-off and cannot deny himself anything, including buying a ghost online. When the package is delivered to the recipient and the bloodthirsty ghost breaks out... Wow! What a cunning and resourceful opponent Jude encounters. He is waving his silver razor and it seems that he will not escape alive.

The novel is written like a ready-made horror film script. Dynamic and brutal scenes of pursuit of the main character do not allow you to catch your breath. Chaos reigns on the pages of the book until the very end, leaving the reader confused: “Who will win?”

Joe Hill created a complete and mysterious work. Well-written characters and a bit of humor in the dialogues are like the icing on the cake, attracting attention to the debut novel of the son of the very same King.

Real craftsmanship Hilla manifests itself in a love story appropriate for the ominous plot, giving the heroes hope for a happy ending.

“Most likely, ghosts have always lived not in castles and enchanted rooms, but in the minds of people. And if he wants to shoot a ghost, he will have to point the barrel at his temple.”

“He created melodies out of hatred, perversion and pain, and they came to him, jumping to the beat of the song, hoping that he would let them sing along.”

Jean-Christophe Grange "Passenger"

In psychiatry, there is such a disease as the “passenger without luggage” syndrome, in which a person who has experienced a psychological shock blocks this memory in his memory, and from the remaining scraps forms a completely new personality that lives its own life until the next traumatic situation. And then everything repeats again. The brain creates personalities according to the matryoshka principle, where the initial personality requiring protection is the smallest doll.

The brilliant psychiatrist Mathias Frere tries to understand the nature of this syndrome when his patient, a witness to a brutal murder, turns to him for help. And what was the confusion of Matthias, who discovered that he not only suffered from this disease himself, but was also involved in a series of bloody murders that befell the city.

In this superb mystery thriller, Grange plays with the reader, dynamically changing scenery and costumes. Only one thing remains unchanged - the hero’s escape from death pursuing him on the heels. The atmosphere of all kinds of personal transformations is accompanied by murders based on ancient Greek myths. The plot constantly turns sharply 180 degrees, without making it clear to the end who Matthias really is? A cold-blooded maniac or an amnesiac victim?

Grange brings a new chapter to the world of horror, in which the fear of mortal torture gives way to a more twisted technique - the loss of oneself. The reality of what is happening chills you to the bones, and one mystery follows another, twisting the tangle of inexplicable events ever tighter. And only an unexpected ending will put everything in its rightful place.

« Human soul- not animal skin, which becomes better when tanned. The human soul is a hypersensitive, quivering, fragile membrane. From the blows she dies and becomes covered with scars. And he begins to fear the world.”

“The most formidable weapon in the world remains human brain. If Hitler took a strong sedative, world history I would have taken a completely different path."

1699 The witch hunt is in full swing and its evil appears in Fount Royal, as if playing out a play of the nightmares of the local residents according to the notes: crops are rotting, fires, pestilence, toxic fumes are rising from the swamps. It seems that the end is near and someone unlike the others will be blamed for it - a proud and lonely woman. Witch. The sentence is about to be carried out, but dark forces are not leaving the city even now. To investigate what is happening in Fountain Royal, Magistrate Woodworth arrives with the young clerk Matthew Corbett. Now the sophisticated tortures of darkness are taking on a completely different turn and anyone can end up at the stake.

A completely unpredictable plot. The darkness and secrets that accompany the heroes do not allow you to relax, and even the author throws wood of mysticism into the fire. The characters are so charismatic and charming that parting with them is almost physically painful.

"The Voice of the Night Bird"- it's pure delight. McCammon is devilishly magnificent and presents the reader with a wonderful setting for witchcraft and superstition. The continuation of the series is "Queen of Bedlam", where the action takes place in New York.

“According to all the rules and predictions of the calendar, the pleasant and cheerful month of May should have come as its sovereign master, but this year it entered stealthily, like a ragamuffin stealing candles in a church.”

“Everyone lives... Yes, yes. They live. They live with a crippled spirit and broken ideals. Years pass, and it is forgotten what mutilated and broke them. They accept it as a gift when they get older, as if injury and fracture are a royal favor. And that same spirit of hope and ideals of a young soul are considered stupid, petty... and subject to injury and destruction, because everyone lives as they should live.”

Clive Barker "Books of Blood"

Collections of stories Clive Barker united by themes of death, the nature of fear and doom. In the name of saving reason, it should be lost, because such monstrous tests are prepared by the writer for his heroes.

Each story is nightmare in reality. There's plenty of everything here: maniacs, monsters, blood and corpses varying degrees decomposition. All the best for the true horror gourmet. The disturbing, grotesque atmosphere heightens all senses at once. With the dead Barker It's dangerous to joke - it's an awkward move, and you're ticketed for the midnight meat train. One way.

"Books of Blood" They fully live up to their name. They are stunning, carnivorous and filled to the brim with the author's infernal fantasy. But how alive and naturalistic it is, this fantasy, that you feel uneasy from the very first lines.

“The dead have their own highways. Laid in those inhospitable wastelands that begin outside our lives, they are filled with streams of departing souls. Their disturbing hum can be heard in the deep flaws of the universe - it comes from the potholes and cracks left by cruelty, violence and vice. Their feverish bustle can be glimpsed when the heart is ready to be torn into pieces - it is then that what is supposed to be secret is revealed to the eye.”

The list of the worst will help you choose for yourself literary work for the evening if you want to tickle your nerves. Naturally, not only films are suitable for this, but also novels, chilling stories and short stories. Writers at all times have paid quite a lot of attention to this genre, so if you wish, you can find a work for every taste.

In the list of the scariest horror books, the first place is given to the work of Stephen King. This is a recognized master of literary horror. One of his most famous books is the novel Pet Sematary, written in 1983.

It's postmodern in which married couple Creedov and his two children move to the city of Ludlow. In the neighborhood of their new home, children are constantly burying their pets. The head of the family, Luis, receives a warning from his now deceased patient, who forbids him to go into the forest located behind the pet cemetery. But he repeatedly violates this prohibition. King in his novel exploits the fear of losing a child and necrophobia, that is, the fear of corpses and funeral supplies.

It is interesting that the idea for this novel, which was included in the list of the most terrible horror books, was born to him when the writer buried his cat Smacky. When King finished the novel, he found it so creepy that at first he didn’t even want to publish it. But due to money problems, he still agreed to the publication.

The English-speaking public enthusiastically received the novel, agreeing that this is one of the most terrible horror books. Pet Sematary won the Locus Award. Critics who did not like the novel noted that the nature of the fears described in the book was very superficially explored by the author. King's work was first filmed in 1989 by director Mary Lambert, and another adaptation is expected in 2019. The novel is deservedly recognized as the scariest horror book in the world.

2. "Lullaby"

In second place is the novel “Lullaby,” which the American writer wrote in 2002. Since then, it has been included in lists of the scariest horror books.

In the story, journalist Carl Streitor investigates the syndrome sudden death babies. This is a real pathology when a baby can die almost instantly in his crib or in the arms of his parents. A reporter discovers that children are dying after an ancient African lullaby is read to them. Initially, it was pronounced over the wounded or hopelessly ill, when the tribe needed to move to a new place. It turns out that the song is still effective. People around Karl begin to die from it - his editor, a noisy neighbor, as well as passers-by who simply meet him on the street.

In parallel, this scary horror book tells about the cunning realtor Eden Boyle, who uses this spell for her own selfish purposes. At the same time, she has many other oddities that Palahniuk’s creepy heroes always have in abundance. For example, she mainly sells houses inhabited by poltergeists or ghosts. She gets exclusive rights to sell them, profiting from the fact that owners change every few months.

3. "It"

It is not surprising that the master of literary horror has more than one work on the list of the most terrible horror books. In 1986, he wrote the novel "It", in which he touched upon many important topics for himself - the power of a united group of people, the power of memory, the influence of trauma received in childhood on adult life. The product is in third place.

At the center of the story are seven friends from a small fictional American town called Derry, which is located in Maine. They have to fight a monster that awakens every few years to kill children. At the same time, it can accept almost any physical fitness, masquerading as what a person fears most. The narration in this very scary horror book is carried out in parallel in several time intervals. One corresponds to the childhood of the main characters, and the second corresponds to their adult life.

It is noteworthy that the villain was initially conceived as a troll under the bridge, but then the author decided to develop the idea, forming collective image various monsters. This creature contains features of a werewolf, a vampire and even an alien life form.

King projected his own childhood memories onto the children's behavior. In its first year, the novel sold more than two and a half million copies, becoming one of the top scary horror books. The book was included in several lists of the most terrible works of the century and millennium, although some critics noted that the narrative was drawn out, confusing and overloaded, and the ending was not the most successful.

Others, on the contrary, liked the idea of ​​a dual narrative system, a large number heroes, historical interludes. Much controversy surrounded the scenes of teenage sex described in the novel.

In the list of very scary horror books, in fourth place is the work of the American Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the novel “The Ridges of Madness.” It was written in 1931, becoming the key work of the Cthulhu Mythos series.

The book tells the story of geologist Dyer, who is trying to convince other scientists to send a research expedition deep into Antarctica. This reveals the eerie details of previous expeditions in which Dyer had already participated.

In 1930, researchers while drilling shale rocks found prints of unknown living creatures. After some time, mountains were discovered that were comparable in height to the Himalayas. Dyer himself called them the Ridges of Madness. A camp was set up at the foot, and during drilling in the cave they found even more remains of ancient animals.

The finds didn't end there. In the cave itself there were terrible creatures described in the occult book "Necronomicon" with webbed wings and tentacles. When the research team did not make contact the next day, Dyer's second detachment went to their temporary camp.

Hurricane enormous power practically destroyed it. Almost all the equipment was damaged. In addition, specimens of mysterious creatures disappeared, as well as clothing, supplies and many belongings of the group members. The bodies of people and dogs were mutilated. This is the beginning of a novel that is included in the list of the top 10 scariest horror books.

Another master of frightening the reader, the founder of the detective genre, is the American Edgar Allan Poe. He primarily wrote novellas and short stories. One of his most terrible works, which is included in the list of terrible horror books, where it is placed in fifth place, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” belongs to the same genre.

It was first published in 1839. At the very beginning, the narrator receives a message from his youth friend Roderick Usher and goes to his estate. Even as he approaches the house, he notices the gloomy landscape that surrounds everything. And a barely noticeable crack cuts through the entire building from top to bottom.

From the owner of the house he learns about the mysterious hereditary disease, because of which all of Asher’s senses are painfully heightened, he cannot tolerate bright light, flashy colors, loud sounds. His whole life is lately imbued with terrible fear.

Roderick is convinced that some force has settled in the house, which he cannot calculate. The narrator finds out that Asher’s sister is also sick, she is indifferent to everything, and is literally melting every day. And lately her condition has been especially deteriorating.

The narrator and Roderick communicate a lot, like old friends, one day the owner of the house sings the song “The House of Ghosts,” then arguing that plants are able to feel and understand what is happening around them. Because of this, the atmosphere in the vicinity of their home is constantly thickening, which has been influencing the fate of their family for centuries.

Finally, his sister Lady Madylane dies. Roderick asks the narrator for help in lowering the body into the dungeon before the funeral. They close the coffin and lock the iron door. Roderick’s anxiety only intensifies after this, and over time it is transmitted to the narrator. About a week before the storm, they hear strange knocks, the nature of which they cannot determine. Asher opens the window and watches the raging elements.

Then Roderick says that in reality they buried their sister alive, he understood this thanks to his heightened senses, but was afraid to admit. At this moment, the door swings open and Lady Madeline appears in the room, she is exhausted and covered in blood. Falling into her brother's arms, she drags his already lifeless body with her.

The narrator runs away in horror, noticing that the crack he noticed at the very beginning is widening. Poe's works are deservedly ranked among the most terrible horror books in the world.

In reviews of the work one can always find mentions that this story has become a standard for Gothic literature. Poe gained many imitators and followers.

6. "Frankenstein"

The science fiction novel "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus" was written in 1816. This is an English work that was published anonymously two years later. The life story of the scientist Victor Frankenstein can always be found among the 10 scariest horror books.

Researchers want to understand the mystery of the origin of life, as well as learn how to revive lifeless matter. For this he creates artificial person from parts of the corpses of several people. But then he realizes what he has created and abandons his creation. The nameless monster is hated by everyone because of its ugliness, and it begins to haunt its creator.

The novel "Frankenstein", which is included in the top of the most terrible horror books, organically combines elements that are inherent in romantic and gothic works, as well as science fiction in general. This is one of the first novels to use scientific methods, so Shelley can be called the founder of science fiction.

It is interesting that the writer creates the first version of the novel while she is relaxing in a Swiss villa with Byron and friends. At the suggestion of the classic of English poetry, all members of the company compose creepy stories. The prototype of the main character for Shelley was the alchemist Johann Conrad Dippel, who worked in the 17th century in the German Frankenstein Castle.

Fans of this novel immediately notice that this is not so much a mystical as a philosophical work. Here it is more important for the author not to scare the reader, but to tell about the tragedy of a creature that has become unnecessary even to its creator.

7. "The Haunting of Hill House"

Another contender for the list of the world's scariest horror book was also created by a woman. This is a novel by American writer Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House. Today the work is in seventh place.

It talks about Dr. John Markway, who studies paranormal phenomena. To advance his work, he invites several people with heightened psychic abilities to spend several days together in the so-called House on the Hill, which is considered sinister. This scary horror book claims to be haunted.

The doctor's offer is accepted by two girls - Theodora and Eleanor Lens and the potential heir of the house itself, Luke Sanderson.

Apparently, the House on the Hill has been possessed by the spirits of its former owners. He immediately challenges brave researchers, frightening them with suspicious sounds, knocks, and cold appearing from nowhere. Paranormal forces are especially attentive to the virgin Eleanor, who is extremely insecure. Her story is reminiscent of the fate of the nurse of the last mistress of the house. Theodora is attracted to her, while at the same time hoping to start a relationship with Dr. Markway.

This strange love triangle is disrupted by the sudden arrival of the scientist's wife, Grace, who immediately declares that her husband is engaged in nonsense, she is ready to prove it by spending the night alone in the creepiest room in the house. All night, the inhabitants hear strange sounds from the room where Grace is staying, and in the morning she disappears.

Eleanor, who mentally wished for the death of her rival, blames herself for her disappearance. She decides to follow the call of home and goes up the unstable spiral staircase, followed by the doctor. When Eleanor sees Grace at the window, she realizes that the house has taken the explorer's wife instead of her.

Markway decides to end the experiment, but Eleanor refuses to leave. Only after giving in to persuasion does she get into the car, but, following the road through the park, she sees Grace again and crashes into a tree. The scientist’s wife was actually in the park at that time. As it turned out later, it was on this spot that the wife of the man who built this house a long time ago died.

"The Exorcist" is a famous novel by American writer William Peter Blatty, which is in eighth place on the list. It tells the story of the priest Lancaster Merrin, who participates in archaeological excavations in northern Iraq, where the head of the demon Pazuzu is found.

At the same time, in Washington at Georgetown University, the young priest Karras’s mother dies, for a long time was in psychiatric hospital. He takes her death seriously and turns to his superiors with a request to allow him to be temporarily removed from compulsory services.

Another heroine of the novel is Chris McNeil, who takes part in the filming of a film on campus. Her daughter, who is 12 years old, begins having strange seizures. Her mother takes her to the doctor, with whom the girl begins to behave unusually aggressively. Her seizures, during which the bed shakes, are becoming more frequent. During bouts of unconsciousness, Regan begins to speak strangely male voice and make unusual body movements. Doctors suspect she has a brain disease, but tests do not confirm this diagnosis.

Soon, under mysterious circumstances, the director of the film for whom Chris was filming dies. He falls out of the window of Regan's room. The murder is investigated by Detective Kinderman. He finds a figurine made by a girl near the man's corpse. Kinderman asks Father Karras in detail about what happened, wanting to connect the director’s death with another crime - the desecration of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, doctors fall into despair, not knowing how to further treat Regan. They advise Chris to try seeking help from exorcists. The girl is walking to meet Father Karras.

While the priest is examining the girl, she announces in an eerie voice that her name is the Devil. Karras attributes this to psychosis, believing that the girl has gone crazy. He begins to doubt this when Regan begins speaking in a strange language, which turns out to be English turned backwards. Karras is tormented by doubts, but he still asks permission from catholic church to perform an exorcism ritual.

Experienced exorcist Merrin comes from Washington to perform the ceremony. Banish evil spirit from Regan they try together with Father Karras, the demon begins to threaten them, as a result Merrin dies from a sudden heart attack. Regan chuckles sinisterly as Karras tries unsuccessfully to save Merrin. Seeing that this is useless, Karras rushes at the girl, demanding that the demon move into him, freeing the child. The demon agrees to this, but as soon as this happens, Karras, who has a moment of enlightenment, is thrown out the window. Regan quickly recovers after this, and together with her mother they leave this city forever.

This is a timeless classic of a good and solid work of horror. The mixture of mysticism and religion always resonates with readers and generates excellent reviews.

9. "Dracula"

Scary story in Bram Stoker's horror book "Dracula" they make this book one of the creepiest and place it in ninth place. The novel was written in 1897, then repeatedly filmed; its main character, Count Dracula, became one of the most popular film characters of the 20th century.

The book tells the story of young lawyer Jonathan Harker, who travels to Transylvania to finalize a real estate deal for a local aristocrat named Dracula.

He buys an abandoned abbey. But an ordinary transaction turns into several months of bone-chilling horror for the lawyer. It turns out that Dracula is an immortal vampire who needs new possessions. He leaves Harker to be killed by his three brides, also bloodsuckers, and he leaves the castle in a box with earth from his native place.

Jonathan's fiancée Mina Murray joins her friend Lucy in the coastal town of Whitby, where a mysterious ship soon arrives. There is no crew on it, only the corpse of the captain is found at the helm. At this time, Lucy begins to suffer from severe blood loss, which forces her fiancé Arthur Holmwood to seek help from Dr. Seward. This is Lucy's close friend, the owner of a clinic for the mentally ill.

It turns out that Seward has long been interested in his patient, who introduces himself as Renfield. He eats spiders and flies in anticipation of the arrival of some all-powerful master. To consult about Lucy's condition, Seward invites Professor Van Helsing, who specializes in rare diseases. He immediately determines that the matter is the intervention of dark forces, prescribing her a blood transfusion, as well as precautions that are incomprehensible to those around her, for example, placing garlic in her room. Van Helsing realizes that there are vampires nearby, which is not the first time he has had to confront them.

With his novel he produced one of the most popular plots of the 20th century, to which not only writers, but also directors never tire of returning. This is a classic book that everyone should read.

10. "Terror Zone"

If we talk about modern books, then it is worth paying attention to the work of Mikhail Parfenov. He has the scariest book - "The Horror Zone". This is a collection of the popular "father of domestic horror", which is in tenth place on the list.

In this book, an ordinary minibus turns out to be a monster from distant worlds, and an army of insects attacks a high-rise building in Mitino. An elderly man fights a monster possessed by his elderly mother, while a spider-like creature hunts newborns.

Here are just some of the plots of his creepy stories. They are perfect for those who like to tickle their nerves at the end of the working day.

The desire to tickle one's nerves and immerse oneself in a gloomy atmosphere has been inherent in people since ancient times. Horror books were written and published back in the 13th century, in the form of chivalric Gothic novels, gradually transforming into stories about exorcism and ghosts, and later short stories imbued with deep psychologism appeared. Having amassed an impressive cultural history, today horror books come in a variety of genres that border on science fiction, fantasy, and detective stories. Therefore, everyone can find what is closest to them. But what the best horror books have in common is that they provoke feelings of fear and tension.

The collision with the inevitable, the unidentified, that which is beyond human understanding - this topic will always be relevant for any era and any country. Gloomy medieval castles predetermined the appearance of books in the horror genre, as the mysterious corners of family estates, forgotten rooms and family secrets made us think about otherworldly forces. Technological progress mid-19th century, sincere faith in reason, the development of natural sciences forced people to think about the clash of nature and science, so horror books appeared about monsters created by man, who subsequently loses control over his creation. At the turn of the century, man himself became a popular topic, the study of his inner world, comprehension of secrets hidden from the eyes, so the main characters are mental patients, maniacs and murderers. Contemporary literature and writers work with a variety of genres, combining the experience of past generations.

Find your horror book

The KnigoPoisk website allows you to find a suitable work for you. If you are interested in horror, the books listed on the site will help you plunge into a tense and chilling atmosphere. But if you haven’t yet decided on your favorite authors and trends, then it doesn’t matter. Ranking Horror Books will allow you to find the best examples of literature to start with. Read wisely and with pleasure!