What could it be more interesting than the worlds, which can be accessed by using the key, which is the book! The horrors that unfold before you are connected not only with the talent of the writer, but also with the imagination of the reader. You build the scenery yourself, choose appearance heroes, capturing the atmosphere created by the author. There are no special effects, incompetent acting, inappropriate actors or fake soundstages in the book, it’s all up to you. Although many popular works have been filmed more than once, the original books are still successfully sold both in paper and in the now popular electronic form.

The book takes longer than the film; she must open up, you must feel contact with her, find common ground, and she will generously reward you for your time, revealing her secrets to you, page after page. You can “devour” it in just one night or put it aside for several days, thinking about what you read. A book is always a relationship, it is like friendship - yours and your key to the universe of fantasy. We hope that you will be happy to make friends with the works from our list, compiled in no particular order, and will want to pick them up more than once, because books are like people - they get bored without the attention of their friends.

1) "Pet Sematary"

Release year: 1983

Pet Sematary. Sweet provincial fun, that’s what Louis Creed, who arrived in new home with family. Children from all over the area brought dead animals here. Dogs, cats, canaries, rats. They were buried in ancient Indian land. In the one that is harder than the human heart. People are not buried in a Pet Sematary. But Louis will have to do it one day - in deep grief, in a fit of despair. But everything you do sooner or later comes back to you threefold.

2) “Call” (“Ring”)

Release year: 1991

After its publication, this novel gained such popularity that it has already been filmed twice - in its homeland in Japan and in the USA. The plot of the work was a Japanese urban legend of the late 20th century. A videotape that has already brought death to four people falls into the hands of journalist Asakawa Kazuyuki. If in exactly a week he does not unravel the magical strashno.com formula for salvation, he and his loved ones will die.

3) "The Haunting of Hill House"

Release year: 1959

An old mansion on a hill brings only grief to its inhabitants. The owners refuse to live in it; the elderly couple looking after the house do not risk staying here overnight. The house has a firmly established reputation as a haunted place. And then one day the silence of the house is disturbed by a noisy company of visitors. Dr. Montague, a paranormal investigator, rents a mansion for the summer to study the phenomena occurring there. None of those who arrived can even imagine what a nightmare this trip will end. The book's popularity was cemented by its two film adaptations - directed by Robert Wise (1963) and Jan De Bont with the participation of Steven Spielberg (1999).

4) Cycle “Cthulhu Mythos”

Years released: 1917-1927

During Lovecraft’s lifetime, his works were not very popular, but strashno.com after his death they had a noticeable influence on the formation of modern mass culture. His work is so unique that Lovecraft’s works stand out as a separate subgenre - the so-called Lovecraftian horror, which most often uses the psychological horror of the unknown. It can also be said that Lovecraft was the first to develop in detail “cosmic horror” about the intervention of aliens in earthly life, which seriously affected post-war science fiction: the author’s influence is noticeable in many works about aliens from outer space.

5) “Omen” (“Sign”)

Release year: 1976

Robert Thorne, an American diplomat, arrives at the hospital to learn that his wife has given birth to a stillborn child. The wife does not know about this yet, and Thorne is offered to adopt the baby, who was born on the same day - the 6th day of the 6th month. The nurse convinced him that the newborn’s mother died during childbirth, and she had no strashno.com relatives. Robert agrees without telling his wife. Soon the parents notice strange things about their son: Damien has never been sick, he is afraid of churches, and people are dying around him. In the Book of Revelation it was said that the Antichrist would come in human form, that this birth would take place on the sixth day of the sixth month at six o'clock.

6) "The Exorcist"

Release year: 1971

Ragan, a sweet, well-mannered eleven-year-old girl, turns into a monster with an animal face and a rough, rasping voice. Her mother, a famous actress, is desperately looking for a way out of this situation, realizing that she is irretrievably losing her daughter every day. The tender soul of the child groans in pain and horror and tries to resist, but the forces are unequal, and the demon who has taken possession of her is already ready to celebrate victory. Meanwhile, priest Karras comes to the family's aid.

7) “Salimov’s inheritance” (“Jerusalem’s lot”)

scaryno.com

Release year: 1975

Ben Mears, a writer, arrives in the small Maine town of Salimov's Lot, and almost at the same time a new owner moves into the recently purchased old sinister Marsten house. Following this, a little boy tragically disappears, and then people throughout the town began to disappear - individually and as whole families. Neither their relatives nor even the police could find them. And when hope disappeared, it seemed forever, the missing returned, and the town shook with horror. Ben is one of the few who guessed what it was, and he begins to fight the ancient evil, whose name is vampires.
This novel has many variations of the title depending on the translation. Here we present two of the most popular.

8) "Dracula"

Release year: 1897

Bram Stoker's novel is a well-known classic of the vampire genre, and his Count strashno.com Dracula is a truly immortal creature who has survived many film adaptations and has become the embodiment of everything most insidious and mysterious that human imagination is capable of. The reader will hear five voices telling about the nightmarish encounters they experienced with Dracula. Beauty Lucy, who received a fatal bite and gradually becomes a vampire; her lover, who cannot find a place for himself out of despair; the courageous doctor recognizing ominous symptoms; lawyer Jonathan Harker, who traveled to distant Transylvania to conclude a fateful deal; his faithful bride Mina. Excerpts from their diaries and letters step by step bring us closer to solving the ominous mystery.

9) “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”, “Mirgorod”

Released: 1831-1832, 1835

The book “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, consisting of eight stories, is divided into exactly two parts. "Mirgorod", published in 1835, which includes the famous "Viy", is a collection of stories by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, strashno.com which is positioned as a continuation of "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka". The stories in this collection are based on Ukrainian folklore and have much in common with each other. In this collection, unlike Dikanka, where Rudy Panko was, there is no single “publisher” who closes the cycle of stories. Despite the fact that the stories are grouped, they can be read separately without losing the meaning of each story. “Mirgorod” was published in two volumes, two stories in each.

10) "Ghouls"

Release year: 2000

The novel “Ghouls” was published in two books, the first is called “Black Dawn”, the second “Fight”, and the author himself was announced by the publishers as the Russian Stephen King. Based on the mythological concept developed by the author, ghouls are the children of Ahriman, the dark deity of Zoroastrianism, whom he created in opposition to the human race. Ghouls have no soul, they are insidious, unreasonably evil, bloodthirsty and strashno.com practically immortal, they can only be destroyed by fire or sea ​​water. These monsters are born from the buried human corpses. According to ancient prophecies, once every few centuries Vassakh Gul appears in the world - a powerful leader of the dark army, who arranges a local apocalypse in one particular town and, having destroyed its entire population, grows from the corpses an army of ghouls for the global apocalypse. This is exactly the situation that arises in a small modern Italian city.

11) "Stories"

Release year: 1834-1847

Edgar Alan Poe is a legend of American literature. It seems that all its genres and directions grew out of his work. It is his dark, mysterious figure that runs through all the masterpieces born in the New World. His own works are full of darkness and mysticism. Mysterious dead people, mysterious animals, the Sphinx, King Pestilence and the Devil himself - these are his favorite heroes.

12) “Hellraiser strashno.com”

Release year: 1986

A box once created by the toy maker Lemarchand and opening the way to other dimensions. The mysterious order of the Cenobites, who have tasted the highest pleasure that is inaccessible to an ordinary person. And the gates of hell itself, opening into our world. “Hellraiser” has become a world classic of horror, and cult films have been made based on this novel, in the creation of which Clive Barker himself took part.

13) "Captive of Ghosts"

Release year: 1987

Where is the line between dream and reality? What's happening in real life, and what is just a figment of the imagination? Is contact with the other world possible if nothing exists beyond death? Trying to answer all these questions cost David Ash too much. He never believed in ghosts, did not trust the supernatural, laughed at photos of ghosts, considering strashno.com their Photoshop. But this could not last long. Sooner or later he had to fight with otherworldly forces. What awaits him at the end of this terrible, chilling story?

14) “They appear at midnight”

Release year: 1968

In all the sinister literature about other world There is no other creature that evokes greater horror, disgust and morbid interest than the vampire. No other monster has attracted so much attention from the recognized masters of this genre, and no other creature from the power of darkness has been able to inspire writers and become the hero of so many and outstanding nightmare stories.

15) “We live in a castle”

Release year: 1962

This book is an American Gothic novel, a real psychological thriller. It was selected by Times magazine as one of the 10 best novels of strashno.com of the year, and went through 13 editions. A tragedy occurred in one American family living in their own house near the village: almost all its members were poisoned with arsenic. Two sisters and an elderly uncle are all that remains of the once large clan. Life on the estate flowed quietly and measuredly, but one evening there was a knock on the door, announcing the arrival of a cousin who wanted to visit his sisters.

16) "Florence and Giles"

Release year: 2010

1891, New England. Twelve-year-old orphan Florence lives with her younger brother Giles in a secluded and almost abandoned mansion. Their uncle cares little about raising their children, and he completely forbade hiring a teacher for their niece. He is sure that the girl can neither read nor write. But Florence, left to her own devices, secretly devolves book after book, spending hours strashno.com in the cold silence of a huge library, alone with Shakespeare, Walter Scott, Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe. She invents her own language with which she tells her story. After the mysterious death of the first governess, the guardian did not burden himself with an overly picky choice of a new mentor. Soon Miss Taylor arrives at the estate. She reeks of misfortune and the scent of lilies. Florence feels that an evil and vengeful spirit has appeared in the house and threatens Giles. Unable to turn to adults for help, she uses all her intelligence and ingenuity to resist him.

17) "Ghost Story"

Release year: 1979

Writer Don Wonderly comes to the small town of Millburn, where lived before his uncle, at the invitation of four old men who call themselves the Nonsense Club; What they do is tell each other scary stories at club meetings. The fifth member of the club was Uncle strashno.com Don, who died at a reception given in honor of the mysterious actress Ann Veronica Moore. This trip could not have come at a better time for Don. After all, not everything is smooth in his life either: his brother recently died, and Don blames a strange woman for his death, who turned his whole life upside down. In addition, Don hopes to finally write a new novel. But all is not well in Milburn either. A farmer living outside the city discovers that his cows have been killed and bled dry; strange woman appears in the city, and her appearance shocks the members of the Nonsense Club, one of whom commits suicide. But that’s not all: people begin to disappear in Milburn.

18) “The Devil’s Dolls of Madame Mandylip” (“Burn, witch, burn!”)

Release year: 1932

An unusual patient is brought to Dr. Lowell's clinic, an henchman of the famous gangster Ricori. The patient dies, but the cause of death is unknown, strashno.com and the death itself was so strange and terrible that Ricori, in collaboration with Lowell, begin an investigation. It soon becomes clear that Lowell's patient was not the first victim to die in this way, and the only thing that unites all the victims of the epidemic are dolls from the shop of Madame Mandylip, a witch who creates small copies of living people and transfers the souls of the originals into them.

19) "Hell House"

Release year: 1971

For about twenty years now, the house of Emeric Belasco, known throughout the city as an ominous abode of ghosts, has been empty. All attempts to cleanse the Hell House fail, and those who take part in them either die or lose their minds. Nevertheless, city residents do not lose hope. Physicist Barrett and his wife Edith, medium Florence Tanver and psychic Benjamin Fisher are ready to make another attempt at cleansing. Will strashno.com be able to get rid of the power of dark forces this time?

20) “Vampires. Fantastic novel by Baron Olchevri from the family chronicle of Counts Dracula-Cardi"

Release year: 1912

The young, rich and energetic American heir of an ancient family, Harry Cardy, comes to the abandoned Carpathian castle of the ancient family Dracula, accompanied by inseparable friends: the brave Captain Wright, the inquisitive young man James, nicknamed Sherlock Holmes by his friends, and the calm, reasonable Doctor Weiss. Written as a parody in response to the emerging fashion for "vampire" novels, this novel is now a classic of the genre.

Which mystical book from our list seemed the scariest to you?

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 stifling atmosphere of despair, hopelessness and meaninglessness of human existence, then “Cows” will occupy an important place in your home library.

"Exquisite Corpse" Poppy Bright- more arthouse than horror, but fans of the dark side of literature will certainly like it. 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.

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 graduation 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 have 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 is there?” and "Something". It was under the latter name that several films were released.

Found in Antarctica spacecraft, which crashed 20 million years ago. A frozen pilot is found in the ship, and main mistake Scientists decided to unfreeze it. The alien can take the form of anyone who has become his food. A group of researchers is trying to figure out which one 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 there is only one person left who has been bypassed scary virus. IN free time Robert Neville searches for 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.

10 cool Russian horror books

Not everyone knows that the “Horror” genre is generally represented in the rich Russian literature. And those who know are often skeptical about it. But I checked the site and reports: scary, very scary, and there are horrors for every taste. We recommend.

Kirill Alekseev "Fly Eater"

The novel is good because of its special cinematography. The consciousness of the reader, especially one already prepared by watching horror films, will immediately build a scene, arrange heroes, monsters and start disturbing music in the background. In addition, the plot is classic: a group of people are haunted by a childhood nightmare. A slasher film based on Russian realities turns out to be eerily close. Alekseev also has one more nice feature. Reading an ordinary horror story, we often think: “Fools, don’t go to the cemetery, don’t go down to the basement - and nothing will happen!” Our author, on the only night allotted to the heroes, simply does not give them any choice. Complete hopelessness.

What was once eaten must itself be eaten.

Alexey Ateev “The Mystery of the Old Cemetery”

This book, written in the 90s, is both creepy and funny, like the nineties themselves. The ancient evil spirits do not want to surrender to the Soviet system. Policemen, local historians, an old-school librarian are fighting evil spirits as best they can. In the background modern horror with all its special effects and 18+ rating, the book can be reminiscent of horror stories in a pioneer camp. But do you remember what it’s like to walk away from that fire into the darkness?

- What is two and two? – she asked insinuatingly.
The goat looked at her silently for a while. Valentina Sergeevna had already decided that she would not wait for an answer. Suddenly the goat said:
- What are you, du-hurray? Think about death!

Belobrov-Popov “Red Tambourine”

A village shooter with vampires, anti-Semites and the Soviet army takes on the role of our dear "From Dusk Till Dawn". There's a lot of gratuitous cruelty and sickening detail here, and it's all best read with a healthy sense of humor or a love of postmodernism. The book is bright and forceful, and the plot in it rushes at full speed, forcing the reader to either throw it away thick volume at all, or ooh and ahh at unexpected bumps and turns.

This is how he imagined the Apocalypse - everything is scorched, and who the hell knows who is driving along the scorched area.

Nail Izmailov “Ubyr”

Every child at least once in childhood has to experience a terrible suspicion: what if your parents are not yours? Or not people at all? It’s scary, but you won’t complain to your mother... After the introduction, plunging you into the deepest childhood fears, luxurious action begins with an exotic Tatar flavor. Although, what’s exotic about it: American maniacs won’t get to us, they won’t be given a visa, and Izmailov’s nightmares will take the night train and come.

We stayed at night on an empty platform in the middle of fields, forests and dogs, in almost winter cold and hunger.
Not alone.
Together.

Sergey Kuznetsov “Butterfly Skin”

In the horror genre, there is no way to do without immersing yourself in the diseased brain of a maniac. Well, and at the same time into the no less unhealthy consciousness of a madwoman in love with a maniac. And it is not yet known who will win. From the spectrum negative emotions Kuznetsov chooses “disgusting and a little embarrassing.” It is especially shameful to watch the deadly dance of the heroes and suddenly feel a response to their forbidden feelings. And then, on the subway, feeling that someone is looking at the book over your shoulder, you will automatically want to cover this text with your hand, as if this way you will hide your own thoughts.

Do you remember one time I asked you how you would like to die? And you answered: “Open my chest and take my heart.” And I, having written this letter, feel: this is mine rib cage opened, and it is my heart that trembles on your lips.

Igor Lesev "23"

A Tuvan witch and her henchmen are pursuing a simple boy Vitenka. Well, how can I say, simple. Vitek is a terribly nasty, arrogant, stupid, cowardly mama's boy, obsessed with numerology and possessing an incredible thirst for life. That is, he runs fast, but doesn’t think very well. Of course, the reader will not want to associate himself with the deputy’s young assistant, but he will immediately believe in his crazy adventures. And at some point you realize that you have been sucked into this ridiculous farce of horrors.

The dog howled again when he saw his master's body.
- Ada, calm down. He was still old - finally, having stepped over the corpse, I found myself on the threshold of a half-open door. - Okay, dog, don’t be bored...

Alexey Mavrin “Dogheads”

The famous writer Alexey Ivanov is hiding under the pseudonym Mavrin. So, predictably, the level of “Blood, guts, zombies come out” in this book is made lower, and the level of “Dying nature and the search for philosophical meaning” is raised higher. We also have a good one here love line, interesting topic schismaticism and a high-quality atmosphere of quiet horror. It is difficult to figure out what is actually happening from the surrounding nightmare, and what is just a figment of the imagination of the protagonist, choking on the bitter smoke from the peat bogs.

The door to hell can open anywhere: in the old grave of a collective farmer, or in your own soul. In the shower it’s even more likely.

Maryana Romanova “The Dead from Upper Log”

Behind the forests, behind the mountains, in a modest Yaroslavl region there is a village, and whoever comes there with brains will not live for three days. We're joking. In fact, Russian zombies feed on something else. And this makes it even worse. The author moves us in time and space: from the outback to the capital, from Russia to Africa, and weaves all the lines into a strong plot. The main note in this symphony of horror is anxiety. So, if you finish reading in the evening (and you, of course, will), then draw the curtains tightly, otherwise you never know who will be wandering around there in the dark.

It is easier to lean on darkness; its shoulder seems like a stronghold, especially when you are so young.

Anna Starobinets “Shelter 3/9”

The novel is based on Russian folk tales, and if you have read at least one not adapted for younger school age fairy tale, then you should already feel a little uneasy. little child ends up in the Far Far Away Kingdom, and a young woman notices that people are looking at her strangely. And all this is connected with the end of the world. But the horror is not in Koshchei, not in the Kafkaesque transformation of the heroine. The most terrible reading will be for those who are afraid of the indifference of loved ones and have dreams about lost children or parents.

When night fell - dark, starless, icy - the boy sat down under a tree and began to think about what usually happens to children who find themselves alone in the forest at night. What happens to them?

Victor Tochinov “Creature”

If you are a fan of gore, psychopathic maniacs, a hellish mess, seasoned with Nazis and tentacles, then Torchinov is exactly what you need. This time it takes place in the gloomy suburbs of St. Petersburg, and the author’s historical and local history excursions are very plausible. The hero of the book, despite being a writer, is a serious man and confidently swings an iron crowbar. Take him as an example if you start to twitch from suspicious rustling noises behind your back.

This is him, this is Phil... - Slavik thought before falling into the abyss teeming with yellow, green and red balloons. His head also turned into a red ball - and then burst with the crimson ringing of a bronze pentagram...

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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 is a post-modern film in which the Creed couple and their two children move to the town 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 originally conceived as a troll under a bridge, but then the author decided to develop the idea, forming a collective image of 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" - famous novel American writer William Peter Blatty, which is number eight 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, who had been in hospital for a long time, dies. 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. They try to drive out the evil spirit from Regan 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. Elderly man fights a monster possessed by his elderly mother, and an arachnid 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.