Writing Wednesday: The 25 Scariest Books of All Time

Hallowe’en is just around the corner, so what better way to get into the spirit of the season than to read a good, old-fashioned scary story? Whether they inspire you to craft your own creepy tale or swear off horror fiction forever, these twenty-five books are guaranteed to put a chill in your bones. Be sure to grab a warm drink and cozy blanket before delving into one of the tales below!

1) The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson (1959)

2) House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski (2000)

3) Hell House, Richard Matheson (1971)

4) The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris (1988)

5) Dracula, Bram Stoker (1897)

6) Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin (1967) 

7) I Am Legend, Richard Matheson (1954)

8) Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice (1976)

9) The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty (1971)

10) American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

11) Ghost Story, Peter Straub (1979)

12) The Amityville Horror, Jay Anson (1977)

13) Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy (1985)

14) Books of Blood: Volumes 1–3, Clive Barker (1998)

15) Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons (1989)

16) Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818)

17) The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum (1989)

18) Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill (2007)

19) Let the Right One In, John Avjide Lindqvist (2004)

20) Lost Souls, Poppy Z. Brite (1992)

21) The Nameless, Ramsey Campbell (1981)

22) The October Country, Ray Bradbury (1955)

23) Pet Sematary, Stephen King (1983)

24) The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)

25) The Shining, Stephen King (1977)

Any books keep you up at night that we’ve left off the list? Let us know in the comments!

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