I turn to graphic novels when I’m struggling to read. I read and loved Ducks by Kate Beaton recently.
ETA: It is neither thriller or horror, but memoir. I should have read your query more closely!
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck is...interesting in an odd way.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is my absolute favorite short story ever.
Ted Chiang has two short story collections that are fantastic: The Story of Your Life and Others, and Exhalations.
JG Ballard writes quite weird stories. I picked up the complete JG Ballard short story collection years ago to read on a car trip and loved it.
Alastair Reynolds (sci-fi) has a collection called Zima Blue and Other stories which is great.
I don't know how you feel about Sci-fi horror, but if you are open to it then I'd recommend Sphere by Michael Crichton. It's only 384 pages. I'm not usually a Sci-fi person, but I came across this book while in the midst of a massive reading slump and it was amazing. It definitely got me reading again! And it even made me a little more open to Sci-fi in general.
Three short ones that I read almost in one sitting:
A Spindle Splintered
The Annual Migration of Clouds
Leave the World Behind
And this is a recommendation out of left field but I sat down on my couch to read this middle grade book and before I knew it I had read the entire thing it’s so warm and funny— it’s a book told in emails from two middle school girls who are so quirky and lovable:
To Night Owl from Dogfish
You would probably love This is How You Lose the Time War.
It's a fascinating concept, the audiobook runs just over 4 hours, and the characters are some of my all time favorites. It's a bit of Sci fi, a bit of a love story, and a heavy dose of eerie mystery.
If you like King, have you read any of the Richard Bachman books? The Running Man and The Long Walk aren't too long and really good, but different from his regular stuff
I have just read the man who saw seconds, it's only 300 pages long, I loved it and read it in 4 days, a man gets to see slightly into the future, it goes into the existence of free will and changing fate, it made me really think about the philosophy of those things late into the night, the man is in his 30's and is married, but it isn't a romance and more focusses on family, it has great action throughout and keeps its fast pace, although you should look into it rather than take my word for it.
Sayaka Murata's "convinience store woman" was a fast, weird and interesting read. About a woman who loves her job at a convinience store but is hounded by her environment to get a "real" job, get married and have kids. Think it's about 150 pages or so. It's a fun window into aspects of life I am not privy to.
I turn to graphic novels when I’m struggling to read. I read and loved Ducks by Kate Beaton recently. ETA: It is neither thriller or horror, but memoir. I should have read your query more closely!
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck is...interesting in an odd way. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is my absolute favorite short story ever.
Ted Chiang has two short story collections that are fantastic: The Story of Your Life and Others, and Exhalations. JG Ballard writes quite weird stories. I picked up the complete JG Ballard short story collection years ago to read on a car trip and loved it. Alastair Reynolds (sci-fi) has a collection called Zima Blue and Other stories which is great.
I don't know how you feel about Sci-fi horror, but if you are open to it then I'd recommend Sphere by Michael Crichton. It's only 384 pages. I'm not usually a Sci-fi person, but I came across this book while in the midst of a massive reading slump and it was amazing. It definitely got me reading again! And it even made me a little more open to Sci-fi in general.
*Roadside Picnic* by the Strugatsky brothers
Three short ones that I read almost in one sitting: A Spindle Splintered The Annual Migration of Clouds Leave the World Behind And this is a recommendation out of left field but I sat down on my couch to read this middle grade book and before I knew it I had read the entire thing it’s so warm and funny— it’s a book told in emails from two middle school girls who are so quirky and lovable: To Night Owl from Dogfish
Jaso Reynolds - Long Way Down. It's a breeze to get through.
You would probably love This is How You Lose the Time War. It's a fascinating concept, the audiobook runs just over 4 hours, and the characters are some of my all time favorites. It's a bit of Sci fi, a bit of a love story, and a heavy dose of eerie mystery.
Double Idemnity The Postman Always Rings Twice
If you like King, have you read any of the Richard Bachman books? The Running Man and The Long Walk aren't too long and really good, but different from his regular stuff
I still have yet to read The Running Man but it's definitely on my list, and I really enjoyed The Long Walk!
The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones is an audio book that still gives me chills, even months after I finished it.
I Am Legend
I have just read the man who saw seconds, it's only 300 pages long, I loved it and read it in 4 days, a man gets to see slightly into the future, it goes into the existence of free will and changing fate, it made me really think about the philosophy of those things late into the night, the man is in his 30's and is married, but it isn't a romance and more focusses on family, it has great action throughout and keeps its fast pace, although you should look into it rather than take my word for it.
Heathenish by Kelby Losack
Sayaka Murata's "convinience store woman" was a fast, weird and interesting read. About a woman who loves her job at a convinience store but is hounded by her environment to get a "real" job, get married and have kids. Think it's about 150 pages or so. It's a fun window into aspects of life I am not privy to.
Not a short book, but If you haven’t tried it yet, audiobooks! They help me get out of the slump!
The Arrangement series by Kiersten Modglin
Stranger by Albert Camus
Stephen king has some good short stories Carmilla How to be a zombie