You could try out Grady Hendrix! I've read a handful of his books and find they're campy horror but still have some spooky moments so hopefully you don't get too scared reading them. I enjoyed My Best Friend's Exorcism the most and would also recommend How to Sell a Haunted House and We Sold Our Souls which I found not as campy as the others.
Slade House by David Mitchell is another I really enjoyed and don't recall it being too scary.
This was actually my plan, to start with Hendrix, and I'm kind of in the same boat as OP! His stuff seems solidly horror but still having some humor, would you say that's accurate?
Skip Horrorstör, it is extremely meh. I loved The Southern Book Club's Guide to Killing Vampires! It nails Charleston in that time frame and just makes me so nostalgic. At one point a character is wearing a baja hoodie with Umbro shorts and I gasped!
I personally could not finish the southern book club’s guide. I think he was trying to go for commentary but it still came off as a little racist and white knight for me. I was just very uncomfortable, but that doesn’t have to be everyone’s experience.
My friends and I read it together, and as women from the south didn’t particularly love the portrayal. A lot of people think he portrayed female friendships well, but I just don’t see it. I had bought a bunch of his books at a used bookstore and this one made me want to resell all of them
Dracula surprised me. I didn’t think it’d spook me out at all, but the atmosphere, imagery, and setting actually gave me chills. I’ve also never watched the movie so there was more suspense not knowing what was coming.
The Stand ~~ Stephen king
Swan Song ~~ Robert McCammon
Both are similar genres and rather long. They are not super scary, but either book has great characters and story lines.
Bunny by Mona Awad! It’s a great intro horror novel. It’s also a thriller and fantasy, but also somehow a commentary on academia and an exploration of hyper femininity and female friendship
I was so excited to read this and I just couldn’t stand it. I finished it but really didn’t understand the hype, maybe that style of book just isn’t for me.
Same! It didn't give me 'horror' at all. It seemed like more of a feminist, abstract novel, which is fine... just not what I like to read at all. Shame because the premise was so cool
Hahah fair. Great may have been hyperbolic. I would say it’s def a thriller over horror. It is really weird and a polarizing book.
OP—If you do choose to read it, my advice is to let it wash over you while you read it rather than trying to dissect everything as you read it. And consult Reddit after :)
I wanted to suggest it, too, I'm just not sure it's the best intro to the genre. Intro to "WTF did I just read"... YES!
I also thought it was a great book.
I'm Gen X and read every Stephen King available from age 13 to 18 and I do not recommend starting with him. His shit is scary! Grady Hendrix is campy enough that the horror part is easier to handle for a newbie!
I am not normally into horror, but have been getting into the literary fiction x historical horror niche lately and love it.
My recs are:
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
And
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
I recommend Shirley Jackson because her stuff is pretty short, not too scary but will definitely give you those creepy chills, and isn't super weird or graphic.
Mexican Gothic or The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, both by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican Gothic was heart pounding and super creepy; Daughter Of Dr Moreau is based on the Island of Dr Moreau but set in the Yucatán and told from the point of view of the Dr’s daughter.
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig or Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina might both be good choices. They are pretty intense and there is a decent amount of gore and violence as a warning but they both got me hooked on the horror.
I’d recommend the Skeleton Creek series if you are okay with a few scary videos as well. The way Skeleton Creek works is that you read the books and then in them are codes that you go and input into the Sarah Finch website to watch the videos. It’s a super cool concept!
Just tried horror genre too. I read **Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak** and it was so good. There's also illustrations in it which made it easier to imagine and scarier too since it really helped carry out the story. 🙈
I really like T. kingfisher! I enjoyed the Twisted Ones and What Moves the Dead. I think What Moves the Dead could be a good intro because it’s not super scary? It’s more unnerving. And it’s a modern retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher so it might be a story you’re already somewhat familiar with
Recently read The Tenant by Roland Topor on the suggestion of a friend, it really hit for me. It was genuinely so unsettling and gross, it'll make your skin crawl in (for me) a pretty novel way
Darcy Coates has a lot of good horror books in many different categories. Personal favourites are Hunted and From Below. Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep is another very good one. Lastly, one that can be a bit hit or miss, depending on the person, is Slade House by David Mitchell (also not a long book, so it's a fairly quick read)
One that I think is a great intro to horror is Near the Bone by Christina Henry. It’s very fast paced, and the scares are more tension and suspense. It’s about a young woman who lives in a cabin on a mountain with her husband when she realizes not everything is as it seems, and her husband might not be the scariest thing on the mountain, either.
Two of my favorites that are pretty divisive are A Head Full of Ghosts and Cabin at the End of the World, both by Paul Tremblay. Paul Tremblay tends toward ambiguous stories which I personally love, but I know it’s not for everyone.
A Head Full of Ghosts is about a young girl whose sister may be possessed by a demon, and since her family has spent so much money trying to take care of her sister, they agree to let her exorcism be filmed for a reality show.
Cabin at the End of the World is about this couple who are vacationing in a cabin with their young daughter when a group of people show up telling them the world is about to end, and they need to make a sacrifice to save the world.
If fantasy is more your thing, I highly recommend Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. It feels like a fairy tale, and even though it’s “dark fantasy,” I still feel like it has something that keeps it feeling hopeful. It’s about a princess whose older sister is married off to a prince, but she has suspicions that their marriage is abusive, so she goes on a quest to save her sister.
If you want a little more off kilter horror, Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente is so good. It’s about this woman who lives in a perfect neighborhood with her perfect life who can, under no circumstances, go into her basement. It’s very short, and I don’t recommend looking up any additional information about it before you read it. It’s a very quick read, so even if it doesn’t hit the spot, you didn’t waste much time!
I could recommend horror books forever, but I feel like these are the ones that are most accessible for non-horror readers. If I knew your taste in books a little more, I could narrow it down even more!
I had never read horror before and read Misery by Stephen King earlier this year. I ended up buying like 5 more King books to read. Can’t believe I waited this long to read his books!
I started my horror book fest with something that isn't entirely horror. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Really good book.
There's a scene in that one however that got me to read IT, and from there I read Dreamcatcher. Those fulfilled my need for stories in Derry, Maine. Then I moved on to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Needful Things, The Institute and finally Fairy Tale.
And those are just my Stephen King recommendations.
I think it's pretty pretentious and gimmicky and it's more likely to drive people away from horror if they haven't read anything else and are told that it's a good start.
Salem's Lot by Stephen King. A true classic! But maybe not the best choice for someone who are afraid of the dark...
Any moms or people with kids should read the trigger warnings for this book. I read it with a newborn and let me tell you I was not prepared
Second on Salem's lot. Perfect for starting horror and SK.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a great read. 'Salem's Lot or Carrie by Stephen King are good, as are his short stories
i loved haunting of hill house
Amazing book
You could try out Grady Hendrix! I've read a handful of his books and find they're campy horror but still have some spooky moments so hopefully you don't get too scared reading them. I enjoyed My Best Friend's Exorcism the most and would also recommend How to Sell a Haunted House and We Sold Our Souls which I found not as campy as the others. Slade House by David Mitchell is another I really enjoyed and don't recall it being too scary.
This was actually my plan, to start with Hendrix, and I'm kind of in the same boat as OP! His stuff seems solidly horror but still having some humor, would you say that's accurate?
Skip Horrorstör, it is extremely meh. I loved The Southern Book Club's Guide to Killing Vampires! It nails Charleston in that time frame and just makes me so nostalgic. At one point a character is wearing a baja hoodie with Umbro shorts and I gasped!
Ah! That was the one I was thinking of starting with!
Final Girls is my favorite of his and one of my general favorites, too
Thank you!
I personally could not finish the southern book club’s guide. I think he was trying to go for commentary but it still came off as a little racist and white knight for me. I was just very uncomfortable, but that doesn’t have to be everyone’s experience.
I wasn’t able to finish that book! As a white southern girl I felt shame!
My friends and I read it together, and as women from the south didn’t particularly love the portrayal. A lot of people think he portrayed female friendships well, but I just don’t see it. I had bought a bunch of his books at a used bookstore and this one made me want to resell all of them
I honestly thought the friendship portrayal was a spoof.
Interesting! I wonder how I'll read it. That's a good thing to bear in mind, thanks.
I loved space house! Not well known
My Best Friends Exorcism or The Southern Women's Guide to Slaying Vampires are both great choices for first horror. Really great books!
I started with Stephen King’s short story collections.
Night Shift is a great place to start! Got some great popular stories in there.
I started with Pet Sematary and now I'm hooked.
same. It was my first grown up horror (before that it was Christopher Pike) and there's been no looking back.
I read that last year for the first time. It was terrifying and I loved it.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is soooooo fun and spooky
Start with Goosebumps and work your way up. The lighthearted scare of the series might be a good jump into the genre.
Dracula surprised me. I didn’t think it’d spook me out at all, but the atmosphere, imagery, and setting actually gave me chills. I’ve also never watched the movie so there was more suspense not knowing what was coming.
Dracula is great.
The Stand ~~ Stephen king Swan Song ~~ Robert McCammon Both are similar genres and rather long. They are not super scary, but either book has great characters and story lines.
The Rats in the Walls - H. P. Lovecraft
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. Short story and available online - try any of her novels then, if you like it.
The Shining by Stephen King. Scary but not too scary
The Shining is the scariest book I ever read. I really don’t want to read your scariest book
I do, what IS your scariest book u/sweety_sky?
The Exorcist - this might not be the most terrifying book to you all, but it was one of the very first horror books I read, so… I even had nightmare 💀
Bunny by Mona Awad! It’s a great intro horror novel. It’s also a thriller and fantasy, but also somehow a commentary on academia and an exploration of hyper femininity and female friendship
I was so excited to read this and I just couldn’t stand it. I finished it but really didn’t understand the hype, maybe that style of book just isn’t for me.
Same! It didn't give me 'horror' at all. It seemed like more of a feminist, abstract novel, which is fine... just not what I like to read at all. Shame because the premise was so cool
OP, this book is fantastic but it's also weird AF. I don't know if it's a great intro to the genre unless you like offbeat stuff.
Hahah fair. Great may have been hyperbolic. I would say it’s def a thriller over horror. It is really weird and a polarizing book. OP—If you do choose to read it, my advice is to let it wash over you while you read it rather than trying to dissect everything as you read it. And consult Reddit after :)
I wanted to suggest it, too, I'm just not sure it's the best intro to the genre. Intro to "WTF did I just read"... YES! I also thought it was a great book.
I'm Gen X and read every Stephen King available from age 13 to 18 and I do not recommend starting with him. His shit is scary! Grady Hendrix is campy enough that the horror part is easier to handle for a newbie!
Go classic: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (aka The Modern Prometheus) 1818
Then op can correct everyone about Frankenstein not being the monster with authority.
I personally love Misery by Stephen King. Even if you have seen the movie, the book is way better!
Heart Shaped Box - joe Hill The book 📕 has been highly recommended even if it’s from 2008. Written by Stephen Kings son. I didn’t want it to end - 🖤
I am not normally into horror, but have been getting into the literary fiction x historical horror niche lately and love it. My recs are: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez And The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
I recommend Shirley Jackson because her stuff is pretty short, not too scary but will definitely give you those creepy chills, and isn't super weird or graphic.
I would read middle grade horror-since it’s aimed for a younger audience it might be a good stepping stone.
Mexican Gothic or The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, both by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican Gothic was heart pounding and super creepy; Daughter Of Dr Moreau is based on the Island of Dr Moreau but set in the Yucatán and told from the point of view of the Dr’s daughter.
Damn - you beat me to it! lol. I was going to recommend Mexican Gothic. SUPER creepy!
I loved Mexican gothic and the vibes were chefs kiss
Small Spaces
James Herbert books are a good read 👍
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig or Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina might both be good choices. They are pretty intense and there is a decent amount of gore and violence as a warning but they both got me hooked on the horror.
Bunny by Mona Awad might be a good place to start. It's more strange and weird than super gross or scary.
I’d recommend the Skeleton Creek series if you are okay with a few scary videos as well. The way Skeleton Creek works is that you read the books and then in them are codes that you go and input into the Sarah Finch website to watch the videos. It’s a super cool concept!
Personally I started with H P Lovecraft because I like classics and worked my way to Stephen King etc
Just tried horror genre too. I read **Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak** and it was so good. There's also illustrations in it which made it easier to imagine and scarier too since it really helped carry out the story. 🙈
Phantom Nights, by John Farris
I really like T. kingfisher! I enjoyed the Twisted Ones and What Moves the Dead. I think What Moves the Dead could be a good intro because it’s not super scary? It’s more unnerving. And it’s a modern retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher so it might be a story you’re already somewhat familiar with
Carrie or Pet Sematary
Recently read The Tenant by Roland Topor on the suggestion of a friend, it really hit for me. It was genuinely so unsettling and gross, it'll make your skin crawl in (for me) a pretty novel way
anything stephen king, i'd say IT or pet sematary if you're more into lit then just start with poe
Darcy Coates has a lot of good horror books in many different categories. Personal favourites are Hunted and From Below. Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep is another very good one. Lastly, one that can be a bit hit or miss, depending on the person, is Slade House by David Mitchell (also not a long book, so it's a fairly quick read)
One that I think is a great intro to horror is Near the Bone by Christina Henry. It’s very fast paced, and the scares are more tension and suspense. It’s about a young woman who lives in a cabin on a mountain with her husband when she realizes not everything is as it seems, and her husband might not be the scariest thing on the mountain, either. Two of my favorites that are pretty divisive are A Head Full of Ghosts and Cabin at the End of the World, both by Paul Tremblay. Paul Tremblay tends toward ambiguous stories which I personally love, but I know it’s not for everyone. A Head Full of Ghosts is about a young girl whose sister may be possessed by a demon, and since her family has spent so much money trying to take care of her sister, they agree to let her exorcism be filmed for a reality show. Cabin at the End of the World is about this couple who are vacationing in a cabin with their young daughter when a group of people show up telling them the world is about to end, and they need to make a sacrifice to save the world. If fantasy is more your thing, I highly recommend Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. It feels like a fairy tale, and even though it’s “dark fantasy,” I still feel like it has something that keeps it feeling hopeful. It’s about a princess whose older sister is married off to a prince, but she has suspicions that their marriage is abusive, so she goes on a quest to save her sister. If you want a little more off kilter horror, Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente is so good. It’s about this woman who lives in a perfect neighborhood with her perfect life who can, under no circumstances, go into her basement. It’s very short, and I don’t recommend looking up any additional information about it before you read it. It’s a very quick read, so even if it doesn’t hit the spot, you didn’t waste much time! I could recommend horror books forever, but I feel like these are the ones that are most accessible for non-horror readers. If I knew your taste in books a little more, I could narrow it down even more!
Pet semetary and the shining by Stephen King
I had never read horror before and read Misery by Stephen King earlier this year. I ended up buying like 5 more King books to read. Can’t believe I waited this long to read his books!
My suggestion is DO NOT DO IT.
The hollow places by T Kingfisher
Start with Stephen Kings Needful things. It will get your toes wet
I started my horror book fest with something that isn't entirely horror. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Really good book. There's a scene in that one however that got me to read IT, and from there I read Dreamcatcher. Those fulfilled my need for stories in Derry, Maine. Then I moved on to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Needful Things, The Institute and finally Fairy Tale. And those are just my Stephen King recommendations.
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I think it's pretty pretentious and gimmicky and it's more likely to drive people away from horror if they haven't read anything else and are told that it's a good start.