7 Books to Scare You Silly This Winter
Even though I’m a big scaredy cat, I love all things horror. I’m always up for creepy books and scary movies, even if it means I’ll be sleeping with my lights on for a while. It’s a weird, slightly masochistic love, but I don’t try to fight it. Some of us just like scaring ourselves silly, and what better time to do that than the early days of winter, as the days grow shorter and the nights (and the things that go bump in them) grow longer, and grow fangs? If you’re looking for a terrifying read that’ll send you straight under your comforter, pick up one of these awesomely scary novels and dig in.
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Coraline might be a book for kids, but I still have nightmares about the Other Mother and her button eyes. I used to check under my bed and behind my dresser to make sure her hand wasn’t creeping around. And by “used to” I mean “still pretty often, even though I’m almost 24 and an adult.” Gaiman creates a world that’s creepy and twisted and so horrifying it’s almost beautiful, with the mission of scaring the pants off of his readers. Mission accomplished, Neil.
It, by Stephen King
Let’s all just agree clowns and spiders are the most terrifying things on the planet. Now imagine the horror of a clown TURNING INTO a giant spider. And also, you know, eating children. Throw in some bleeding sinks, a werewolf, and enough metaphysical talk to make your head spin and you basically have the scariest novel ever written. I have yet to read It and not have nightmares for at least two days afterward. Seriously, I still shudder every time I see a storm drain. Beep beep, Richie.
Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
Carnivals, even normal ones, are kind of scary. They just are. So when a carnival is run by a man who tattoos his victim’s faces onto his skin, you know you’ve reached the next level of fear. Although the ultimate message of the book sounds kind of corny (love and happiness conquers all!), the novel features a lot of genuinely scary characters. The tattooed Mr. Dark is not someone you want to mess with, and I’d prefer not to meet the Dust Witch in a dark alley. Plus, it’s written by Bradbury, so you know it’s going to be wonderfully creepy and brilliant.
The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty
Does this one really need an explanation? An ancient demon possesses a 12-year-old girl and makes her do a lot of messed-up stuff. Tales of demonic possession have always turned me into a big scaredy cat, so obviously I cringe a little bit every time I think about The Exorcist. If you’ve been terrified by the movie, give the book a read. If you don’t mind having nightmares for a week, that is.
Carrie, by Stephen King
Carrie isn’t scary because of the ending, since anyone born after the 1976 film version knows what’s going to happen: the prom, the pig’s blood, the ensuing massacre. And yet, even knowing the book ended in a bloodbath, I still spent the entire book terrified. I think knowing the ending somehow made the book even scarier—you’ll be constantly on edge, waiting for Carrie to finally snap. The buildup is so intense that it’s almost a relief when everything goes to hell—at least you can stop worrying about it.
The Call of Cthulhu, by H.P. Lovecraft
All hail the great Cthulhu! If you aren’t familiar with this tentacled, slumbering god, you need to step up your Lovecraft game. Don’t let all the non-Euclidean geometry bog you down, this tale of a cult’s devotion to their apocalypse-bringing god is a horror classic for a reason. Plus, after reading it you’ll finally understand all the Cthulhu jokes the internet loves so much!
Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
This one is terrifying for the same reason Gone Girl kept me up at night: it’s a psychological mind melt that still leaves me uncomfortable. A new teacher unites her female students in a club called the Daughters of Eve, but their female solidarity soon turns violent toward those who dare question them. Are the girls fairly fighting the misogyny in their town, or is their new role model, Ms. Stark, completely mad? I still don’t know, and I still get the wigs thinking about it.
What books give you the creeps?