Warning: This article discusses topics of sexual assault, extreme violence, and death.
There are many incredibly terrifying stories that technically are not classified as horror book. While there are plenty of scary classic horror books to check out, there are also titles from other genres that are just as scary.
While there may not be monsters or the supernatural, fear comes in many forms. From science fiction to thrillers with surprise endings, these brilliant novels are also haunting reads.
10
The Road (2006)
Written by Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy The road is a fantastic post-apocalyptic read about a father and son living in the dust of the remains of the USA. The roadThe cannibal groups and messages about global warming are definitely scary. Although there is no great threat other than humanity itself, no one is really safe in The road.
Images like a newborn baby being roasted over a fire or a father shooting a looter are even more disturbing in The road graphic novel, but McCarthy’s original words create an atmosphere of terror that lingers with readers for a long time.
9
The Sparrow (1996)
Written by Mary Doria Russell
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is a fascinating story about a Jesuit missionary’s journey to a distant planet. The opening establishes the overall unnerving tone of the book, with the sole survivor, Emilio, barely making it back to Earth. His recollection of the events on Rakhat begins with fondness, but his narration becomes more harrowing as he reports meeting more of the planet’s inhabitants.
Emilio is clearly psychologically damaged after witnessing mutilation, death, and destruction. The Sparrow is a great science fiction novel that deserves a film adaptation, especially because Russell’s description of the frightening incidents is so memorable.
8
Never Let Me Go (2005)
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a dystopian and mysterious book about an alternative reality that uses human cloning to grow organs. Kathy’s depiction of this world is strange, and the horrific treatment of the clones and the conditions they are forced to live in are shocking.
The novel’s political and ethical themes are thought-provoking, and although there are no directly terrifying moments, the harsh reality of the characters’ situation is incredibly terrifying.
Never let Me Go is a book that is more fiction than science, but this allows for its scarier elements. The novel’s political and ethical themes are thought-provoking, and although there are no directly terrifying moments, the harsh reality of the characters’ situation is incredibly terrifying.
7
The Shiny Girls (2013)
Written by Lauren Beukes
Same as Lauren Beaukes The shiny girls is winner of the August Derleth Award for best horror novel, the spooky time-travel story is technically filed under science fiction. Serial killer Harper Curtis’ journey through the decades to target the titular group is gripping but stressful.
The non-linear narrative that jumps between the murders and a future investigation into Curtis creates a lot of anticipation, especially since the killer is apparently motivated by a haunted house that sets him on this path. Apple TV Bright girls the adaptation brings Beaukes’ novel to life beautifully and perfectly portrays Curtis’s unhinged behavior.
6
Pretty Girls (2015)
Written by Karin Slaughter
Karin Slaughter, the mind behind the police procedural Will Trentis also the author of pretty girlsa compelling story set twenty years after the disappearance of Claire’s sister Julia. Claire’s determination to understand her sister’s absence is frightening, especially when she discovers more about Julia’s past.
pretty girls It’s an exciting read and The simple murder mystery novel turns into a narrative full of extreme violence and psychological manipulation. There are many scary elements to pretty girls which make it seem like a horror book, mainly due to the excessively graphic descriptions of certain moments.
5
Lord of the Flies (1954)
Written by William Golding
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is unofficially considered horror, but is actually labeled as a thriller. The dwindling mentality of the boys who become stranded on an island is a brilliant look at how separation from the real world can destroy someone mentally.
The fact that the characters are children makes this story even more disturbing, something that the next Lord of the Flies the remake needs to be executed perfectly. The abrupt change in their personalities in the face of the threat of the imaginary Beast is strange, but it makes readers shudder again and again.
4
Johnny Got His Gun (1939)
Written by Dalton Trumbo
Dalton Trumbo surprisingly creates a harrowing story with Johnny got his gunwhich focuses on WWI soldier Joe. The loss of his limbs makes Joe a prisoner of his own mind from which he cannot escape, and his memories of happier times before the war are deeply distressing.
Johnny got his gun It’s also a film that showcases the most horrific depictions of war, and Trumbo adapts his own work for the screen fantastically. Readers often claim that Johnny got his gun torments his nightmares, which makes sense considering how brutal Joe’s experiences are.
3
1984 (1949)
Written by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell is a classic novel that investigates the petrifying realities of a totalitarian society. Orwell presents a world that is far from idyllic, full of wars, conflicts and centralized power, all in favor of the government’s message that dictates the greater good.
Orwell presents a world that is far from idyllic, full of wars, conflicts and centralized power, all in favor of the government’s message that dictates the greater good.
1984 it forces readers to reflect on society in a way that makes them uncomfortable, but that is the point of the book. Several dystopian films with an Orwellian message are inspired by 1984especially since the threat to individuality and freedom is undoubtedly a globally frightening premise.
2
The Last Policeman (2012)
Written by Ben H. Winters
Ben H. Winters’ The Last Policeman initially it appears to be a standard detective story. However, the establishment of a world that barely functions in preparation for an extinction-level event is extremely frightening. Society breaks down with the imminent knowledge that an asteroid is heading towards Earth, except for Hank Palace.
As Hank tries to control himself and continue investigating murders, The Last Policeman questions what the meaning of life is. The Last Policeman leads with mystery, but the unnerving shadow of the end of days makes readers’ skin crawl.
1
A Clockwork Orange (1962)
Written by Anthony Burgess
A Clockwork Orange is another dystopian tale that is extremely harrowing. Alex’s life and world are full of horrible things, ranging from extreme violence, nights of drug drinking, and mass sexual assault. Anthony Burgess’s iconic novel becomes increasingly erratic in each of the three parts.
Alex is far from a likable protagonist and it makes sense that A Clockwork Orange is banned or censored in certain parts of the world. Although it is thought-provoking, A Clockwork Orange is absolutely a horror bookeven if it is not archived as such.