/lit/ - Literature

>>8828298
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Dan Simmons maybe

Machen, Chambers, Bierce, Danielewski.

>>8828298
Macbeth.

Not Frankenstein.

tommyknockers, pet sematary, etc

who fucking cares if they're "/lit/ approved"?

do you read only for the purpose of circlejerking the handful of books this board "approves"?

Algernon Blackwood is incredible

>>8828497
"/lit/ approved" is a synonym for "it's not shit"

>>8828509
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

>>8828504
no, I seriously can not grasp the fact that people like his writing, it is so incredibly dull, drawn out, and bleak (in the sense of his descriptions). It oughn't to be considered "horror"

>>8828518
The Willows is one of the best novellas I've read. I did not find it drawn out in the least. Bleak, maybe. It's existential horror, proto-Lovecraft with better prose than the latter could ever achieve

Lovecraft, Kafka, Ballard, Burroughs, Land, Baudelaire

Much of which isn't explicitly horror, but should elicit a similar emotional response nonetheless

>>8828549
>Ballard
Where do you recommend I start with him? In terms of works that evoke the feelings you mentioned.

>>8828598
High-Rise, Atrocity Exhibition if you're feeling adventurous.

>>8828598

His short stories are his best work.

>>8828509
Kys, faggot

>>8828298
Lovecraft

>>8828666
>>8828517
t. ass blasted nerds that can't cope with the fact that nobody shares their shit taste

go back to reading genre fiction kids

>>8828408
I picked up a box of Stephen King from a coworker back in the day and never got around to reading most of them. Tommyknockers was one, I thought it looked interesting, being on the lengthy side, but it is seldom mentioned in discussions about King's best works. Should I give it a try?

>>8828298
Robert Aickmann is GOAT.

>>8828305
kys to death

>>8828785
>says the faggot who seeks "/lit/ approved horror fiction"

You have to be at least 18 years old to use this website, kid.

>>8828804
Damn right he is.

>>8828785
(You)

>>8828816
What makes you think I'm the OP?

"Anonymous" is not a user name, newfag

>>8828828
Why else would you defend OP's drivel?

>newfag
>pic related

>>8828816
>kid

>>8828802
yes

>>8828408
Pet cemetery was so sad. That little boy was so cute up until he stabbed everyone.

Has anyone here read The Monk by Matthew Lewis? What did you think of it?

90% of Stephen king books are horror gold. The fuck is wrong with yall.

>>8828804
I've been rereading stories from that and Painted Devils recently. he's befuddling, to say the least. he seems to often deal in themes of gender roles and of abnormal sexuality - pedophilia, necrophilia, incest, etc, but it's difficult to truly unravel anything as he was so dedicated to cloaking everything in subtlety and double meanings. "The Same Dog" and "The School Friend" are some of the most unsettling stories I've ever read, and yet I can just barely scrap together some idea of what they're (maybe) supposed to be about.

>>8828598
I started with Crash, that's a fun one.

>>8829300
>I started with Crash

so does my novel

>>8829335
idgi

>>8829335
Does said novel involve a golden retriever?

Twilight

>>8828802
Would not advise that. King himself confessed that it was not his brightest moment. The book seems to be patched up from different pieces which don't really lead anywhere.

It had some interesting ideas, but overall it was painful to read.

>>8828886
>and yet I can just barely scrap together some idea of what they're (maybe) supposed to be about.

It's reassuring to read this as I recently finished Dark Entries and despite enjoying it immensely I felt this after most, if not, all the stories.

>>8829335
Fuck I just got it

>>8829466
I think most people are left scratching their heads when it comes to his stories. I'm actually sending one of his collections to a friend for Christmas and I'm anticipating his reactions.

there's an old archived webpage that has some articles on Aickman as well as old google groups discussions where people attempted to dissect some of his work. worth checking out after you get more familiar with him:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090628102605/http://www.prairienet.org/~almahu/aickman.htm

>>8828298
The Incredible Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson

It is incredibly vivid, and extremely disturbing.

>>8828785
Jesus, how pathetic.

>>8828298
"The Repairer of Reputations" is a neato short horror story.

jack ketchum is pretty good

>>8828883

It's fucking hilarious though the section with the dead child is pretty horrifying desu

>>8830033
The movie is really good too for anyone interested.

>>8828298
I don't know if he's /lit/ approved, but Roald Dahl wrote some fucked up stuff. He may be famous for his children's stories, but some of his other works are spooky as hell.

>>8828883

Just finished writing a research paper on it. Really really cool book, but I've never read anything that I've found genuinely unsettling before and that was certainly no different.

The closest I've ever come to considering something a "horror novel" would be Wise Blood, but it's also a very funny book which might disqualify it for consideration.

>>8828814
kysyourselfmyman

>>8828298
Das Kapital, so spoopy some anons thought it was for real.

>>8831985
it's real, I saw a copy of it once

>>8831985
Communist Manifesto was spookier imo

>A specter is haunting Europe
shivers!

oh shit i forgot about shirley jackson we have always lived in the castle is an extremely unsettling novel really good

>>8828509
>if a bunch of autistic NEETs like it, it has to be good!

>>8832119
>Reddit Letter Media

If it ain't Ligotti
It's Le garbage

Ligotti

>>8832216
>>8834032

Ligotti has written no novels, and nothing of consequence for ten years.Though I've long been a fan of his work (started reading him in '97), I get really tired of how over hyped he is here, as if he's the only horror author worth reading (or maybe just the only name people know to drop?)

Personally, I'd put several dark fiction writers (a few already mentioned, a few producing great stuff right now) above him in terms of influence, storytelling talent, and style. Do yourself a favor and broaden your horizons.

>Algernon Blackwood
>M.R. James
>Robert Aikman
>Clive Barker
>Ramsey Campbell
>Robert Bloch
>Richard Matheson
>Nathan Ballingrud
>Laird Barron
>Joe Hill

And as far as novels go, here's my standard top five. Honorable mention to House of Leaves for being unlike anything else ever published.

5. Child of God, Cormac McCarthy
4. The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
3. The Shining, Stephen King
2. Floating Dragon, Peter Straub
1. Naomi's Room, Jonathan Aycliffe

>>8828497
>autism
He's just asking for recommendations, dingus

Anything by Robert Lawrence Stine.

>>8835706
Why is he so smug?

>>8828497
consumerist brainwashed youth. they think they're buying a toaster.

>>8835761
He's really just a pepe trapped inside a human husk.

>>8832124
Mike is one of you guys, he has the thinking man's fetish.

>>8828509
Wew lad

>>8828842
leave, please

Laird Barron is probably the best horror author alive right now. I've actually met him, good guy.

John Langan has new novel out and I heard its pretty good well. I saw him give a reading of it and its definitely in that folky-Lovecraftian genre. Its set in the Hudson Valley which is actually a pretty spooky place, especially if your in the part where the Appalachian Mountains reach it.

>>8836458
what kinds of stuff does Laird write about?

>>8835975
Dont fret, kiddo.

>>8836461
Basically, his whole thing is that he mixes the classic Lovecraftian plot with a prose style reminscient of hardboiled authors like Chandler or Hammett. Cormac McCarthy is his favorite author and definitely shows too.


He's already created his own mythology. Basically there's a giant space leech that eats planets called "Old Leech". The Children of Old Leech are its spawn that go to each planet and take over the native race by basically turning them into a suit (think "The Thing"). There also seems to be an Illuminati-like cult that are okay of being assimilated because the Children of Old Leech are immortal.

>>8836487
that sounds pretty cool, I also enjoy McCarthy despite the memes, will check out. Thanks

anything by John Green

>>8836502
I would read his short story collection in order they came out.

>>8835403
I think there's a tiny group of Ballingrud fans on this board who pop in to mention him now and then. NALM was one of the best horror story collections I've ever read.

Where do you recommend beginning with Campbell?

>>8836887

NALM was a revelation. Check out Greener Pastures as well, by newcomer Michael Wehunt.

Campbell's novels are somewhat hit or miss. I liked Ancient Images and Deepest Part of the Woods, but like a lot of horror writers, I think his best work is in short stories. Alone with the Horrors is a good cross section of his career. "Mackintosh Willy" is a particular favorite.

I could never get into Ellison. "I Have No Mouth" was okay near the end, but honestly seemed like a degeneration/tf/cuckold fetish outlet for most of it.

>>8837062
Alone with the Horrors has actually been on my amazon shopping list for awhile now. just wasn't sure if I wanted to pull the trigger since has seems to have so much stuff.

Greener Pastures looks like it'd be right up my alley. thanks!

>>8837095
Check out his collection Strange Wine.

>>8828305
>Not Frankenstein

have you been splashing your eyes with bong water, anon?

>>8828298

True classics: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House
Pretty good tier: Silence of the Lambs, House of Leaves

Feloniously unrecognized tier: Hell House

knut hamsun - hunger

canon my dude

>>8828611
Thanks.

>>8835403
Ligotti ain't the be all, end all, but don't undersell him okay? He's gr8

Also, go for Poppy Z. Brite for some godtier description, some Arthur Machen for eldritch ideas. The Red Tree by Susan Caitlin is also good. Great voice in it.

ThisIsHorror, in general, has great shit.

>>8839908
I've heard Hell House described as Haunting of Hill House but more graphic.

>>8828883
I fucking loved it, Gothic to the max. I don't know how anyone not like a book that was written in 1700's, and yet have a slasher section YEARS before Carpenter was even born.

>>8842938
>to the max

you need to go back

>>8839929
what

>>8828298
Edgar Allen Poe, my friend. Just look at his face and you know the deal.

In my childhood I read a story about an one-eyed cat by him and that stuff was haunting, I can tell you.
Does anyone know the name of it by chance?

>>8842950
ad max
к мaкcимaльнoмy
στο μέγιστο
到最大
bis zum Maximum
最大まで
tot die maksimum
ao máximo
al massimo
na maksa
al máximo
max

>>8842980
black cat

>>8842995
Thank you Anon

>>8828300
Not 5 anymore like come the fuck on.
>>8828305
Macbeth? Are you fucking kidding?
>>8828408
King shit
>>8828497
Agreed just look at these retards, they don't know shit about horror. They haven't even read their fucking recommended horror books in the lit sticky.

>>8842999
welcome!