Danielewski put simply, house of leaves is one of the most frightening books ever written. The haunting of hill house by shirley jackson, the shining by stephen king, hell house by richard matheson, the amityville. Theres something primal about a haunted house storystories in which a structure thats supposed to shelter you turns against you. These are 15 of the scariest reallife haunted house stories from the creepiest places around the. The 5 scariest haunted house stories of all time thought. Its doesnt feature a conventional haunting either though. The whaley house museum shop is haunted with the specter of books about ghosts that is. Maybe you saw the movie, and youre all like ehhi get it. Most people love good haunted house stories and it seems that the more lurid it can possibly be, the better. I suppose thats a possessed house novel instead, but lets not split hairs. So much so, that it took me three attempts to get through shirley jacksons the haunting of hill house because i kept freaking myself out in spite of that however i do still love a good haunted house story, which is maybe part of the reason why i keep returning to spooky, atmospheric locations in my own writing. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. Best haunted house fiction that isnt the shining 193 books. The 10 best haunted house novels for a horrifying halloween.
Its possible to write a haunted house story with paranormal characters. It was a finalist for the national book award upon its publication in 1959, and as recently as this summer, three writers named it as the scariest. Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for the lineup to continue publishing the true crime and creepy stories you love. The house at the center of the good house by tananarive due is beloved by the community of sacajawea, washington. This book is for anyone who has sat in a lighted room at night with a. Nevertheless, i am pleased with the list i have below and the theme that ties them together. See the complete ghost house books series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Technically, horrorstor by grady hendrix is about a haunted ikea, not a haunted house, but its way too good to leave off the list.
The good news is that you really do not need to go through a tiresome procedure or buy expensive items. My interest in haunted houses began as i was doing research for my own novel the house sitter. But i only had 10 slots to work with and even cheating and adding two bonus books didnt make the job any easier. Oct 23, 20 so in the spirit of all things spooky, heres my list of the best haunted house books, all made for october reading. You would think with so many picks, we would hit all your favorites, but it turns out that there are a lot of good horror stories out there. The only haunted house book i can think of that ive read and enjoyed is house of dark shadows by robert liparulo, which is the first book in a supernaturalfantasy ya series.
Here you will find books about the whaley house itself and about many other famous and notsofamous haunted places, as well as books on how to hunt. Oct 31, 2016 thats what a good haunted house story can do. There is a reason that this theme in horror fiction, in every medium, has been seen for ages now. Horror books have been part of the literary world for years, but it seems like horror in all its mediums has been on the upswing in recent times. Everyone loves a good haunted house story but usually, you can calm yourself at bedtime by reminding yourself the stories arent true. From crumbling gothic mansions to ghost infested suburban homes and houses with evil minds of their own, if youre looking for a spooky thrill or two weve compiled a list. Two years after her son died in her grandmothers home, angela toussaint. Flynns awardwinning homage to the ghost story, a tricky tale of a sceptical psychic and a haunted house. Oct 23, 2017 disclaimer this article may contain affiliate links, this means that at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases.
The haunting of hill house penguin classics shirley jackson. This spooky season, we are taking a tour through haunted houses in books. After returning from a trip, the navidson family notices that theres something wrong with their home. From a fairly standard horror premise a house is revealed to be slightly larger on the inside than is strictly possible danielewski spins out a dizzying tale involving multiple unreliable narrators, typographic mysteries, and looping footnotes that manage to drag the reader. There is simply something amazingly spooky about a large enclosed area that is full of ghosts and ghouls and spirits oh my. You have to work a little harder so readers can believe these characters are in trouble. At least it is until a young boys tragic death leaves the owners of the house and. The haunted house books that every horror lover needs to read. From poe, king and lovecraft to woolf, wharton and even ali smith, theres a long list of authors whove lurked in the literary shadow of the haunted house. Nothing says lovable trope in horror quite like the good ol fashioned haunted house. What is a good title for a haunted house book answers. All of us have shivered our way through spooky flicks such as the haunting, the amityville horror, the sentinel, and poltergeist.
Oct 26, 2016 its possible to write a haunted house story with paranormal characters. I love a great haunted house novel, even if sometimes the haunting is by a demon rather than a ghost. So in the spirit of all things spooky, heres my list of the best haunted house books, all made for october reading. Shirley jacksons 1959 novel is one of the most celebrated haunted house fiction books of all time, and provided the basis for robert wises. It might be if your book is about the boy next door and nothing else. And while haunted houses may make for a dreadful place to get a good nights rest, they serve as killer settings for great horror books. As you may have noticed in the previous section, classic haunted house books are pretty darn white. The ghost house books book series by multiple authors includes books ontario ghost stories ghost stories lone pine, scary stories. Its hard to know where haunting stops and possession begins. From gothic mansions to modern apartment complexes, the haunted house books on this list will convince you that spirits can show up anywhere. According to book scrollings rankings these are the best haunted house and ghost books of alltime. Lady gaga, kathy bates, angela bassett, sarah paulson.
A spinetingling reading list of haunted house novels electric. Posted on october 23, 2017 february 21, 2019 by sudarshan kar. Here you will find books about the whaley house itself and about many other famous and notsofamous haunted places, as well as books on how to hunt for ghosts, haunted cemeteries, and fictional ghost stories. If you love a good ghost story, we have a list of truly scary novels you will want to read. It really doesnt seem fair that matheson has one of the best vampire novels and one of the best ghost novels, but here we are. At least it is until a young boys tragic death leaves the. The haunting of hill house, read these haunted books. The good house books about haunted houses popsugar. To get an idea of how the masters of the craft create their stories, i turned to film and literature and crossed a threshold. Most popular haunted house movies and tv shows imdb. Read and play with the fully animated pages, where everything comes to life for hours of delightful story fun.
Find the best books for adults, teens, and young readers. Eel marsh house is haunted by a woman in black, whose presence always precedes the death of. Join harry and his friends as they retrieve their baseball lost in the haunted house across the field. Its a trope that we keep returning tothis week, netflix launched a new series based on the classic shirley jackson novel the haunting of hill house, and the results are truly terrifying if at a bit of a remove from the book. The haunted house books that every horror lover needs. Shirley jacksons 1959 novel is one of the most celebrated haunted house fiction books of all time, and provided the basis for robert wises 1963 film the haunting. There are hundreds if not thousands of haunted house stories, many of which are worthy of inclusion on this book list. Oct 28, 2015 shirley jacksons 1959 novel is one of the most celebrated haunted house fiction books of all time, and provided the basis for robert wises 1963 film the haunting. Top ten tuesday haunted house novels dwell in possibility.
A list of really extraordinary horrifying, spooky, graphic halloween haunted house ideas follows, all effective, some disturbing. Below are mystery novels by david mitchell, shirley jackson, and. The haunted house books that every horror lover needs to. Oct 24, 2015 flynns awardwinning homage to the ghost story, a tricky tale of a sceptical psychic and a haunted house. Haunted places, avenging spirits, shadowy corners restless spirits, phantom lovers, little terrors ghosts of children, psychic phenomena, and houses of horror favorite stories of movie stars like vincent price. I dont really like haunted houses, so thats probably why ive steered away from books about them.
Haunted house novels work best when the house is the scariest character. Below are nonfiction reads of real places that were haunted by supernatural or mysterious happenings. Doors appear where there werent any before, secret passageways seem to have been formed by someonesomething with sinister intent, staircases lead nowhere. Dec 10, 2019 and while haunted houses may make for a dreadful place to get a good nights rest, they serve as killer settings for great horror books.
H aunted houses are a staple of any good ghost story, so its hardly a surprise that some of the scariest books ever to be penned on paper are all about haunted houses. The mammoth book of haunted house stories i think i need this booko i would enjoy it too. Eel marsh house is haunted by a woman in black, whose presence always precedes the death of a child. Oct 29, 2019 from gothic mansions to modern apartment complexes, the haunted house books on this list will convince you that spirits can show up anywhere.
The horror genre is full of werewolves, vampires, and. Its not as if i dont have xxxx books here waiting to be read already. The house just happens to be where most of the events take place. The best horror books of all time penguin random house. Oct 31, 2017 the only haunted house book i can think of that ive read and enjoyed is house of dark shadows by robert liparulo, which is the first book in a supernaturalfantasy ya series. From crumbling gothic mansions to ghost infested suburban homes and houses with evil minds of their own, if youre looking for a spooky thrill or two weve compiled a list of the ten besthaunted house.
Everyone has probably been exposed to the typical ghost story involving creepy houses with a terrifying specter that sends residents running out screaming, but, alas, these are just storiesunlike many others. Oct 24, 20 haunted house novels work best when the house is the scariest character. Halloween is a magnificent yearly event that most of us enjoy, a. Best haunted house fiction that isnt the shining 193. Evolutionary psychology explains why haunted houses. Find more haunted homes featured in mystery novels, historical fiction, and young adult and childrens books. Sep 26, 2019 if youre prepared to sleep with the lights on and the covers pulled up tight, youre in luck, because ive picked out essential haunted house novels for your horrorreading pleasure. A cryptic collection of 28 twisted tales, ghost stories of saskatchewan 3, and several more. Oct 29, 2019 the house at the center of the good house by tananarive due is beloved by the community of sacajawea, washington.
Maybe people are realizing just how satisfying it is to settle into a scary story, feel the rush of adrenaline, and then close the book, turn off the movie, or walk away from that haunted house at the. Here are seven great haunted house novels that have me glancing over. Hunter sheas books are good references on how to write haunted stories with paranormal investigators. Oct 08, 2014 some haunted houses hold a lot of spirits. Well, its not haunted in the traditional sense, but the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson has made it to a lot of bestlists. We are taking a tour through haunted houses in literature. An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an insane asylum, a witch coven, a freak show circus, a haunted hotel, a possessed farmhouse, a cult, the apocalypse, and a slasher summer camp. Oct 31, 20 from poe, king and lovecraft to woolf, wharton and even ali smith, theres a long list of authors whove lurked in the literary shadow of the haunted house. If youre prepared to sleep with the lights on and the covers pulled up tight, youre in luck, because ive picked out essential haunted house novels for your horrorreading pleasure. Nov 25, 2015 everyone loves a good haunted house story but usually, you can calm yourself at bedtime by reminding yourself the stories arent true. At the old haunted house in a room with no sun lived a warty green witch. When it comes to haunted house books we have plenty of scares to fill our shelves. Two decades have passed since a fire destroyed elmbridge high and killed three students.
I apologize to those who should have been included but werent. The mammoth book of haunted house stories is a vast collection of stories touching on hauntings in about every situation one could imagine. Still, it serves as a good introduction to those who wish to try their hand at ghost hunting the book also includes a guide to haunted houses open to the public. The haunting of hill house by shirley jackson, hell house by richard matheson, the shining by stephen king, house of leav. Everyone has probably been exposed to the typical ghost story involving creepy houses with a terrifying specter that sends residents running out screaming, but. Book recommendation books featuring deadly homes haunted houses scary books special report ghost. Mixed media haunted house books are their own little niche of found footage and diary entries and i love them. With that in mind, join me as i recommend the best haunted house novels to stop your heart while you relax at the hearth this halloween. Harry and the haunted house is a slightly spooky tale of how our imagination can make things seem scarier than they really are. Nov 05, 2015 i love a great haunted house novel, even if sometimes the haunting is by a demon rather than a ghost. To get an idea of how the masters of the craft create their stories, i turned to film and literature and crossed. The whaley house museum shop is hauntedwith the specter of books about ghosts that is. But its the lemarchand box that is the source of the activity. Reading this in the dark or by yourself is likely to send a chill down your spine.