Looking For A Good Scare? Here Are Some Horror Stories Worth Checking Out
To some degree, we all have a knack for creating and telling stories as it is abundant in our world. We do it when we recall a significant event to our friends and family and whenever we write a narrative-type report. Of course, besides just sharing the things that transpired, we’d often inject some interesting flavor to these accounts, such as humor, a sense of adventure, or even a pinch of horror.
Besides sharing tales on a dinner table setting, many people have cemented their stories on paper and released them to the public as the novels we’d normally find in libraries and bookstores. With that said, these books may vary in genre. Some are more light-hearted and comedic, while others even go for a more action-packed route. For this article, however, we’ll be taking a look at the ones that make our skin crawl, such as the unknown and, of course, the dark. Chances are, you might have already heard of some of them, but if you’re a newcomer to the horror genre, then these books can be a good starting point for you.
Silence Of The Lambs
At this point, it’s safe to say almost all of us have heard of the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs, which featured amazing performances from the likes of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, with the latter taking credit for his chilling performance as the ever-iconic Hannibal Lecter. What many have probably forgotten, though, would be the fact that this was an adaptation of the 1988 novel written by Thomas Harris.
For the most part, the two iterations of the story are fairly similar. The FBI is on the hunt for a man who goes by the name “Buffalo Bill.” One of the officers on the job is Clarice Starling, a trainee who was sent to request the services of Hannibal Lecter. Despite Clarice’s sense of justice and Hannibal’s twisted and criminalistics nature, the two eventually developed a strange relationship filled with riddles and memories thought to be forgotten. If there’s one thing that sets the movie and the novel apart, though, it would be that the book enabled us to see more of what the characters are thinking, allowing its readers to feel a new degree of urgency and intensity.
It
There’s always something we’re scared of, even if we don’t know the reason why we’re afraid of them. One such example would be clowns. There’s just something spooky about their makeup, their ever-permanent smile, the puffy suits they’d wear, and their signature red nose. Well, perhaps a portion of this irrational fear would be because of Stephen King’s iconic novel It.
With the book being regarded as one of the author’s best creations, it comes as no surprise that companies have already spent an impressive amount of investment money adapting It to the small and big screens. The story takes place in Derry, Maine, the town that the titular monster calls its hunting grounds. Despite having the ability to shapeshift into peoples’ greatest fears, It often appears as the seemingly friendly clown, Pennywise. That way, he could easily lure unknowing victims, especially children, to his grasps. It would then bring them down to the sewers, where they will spend the rest of their days “floating.”
Heart-Shaped Box
It’s often a common occurrence for kids to follow in their parent’s footsteps. Such is the case for Joe Hill, born as Joseph Hillström King. Like his father, the previously-mentioned Stephen King, Hill wasted no time in making his way into the horror community.
By the looks of it, it’s safe to say Hill wasn’t afraid of keeping his foot steady and firm on the gas pedal. This is made all the more apparent with his debut novel, Heart-Shaped Box. First released back in 2007, this Bram Stoker Award-winning book revolves around a retired rock star named Judas Coyne. For his hobby of choice, Jude has quite a bizarre one: he likes to collect horror-related items. One such memorabilia in his possession is a suit owned by a man who has since passed away. It was delivered to him in a heart-shaped box, but a suit wasn’t all he received. It turns out, its former owner was the father of a girl Jude once dated for a couple of months before they broke up, and now he’s back as a ghost set to make the rock star’s life a living nightmare.