Quintessential Horror Relics - Personal Curriculum
Inspired by reading Paperbacks from Hell (by Grady Hendrix), I wanted to broaden the horror novels under my belt. I might have grown up reading King and a little Koontz (and way too much Pike and Stine), but there are so many fascinating titles that predate those greats. Feel free to suggest older horror books and why they'd make a great addition to this list in the comments.
created by kathytrithardt
last updated August, 2026
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I can highly recommend the exorcist!! i read it this month for book club and i personally found it outstanding. but be warned it is a slow build up
Good to know! I obviously watched the film in my teens but never got around to actually reading it.
Read The Exorcist at age 13. Scared the living shit out of me. Downstairs in a half finished basement, alone in the house, and I couldnât turn off the lights as I made my way upstairs to my bedroom. đ
I remember watching the movie at a slumber party and being the only one laughing and not actively terrified at some of the worst bits. I was that kid. The 1990 version of IT was my favourite movie when I was 4.
Funny. By the time I saw the The Exorcist I didnât find it terribly scary. Same with The Shining. Book was scarier.
Peter Benchleyâs Jaws? Read that as a young one and that first scene. Heart in my throat!
Good call! Another one where I grew up watching the movie but didn't get around to the book.
I could get away with reading the books where my parents wouldnât let me watch the movie. They had no idea. I was reading horror long before I ever read romance. đ Also read Steven Kingâs The Stand. The first half of that book was pretty creepy, too.
Thereâs also The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, and Peter Straubâs, Ghost Story. I saw the original TSW and read the book after. Both were creepy. The 1975 movie version was better than the 2004 one (IMHO đ).
Admittedly I have only seen the 2004 version of The Stepford Wives, but I have actually read Ghost Story by Peter Straub!
I think The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, Hell House by Richard Matheson, and The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker would be good additions to this list.
Good calls. One was already on my eventual TBR, so I added them all.
Awesome. I am currently reading Paperbacks from Hell and adding Rosemary's Baby to my Goodreads shelf led me down a rabbit hole of 'you may also enjoy' books, which is where I came across the three I suggested.
I actually started this list while reading that book earlier this year!
Yeah, I noticed that I when I first came across your list đ
