October 18, 2023
“...I never start reading The Shining without making sure we got plenty of room in the freezer.” — Joey Tribbiani (Friends S.3. E.13)
Does anyone else recall the episode of Friends where Joey protects himself from the terror of The Shining by shoving the book in the freezer? This bit absolutely steals the show and has stuck with me for many years as a truly unique way to guard against frightful passages.
You might want to make sure you’ve got a nice space between the ice cubes and the frozen dinners for this list of horror tales.
Jack’s new job as winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel was supposed to be a second chance for his family and an opportunity to redeem himself. However, isolated so far from others and with truly malevolent forces taking hold, Jack soon descends into a madness that threatens him and his loved ones.
Check out the original film adaptation of The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Just twenty-eight days after moving into their new home, the Lutz Family flees the property, never to return. Based on true accounts, experience the terror these individuals faced in the days leading up to their escape from a home filled with sinister paranormal activity.
Check out the original film adaptation of The Amityville Horror.
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
Shaken by their friend Silas’ death, a group of friends is further disturbed to find that he’d discovered a drug that would supposedly allow him to see the dead. Erin, wanting a chance to visit Silas again, takes the pill and is drawn into a terrifying, soul-filled nightmare.
Father Gabriele Amorth: The Official Biography of the Pope’s Exorcist by Domenico Agasso
The official biography of the Chief Exorcist of the Diocese of Rome reveals the story of a humble priest who dedicated his whole life to Christ and the church. Serving for thirty years as the Pope’s exorcist, this account details his training, his first exorcism, and much more.
The film adaptation of The Pope’s Exorcist, starring Russell Crowe, dramatizes Amorth’s story.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
A week before Halloween, a sinister carnival rolls into town, and with it, a siren song that lures two young boys to enter Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show. There’s always a price to pay for one’s wishes—but never one quite so harrowing.
Check out the film adaptation Something Wicked This Way Comes.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
After Beatriz marries the handsome (and very rich!) Don Rodolfo Solórzano, she moves into the family estate while her husband works in the capitol. Soon, Beatriz begins to hear strange noises, and feels eyes watching her every move. She turns to a local priest, desperate for help from the torture at home.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina María Bazterrica
This horrifyingly visceral dystopian novel will leave a bad taste in your mouth! When a virus makes all traditional forms of meat poisonous to humans, the desperate government legalizes cannibalism. Marcos, a worker at the local processing plant, is one day gifted a live specimen. He knows personal contact is forbidden and he definitely shouldn’t be treating her as human… But he does, and soon becomes tortured by the trauma of his past and the nightmares of his present.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Four American Indigenous men find themselves in a fight against an entity that wants revenge for a disturbing event that happened ten years ago. One by one, the supernatural force stalks the men, but fleeing the reservation won’t save them from the consequences of that fateful night.
Do you like your sinister stories in bite-sized pieces? Try this short story collection. One unique tale for each of the fifty-four cards in the Mexican board game, Loteria. Each card features a haunting image that reveals an unsettling tale.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
An ominous, deadly, and unknowable entity drives all who see it into a violent rage. Those that remain struggle to survive against whatever is outside their windows. Now, Malorie and her two children will risk it all to make their way, blindfolded, down river, using their remaining senses to find a new place to call home.
Rings by Kōji Suzuki
During an investigation into the sudden deaths of four teenagers, an investigator discovers a cursed videotape that warns that all who watch it will die within seven days unless they follow a specific set of instructions. Except...part of the tape has been recorded over by an advertisement and the clock is already ticking!
Check out the film adaptation The Ring
Lisa P.
Reader Services
Read Similar Blogs:
Books and Reading
