Oh boy, and I thought choosing my favourite horror films was tough!
(NB: On that note, honourable film mentions go to: 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, Rec, The Orphanage, The Mist)
I’ve been reading horror for longer than I care to think about. By the time I entered my teens, I had devoured all of the Point Horror books my local library had and had started buying horror stories by the bucket load from charity shops and car boot sales. That’s where I stumbled across The Exorcist. Oh, how everything changed. I’d found a new level of horror, outside of the world of ghosts. Around this time, my bestie introduced me to Stephen King. I never looked back.
So, after much deliberation and internal arguments, here are my top 5 horror authors (well, for today at least.)
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1. Stephen King.
As if there was any doubt. I’ve foolishly made it one of my life’s ambitions to own everything this brilliant man has ever written, which is A LOT. Pet Semetary was the first book I ever read and have re-read more than any other book. With well over 50 novels alone under his belt (pushing his total up to almost 200 when you include poems, comics, short stories and anthology work), I’ll admit there are a few there are a few duds. Even if you’re not a fan, you can’t ignore how good King is at characterisation and descriptive prose. The guy really is a legend of the field.
Recommendations: (the “classics”) The Shining, Pet Semetary and It.
2. H P Lovecraft
What can I say? His descriptive narrative is perfect. I’ll be honest and say that I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi novels (Phillip K. Dick aside) but the way that he blends elements of otherworldly beings and his love of astronomy with pure gothic horror is brilliant. Most famous for his works surrounding the Cthulhu Mythos, the influence his entire career has had on the horror world (films, art, poetry, music, everything!) is outstanding. If you’ve never read any Lovecraft (NB: where on earth have you been?!), I urge you to go and check it out!
Recommendations: The Call of Cthulhu, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
3. Edgar Allan Poe
Everyone knows The Raven and the Tell-Tale Heart but there is so much more to Poe than that. His was the first Gothic horror that I had encountered and opened up a whole new world of authors to me. It’s not all about the horror with Poe, he’s also credited as being the inventor of the genre “detective fiction”. The majority of his work was poems and short stories with only one completed novel to his name. Although more successful as a literary critic than a writer while he was alive, there’s plenty of evidence of the influence that his work has had since.
Recommendations: The Fall of the House of Usher and Lenore
4. Ryū Murakami
Man, I love a good Japanese writer (Honourable mentions to Koji Suzuki and Natsuo Kirino). The film adaption of his novel, Audition, was my first introduction to this fantastic writer. Balancing carefully on the line between horror and Bizarro, his stories are graphic and brutal. His use of imagery is flawless and incredibly evocative, leaving their imprint on you long after you’ve read the books (I’m looking at you, Piercing).
Recommendations: Coin Locker Babies, In The Miso Soup
5. John Ajvide Lindqvist
You know when a someone looks nothing like how you think they’re going to look. Yeah, that’s this guy. Much as with Murakami, I saw a film adaption of one of his novels before reading any of the books (shame on me, I know). Over his relatively short career so far for someone of his stature, he’s already dealt with vampires, zombies and ghosts (Oh My!).
Recommendation: Handling the Undead.
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Any horror authors I’ve missed out? Let me know in the comments!
Laters xx
The Dunwich Blogger 