Recommendations Needed: Haunted House Horror

[The Bluestocking]

Hello, Chronners!

I'm in the mood for some modern Horror dealing with Haunted Houses complete with ghosts etc.

Nothing too gory please - creepy, goosebump-inducing fiction is what I'm looking for. I don't want to be grossed out - I want to be looking over my shoulder and giving a little jump at every little noise in the middle of the night. I want to be hiding under my blanket after I read it.

I've tried Darcy Coates and she's okay but not creepy enough. Joe Hill's very creepy but he doesn't always write Haunted House stories. And of course, Shirley Jackson is the queen of Haunted House horror.

So... suggestions?

*Note: @Brian G Turner Should I have stuck this in the Horror section instead? Please move if need be...

 

[BAYLOR]

Burnt Offerings by Robert Marrasco
Nathaniel by John Saul
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hosdgeson
Other Worlds by Barbara Michaels

 

[Phyrebrat]

Without a doubt: The Elementals Michael McDowell. 270 pages of unique chilling Southern Gothic narrative. Even with my slow reading, I'll read it twice a year.

pH

 

[ratsy]

Hey TBS, I love reading a book like that at this time of year too. Last year I read The Shining, and The Haunting of Hill House, and this year I have ordered Hell House by Richard Matheson for my October delight. (reading I am Legend by him right now too for the first time)

I also recommend 'Salem's Lot By King, though there is much more to this book than the house as a focus. I also read The Elementals from Phyre's recommendation a couple years ago and it was truly a good read.

One that kind of fits the bill is A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. It's a great read, more about a possession than a haunted house, but it's not gory, and has a nice tension building style. I really enjoyed it.

 

[Randy M.]

Agree with your Shirley Jackson comment, Blue.

Lessee ...
*Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Wilkie Collins: The Haunted Hotel (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #1)
*Richard Matheson: Hell House (not exactly gory, but still a more visceral imaging of a situation similar to that in The Haunting of Hill House; I've heard this was intentional)
*Stephen King: The Shining (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #2)
Anne Rivers Siddon: The House Next Door (novel idea of a brand new house already haunted and the idea quite well executed)
Jonathan Aycliffe: Naomi's Room (traditional ghost story up to a point, with a moment of true horror at the end)
*Susan Hill: The Woman in Black (one of the great central images in recent ghost fiction)
*Caitlin Kiernan: The Red Tree
*John Langan: House of Windows (Kiernan and Langan both play with perception of reality; these would complement a reading of Hodgson's The House on the Borderland)
Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger
Christopher Fowler: Nyctophobia

I put an asterisk next to my favorites, though I enjoyed all of them. I'd second The House on the Borderland; as well as Salem's Lot and A Head Full of Ghosts, though neither of those two are exactly haunted house stories.

I enjoy haunted house stories, too. I have a couple of collections of them, as well -- The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories edited by Peter Haining (2000); House Shudders edited by Martin H. Greenberg, etc. (1987; I believe reissued several years later under a different title). Otto Penzler's The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories also includes some haunted house stories.

Other titles on the TBR that look enticing:
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Julian's House by Judith Hawkes



And if you're interested in a novel that reads like a haunted house story minus the ghost, visit Manderley in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ("Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.")


Randy M.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Hey TBS, I love reading a book like that at this time of year too. Last year I read The Shining, and The Haunting of Hill House, and this year I have ordered Hell House by Richard Matheson for my October delight. (reading I am Legend by him right now too for the first time)

I also recommend 'Salem's Lot By King, though there is much more to this book than the house as a focus. I also read The Elementals from Phyre's recommendation a couple years ago and it was truly a good read.

One that kind of fits the bill is A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. It's a great read, more about a possession than a haunted house, but it's not gory, and has a nice tension building style. I really enjoyed it.

I've read A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS already (and had a long livestreamed Google Hangout discussion with Paul Tremblay!)

Not a big fan of Stephen King - I have no idea why but I can't get stuck into any King books even though I love Joe Hill's stuff.

Am going to check out HELL HOUSE by Matheson and THE ELEMENTALS by McDowell.

Baylor's suggestions also sound good - especially the 3rd and 4th listing.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I've read most of the older works, I think (Henry James, MR James, Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson).

That's why I'm looking for modern Horror. I'll go check out the others (except for Stephen King. I can't seem to get stuck into his books).

Agree with your Shirley Jackson comment, Blue.

Lessee ...
*Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Wilkie Collins: The Haunted Hotel (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #1)
*Richard Matheson: Hell House (not exactly gory, but still a more visceral imaging of a situation similar to that in The Haunting of Hill House; I've heard this was intentional)
*Stephen King: The Shining (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #2)
Anne Rivers Siddon: The House Next Door (novel idea of a brand new house already haunted and the idea quite well executed)
Jonathan Aycliffe: Naomi's Room (traditional ghost story up to a point, with a moment of true horror at the end)
*Susan Hill: The Woman in Black (one of the great central images in recent ghost fiction)
*Caitlin Kiernan: The Red Tree
*John Langan: House of Windows (Kiernan and Langan both play with perception of reality; these would complement a reading of Hodgson's The House on the Borderland)
Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger
Christopher Fowler: Nyctophobia

I put an asterisk next to my favorites, though I enjoyed all of them. I'd second The House on the Borderland; as well as Salem's Lot and A Head Full of Ghosts, though neither of those two are exactly haunted house stories.

I enjoy haunted house stories, too. I have a couple of collections of them, as well -- The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories edited by Peter Haining (2000); House Shudders edited by Martin H. Greenberg, etc. (1987; I believe reissued several years later under a different title). Otto Penzler's The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories also includes some haunted house stories.

Other titles on the TBR that look enticing:
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Julian's House by Judith Hawkes



And if you're interested in a novel that reads like a haunted house story minus the ghost, visit Manderley in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ("Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.")


Randy M.

Agree with your Shirley Jackson comment, Blue.

Lessee ...
*Henry James, The Turn of the Screw
Wilkie Collins: The Haunted Hotel (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #1)
*Richard Matheson: Hell House (not exactly gory, but still a more visceral imaging of a situation similar to that in The Haunting of Hill House; I've heard this was intentional)
*Stephen King: The Shining (technically, not a house, but all the same ... #2)
Anne Rivers Siddon: The House Next Door (novel idea of a brand new house already haunted and the idea quite well executed)
Jonathan Aycliffe: Naomi's Room (traditional ghost story up to a point, with a moment of true horror at the end)
*Susan Hill: The Woman in Black (one of the great central images in recent ghost fiction)
*Caitlin Kiernan: The Red Tree
*John Langan: House of Windows (Kiernan and Langan both play with perception of reality; these would complement a reading of Hodgson's The House on the Borderland)
Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger
Christopher Fowler: Nyctophobia

I put an asterisk next to my favorites, though I enjoyed all of them. I'd second The House on the Borderland; as well as Salem's Lot and A Head Full of Ghosts, though neither of those two are exactly haunted house stories.

I enjoy haunted house stories, too. I have a couple of collections of them, as well -- The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories edited by Peter Haining (2000); House Shudders edited by Martin H. Greenberg, etc. (1987; I believe reissued several years later under a different title). Otto Penzler's The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories also includes some haunted house stories.

Other titles on the TBR that look enticing:
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Julian's House by Judith Hawkes



And if you're interested in a novel that reads like a haunted house story minus the ghost, visit Manderley in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ("Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.")


Randy M.

 

[J Riff]

Yes Hellhouse is good, other Matheson stories may qualify as well.

 

[The Bluestocking]

@BAYLOR - I found the Delphi Classics illustrated e-book edition of the complete works of William Hope Hodgson (except for some of the works published after his death) including THE HOUSE BY THE BORDERLANDS and THE GHOST PIRATES. And there's a short introduction accompanying each novel as well.

It's priced nicely and appropriately at the equivalent of GBP1.50 or thereabouts since most of his work is now in the public domain.

Mind you, there were other e-book collections of Hodgson's works available and the option to buy standalone e-book editions of each of his novels. I was appalled that some publishers are attempting to charge the equivalent of a tenner for an e-book of just one of his novels despite the novels being in the public domain!

Well it's now time to spook myself out!

*Very excited*

 

[Fried Egg]

I know you're looking for modern horror but you could do worse than give 'The Beckoning Fair One' by Oliver Onions a read if you're looking for a great haunted house story.

 

[The Bluestocking]

@ratsy @Randy M. @J Riff - I just cracked open HELL HOUSE and I'm like: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!

Addendum: If I'm hiding under my blanket by the time I get a quarter of the way through, that means it's doing its job haha!

 

[ratsy]

@ratsy @Randy M. @J Riff - I just cracked open HELL HOUSE and I'm like: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!

Addendum: If I'm hiding under my blanket by the time I get a quarter of the way through, that means it's doing its job haha!

Awesome, Im waiting for it to come in to the library still. Currently reading I am Legend by him though and diggin it so far

 

[Randy M.]

Bluestocking, Ratsy: Just an FYI -- Hell House was filmed and in 1973 the film was released as The Legend of Hell House. Directed by John Hough, it stars Roddy McDowell, Clive Revill, Gail Hunnicutt and Pamela Franklin. It's a surprisingly faithful adaptation.

Randy M.

 

[The Bluestocking]

@ratsy I hid under my blanket last night...

 

[J Riff]

A Stir of Echoes was also made into a flick? Or was it What Dreams May Come?

 

[The Bluestocking]

A Stir of Echoes was also made into a flick? Or was it What Dreams May Come?

Both were made into movies. STIR OF ECHOES had Kevin Bacon. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME? had Robin Williams.

 

[Toby Frost]

I'd recommend The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, which ditches a lot of the traditional gothic trappings but is very effective as a story about a haunted house. I wrote a review of it here: The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.

 

[soulsinging]

Nobody mentioned the Amityville Horror?

 

[ralphkern]

The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel

Curated by the renowned anthologist - who has a large amount of number one bestselling short story collections - Nathan Hystad.

It is a set stories set in one hotel - full of dark secrets, strange horrors and SFF Chrons authors.

 

[The Bluestocking]

The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel

Curated by the renowned anthologist - who has a large amount of number one bestselling short story collections - Nathan Hystad.

It is a set stories set in one hotel - full of dark secrets, strange horrors and SFF Chrons authors.

I have a copy already