Horror Books - Tumblr Posts

So, i was reading Frankenstein and i just stopped in a part where the creature(who btw isnt called frankenstein) told his creator(aka victor frankenstein) about what he did since he was created and maaan, he learned how to speak with an uncredible vocabulary and he read Werther?!? And understood it completely?!? And philosophed about it?!? All in a course of less than an year i think. Like, im 18 and I dont speak half as good as him omg, please transform me in a monster lol

I'm so so sad, why did the monster killed Clerval aaaaand Elizabeth, like they were such good and caring people, while Victor is soooo stupid. What did he thought would happen when the monster said "create me a companion or I will kill everyone you love" and he was just "not gonna happen byeee"?!?!?!? Oh god I hate him

And now Victor just fucking followed the creature for months from Geneva to north russia by feet?!??! And the creature is like "I want you dead, but first you gotta suffer a lot by following me into this crazy spots" and im just so pissed with both of them. They just became so horrible, i get they got their reasons but c'mon, stop wasting your lifes and fight once and for all

Tender Is The Flesh Is A Tragedy

While 'Tender is The Flesh' is a fun read exploring a dystopian setting where the consumption of human flesh is a normal part of society, I don't consider it scary. What did catch my attention was how incredibly sad it was. Those who live as human livestock, Marco's inner monologue, the dogs (if you know, you know). All of this leaves the reader with an incredibly bleak and depressed mood and I highly recommend it 💛

"Serafina e o Manto Negro" (Serafina #1)

Sɪɴᴏᴘsᴇ Oғɪᴄɪᴀʟ: Serafina nunca teve motivos para desobedecer e aventurar-se além da propriedade de Biltmore, onde vive em segredo, ninguém desconfiando da sua existência. Mas quando as crianças da herdade começam a desaparecer, apenas Serafina sabe quem é o seu raptor: um homem assustador com um manto negro, que percorre os corredores de Biltmore durante a noite. Conseguindo escapar a este vilão, arrisca o seu segredo, juntando forças com Braeden Vanderbilt, o sobrinho mais novo dos donos da herdade. Antes que seja tarde demais, lutam por revelar a verdadeira identidade do Homem do Manto Negro. Esta demanda levará Serafina até à floresta que aprendeu a temer, onde descobre uma magia há muito esquecida, ligada à sua identidade. Para salvar as crianças e desvendar o mistério, terá de procurar as respostas para completar o puzzle do seu passado.

Aᴜᴛᴏʀ: Robert Beatty.

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ALERTA SPOILERS!

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O Mᴇᴜ Rᴇsᴜᴍᴏ: Na Carolina do Norte, a quilómetros e quilómetros do centro de Asheville, ergue-se no meio da natureza intocada a maior e mais esplendorosa propriedade da América, a mansão Biltmore. Com as suas dezenas de quartos, salões, estribarias e biblioteca monumental, a mansão domina tudo à sua volta, fazendo por merecer o título de "Senhora da Colina", da mesma forma que os seus donos, os Vanderbilt, dominam a alta sociedade, usando a propriedade para criar uma cúpula resplandecente onde a elite dos poderosos e dotados pode prosperar. Mas não deixem que os talheres de prata e a belíssima vista das montanhas Blue Ridge vos distraia, nem tudo é luminoso. A floresta que rodeia a mansão, e de onde é impossível sair sem a atravessar, é sombria, lar de plantas tortas e sufocantes e de histórias aterrorizantes sobre aldeias que desaparecem de repente, cemitérios de onde os cadáveres se arrastam e criaturas malignas que esperam nas sombras pelos viajantes. E não é só a floresta que esconde segredos e seres fora do normal, no interior da mansão, uns bons pisos para baixo, encontra-se a cave, que além de acomodar as máquinas, serve de casa para Serafina, uma rapariga singular de quem ninguém suspeita a existência. Filha do faz-tudo dos Vanderbilt, Serafina não é nada para ninguém, não apenas porque se se mostrar à luz do dia arrisca revelar a transgressão do pai e fazê-lo perder o emprego, mas também devido à estranheza da sua aparência, que adicionada aos seus instintos animais, mais a faz parecer o resultado de um bruxedo obscuro do que uma miúda de 12 anos. Não obstante a sua situação, francamente ilegal, de alojamento, Serafina faz por merecer o seu lugar na divina propriedade tal como todos os outros, tratando da tarefa que é, ao mesmo tempo, a mais nojenta e a mais importante de todas: livrar-se das ratazanas, o que ela faz com gosto (e com as próprias mãos). Certa noite, a caça às ratazanas da Serafina é interrompida por gritos, e quando vai investigar o que se passa, depara-se com a cena mais horripilante da sua vida: as pregas negras de um manto flutuante a retorcerem e a cerrarem-se sobre o corpo de uma menina indefesa até o esmagarem, fazendo-o desaparecer sem deixar para trás nada mais do que um cheiro putrefacto a morte e a entranhas. Paralisada com a imagem, Serafina repara, quase tarde de mais, que o manto tem um dono, uma figura macabra e coberta em sangue que, ao detetar a sua presença, decide fazer dela a sua nova vítima. O homem persegue-a incansavelmente pelos corredores e pelo terreno da propriedade e ela quase não sobrevive para contar a história, mas quando o faz, desesperada por ajuda, a única pessoa em quem confia acha que ela inventou tudo. Entretanto, o dínamo é sabotado, mergulhando a mansão numa escuridão perturbadora, e torna-se evidente que o demónio da noite não foi um fragmento da imaginação da Serafina, mas que, muito pelo contrário, ele é bem real, e faz parte da elite que frequenta o palacete. Quando se apercebe que a menina da cave foi apenas uma das muitas vítimas do Homem do Manto Negro e que este já escolheu o próximo alvo, Serafina é atingida com a dura perceção de que não o consegue derrotar sozinha, e é obrigada a fazer sacrifícios em troca da aliança de alguém mais poderoso. Para vencer, a Serafina vai ter de quebrar todas as promessas que alguma vez fez ao pai, usar-se a si própria como isco e aventurar-se nas profundezas da floresta amaldiçoada, onde as respostas sobre o mistério da sua identidade estão sepultadas. Se vai conseguir ou não é incerto, mas se há uma coisa que é inquestionável é que a Serafina nunca deixa uma ratazana escapar impune...e o Homem do Manto Negro é a maior ratazana que há.

Cʀɪᴛᴇ́ʀɪᴏs ᴅᴇ Cʟᴀssɪғɪᴄᴀᴄ̧ᴀ̃ᴏ:

Qᴜᴀʟɪᴅᴀᴅᴇ ᴅᴀ Pʀᴏsᴀ: É puramente incrível, são quase 300 páginas de texto, mas a história acontece em menos de uma semana, praticamente sem pausas, então não é um feito pequeno o facto de o autor ter conseguido manter o interesse, a fluidez e a beleza das palavras o livro inteiro. Também há que elogiar a habilidade incrível que Robert Beatty tem para construir, rápida e efetivamente, cenários vivos na cabeça do leitor, e a magia sombriamente encantadora das suas descrições.

Hɪsᴛᴏ́ʀɪᴀ: É uma história veloz, cheia de adrenalina e risco que não dá tempo para relaxar, porque nunca nos são dadas certezas de segurança, mas que, ao mesmo tempo, passa uma sensação de conforto e calor que permite que haja um equilíbrio entre as partes sombrias e as adoráveis. Este livro tem tudo: a magia de um mundo prestes a fazer a viragem para o século XX, um ambiente fielmente histórico, fantasia eletrizante que compensa a sua falta de doçura com o tipo de originalidade que não abdica da nostalgia dos velhos contos, alianças improváveis, suspense, mistério e o género de horror que arrepia qualquer um sem lhe mexer com a cabeça. A razão para este livro ser tão bom é o facto de funcionar para uma vasta faixa etária, e para mim, essa é uma das maiores marcas de uma obra de qualidade: ter a capacidade de criar uma história que não se alicerça em sensacionalismos ou momentos despropositadamente chocantes para fixar o leitor, que não aliena a audiência mais nova no esforço de ser levada a sério. A "Serafina e o Manto Negro" é incrivelmente bem sucedida nesse aspeto, conseguindo transportar o leitor por momentos com diferentes níveis de gravidade sem o perder: tão rápido estamos com a protagonista a observar os membros da alta sociedade a rodopiar num grande salão, como a ler lápides e a lutar contra um puma, e até a ter uma crise filosófica onde questionamos se a maldade é uma característica intrinsecamente humana. É a experiência completa!

Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀɢᴇɴs: A Serafina é uma das minhas protagonistas preferidas, o autor conseguiu dar-lhe a voz perfeita para o tipo de história em que ela está, e não só, também lhe deu a voz perfeita para a forma como a personagem dela foi construída, É claríssima a maturidade que ela tem no que importa, a responsabilidade que está habituada a carregar e a coragem e o sangue frio que adquiriu dos seus hábitos de caça. O seu lado humano alia-se ao seu lado selvagem, não há o cliché de ela só ser uma pessoa normal (e todos sabemos que em livros com menos qualidade, "normal" quer realmente dizer uma pessoa sem um único defeito que arranja forma de ser insegura) quando interessa e, nas piores alturas possíveis, se lembrar que tem um lado paranormal que a faz agir de uma forma estranha. O que se destaca sobre a Serafina é que, não obstante a sua imensa garra (no sentido literal e figurativo), incorrigível desobediência, e foco inabalável (ela entra na curta lista dos protagonistas que decidem o que querem nas primeiras 30 páginas e tratam logo do que precisam de fazer para o obter, em vez de se estarem sempre a queixar) ela é só uma miúda que quer poder experienciar as bênçãos de uma vida calma, fazer amigos, ter a confiança do pai e saber o que aconteceu à mãe. Tudo o que ela alcança vem das suas próprias habilidades e trabalho e a recompensa que obtém no fim do livro está em perfeito acordo com quem ela é. Para além da protagonista, a caracterização que merece mais mérito é a do Homem do Manto Negro. O Robert Beatty PERCEBE o que faz um vilão, sabe que criar um que seja autêntico é algo mais complexo do que um riso assustador ou uma história triste, e isso é visível. Todos os maneirismos do Homem do Manto Negro estão no ponto: o modo como ele anda, os sapatos que usa (que são uma parte vital da história e mostram a sua natureza), a forma como fala, o timbre da sua voz e como isso afeta o ouvinte, a presença da sua pessoa (que é tão impactante que altera o tom da cena, tem um som associado e causa medo na própria natureza) e, principalmente, o seu modo de perseguir as vítimas. Tudo isso é um indicador da sua altivez, do seu poder e da sua falta de hesitação, mas aqui está a parte interessante: mesmo quando ele não usa o manto, todas estas características se mantêm, o autor não as elimina para tentar manter a sua identidade um enigma. Quando está entre a elite, o vilão comporta-se exatamente da mesma forma, mas como não tem na mão um objeto possuído que anuncia as suas intenções, o seu domínio da sala, a sua intensidade e compostura permanentes, e até a proximidade constante a crianças, são interpretadas como sinais de um senhor de alto requinte, talento e carisma, e inspiram confiança e admiração nos que o rodeiam. Para mim isto é fascinante, talvez sem se aperceber, o escritor acabou por fazer do seu vilão o caso de estudo perfeito para analisar o quão ténue é a linha entre o bem e o mal, entre o desejável e o desprezível, e entre o amor e o ódio. A conclusão a que se chega é que não há uma única delimitação palpável entre os dois lados, e que os humanos têm a tendência de se perder nos extremos, julgando de forma absoluta moralidades que só existem num plano subjetivo. Fabuloso!

Rᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ: Não há neste primeiro volume, o que eu compreendo, sendo que a se história passa em poucos dias e que a Serafina e o Braeden têm 12 anos... MAS, eles têm uma química natural e inegável (e adorável) e o meu maior desejo é que, ao longo das sequelas, eles fiquem mais velhos para que alguma coisa aconteça entre eles.

Iᴍᴇʀsᴀ̃ᴏ: Li o livro incrivelmente rápido e como já mencionei, um dos grandes trunfos do escritor é a sua habilidade de nos fazer sentir que estamos mesmo dentro da história (e quem não quer estar num mundo de animais metamórficos, objetos encantados e grandes bailes em mansões históricas?) então só o posso elogiar nesse aspeto.

Iᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛᴏ: Outro livro que já li várias vezes, e por ótimas razões. A verdade é que as peripécias da Serafina nunca abandonaram o meu coração, e ter lido este livro outra vez só me fez perceber que não o tinha valorizado tanto quanto devia antes, é muito mais assustador e magnífico do que me lembrava.

Cʟᴀssɪғɪᴄᴀᴄ̧ᴀ̃ᴏ Fɪɴᴀʟ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ½

Iᴅᴀᴅᴇ Aᴄᴏɴsᴇʟʜᴀᴅᴀ: Como já disse, este livro tem algum horror, sangue e violência, não no sentido demasiado gráfico e exagerado mas mesmo assim incomoda (é esse o objetivo). Eu diria que a partir dos 14 anos é uma leitura fantástica, apesar de poder parecer "infantil" se for lido por um miúdo demasiado habituado aos excessos que andam por aí.

Cᴏɴᴄʟᴜsᴀ̃ᴏ/Oᴘɪɴɪᴀ̃ᴏ Fɪɴᴀʟ: Nem sequer me tinha apercebido disto antes, mas este livro é perfeito para o outono e para o inverno, ESPECIALMENTE para o Halloween. É assustador e arrepiante da maneira que pede um cobertor e umas velas. Se estão à procura de um livro que não vos dê pesadelos mas que tenha a ver com esta altura do ano, não precisam de ir mais longe, está aqui, RECOMENDO.

Pᴀʀᴀ ᴏʙᴛᴇʀ: Serafina e o Manto Negro, Robert Beatty - Livro - Bertrand

Assɪɴᴀᴅᴏ: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ 𝐿𝓊𝓏 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Yall fuckin wit the oddity shelf 💯💯💯

Can I see the whole oddity shelf please 🥺🥺🥺

🫡

It’s genuinely pretty fascinating how differently people can interact with the various types of horror media. Like , my mom hates horror novels because they freak her out too much, but I devour them like I’m starving.

However, when it comes to horror movies, I had a lot of problems with it until fairly recently. I used to be completely unable to sit down and watch them, but over the past few years, something seems to have changed. I can now watch Mr. Jason Voorhees murder a bunch of unlikable teenagers and feel little but a vague sense of amusement. However, I am still very much a big scaredy bitch baby and I startle at every jumpscare.

However, I cannot watch The Exorcist. I cannot watch any of the Insidious movies. I cannot watch Smile. And I have no clue why.

Horror games are a completely different ballpark, though. I’m somehow entirely unafraid and quaking in me fuckin’ boots simultaneously. It’s easier if it’s co-op, like Lethal Company, but for single player games, I’m either 100% fine or I’m shitting my pants.

For example, I can play Roblox Doors solo. I have no problems with this, even if I do generally start out playing in co-op. I jump, but I’m fine.

I cannot play Radient Residents solo. I have tried. I have cried.

Roblox games aside, I’ve recently started playing a through Resident Evil 4 (2005), a game I watched a playthrough of when I was around 14. Back then, I thought this game was the shit. It was so cool and not scary at all - why would it be scary?

I’m 19 now. I was partially right. The game is not that scary. I still twitch at every noise (as said, I am a big scaredy bitch baby).

Thinking about it, I think the reason behind it is the way my brain visualizes things. With a book, the scene isn’t too horrifying unless I take the time and make the effort to picture it in full detail. The monster is only as horrifying as I imagine it to be. Horror movies take that padding away. They show exactly what’s happening, no room for interpretation (usually, anyway), no place to hide from the terror. Games give back some of that wiggle room, though.

If you’re just good enough, skilled enough, lucky enough, well.

You might just be able to stop the scary thing from ever happening.

And I think that’s why I can’t watch what I read, but I can play what I watch.

The Alien series gets a big ol pass though. The xenomorphs are really hot.

First chapter of my book

So this is a work in progress atm, I'm not that far into writing it, but i have written the first chapter/ prologue. It is called "It's Just A Campfire Story". Hope you guys enjoy!!

Warnings: cursing, mentions of suicide, slight descriptions of warfare

Night had already been draped over the once pallid sky by the time the fire had become a roaring inferno trapped in a stone prison. The sickly sweet stench of caramelising, melting marshmallows writhed its way through the breathable air, consuming every spare morsel. At least everyone could tolerate it, it was appetising to say the least. Softly, the dancing scraps of ash pirouetted through the smoky mass erupting from the flames in the centre of a circle of tightly huddled beings, all of which seemed to be human.  Moss seemed to be pulsating under their feet, or was it just the lighting? The residents of this small camping trip would never know for sure, but it certainly looked as though the floor their chairs leaned oh so well on was alive. 

Stars twinkled between the effervescent clouds that glided effortlessly through the atmosphere. It truly was an almost perfect night, apart from the fact that the Forest nearby sat there in melancholy, waiting for its story to burst out of someone’s mouth and spill out like fresh blood. Everything about those woods silently screeched the word “DEATH” and accumulated negative feelings, swallowing you in an inky darkness of dread, suspense and lachrymose. Although it was there, simply wasting its own time in patiently waiting, our humans around the fire were more focused on their own business in camping, not the Forest’s. 

Taz was a smaller girl than the rest of her acquaintances, but wiser nonetheless. Her perfect brunette ringlets floated beside her ears and sat neatly on her shoulders. Quietly, she twirled her marshmallow over the crackling flames, charring the outside until it nearly turned a charcoal black. That was how she liked it, ever so slightly burnt so that the bitterness contrasted with the sugary taste, morphing into the perfect combination. Even though her friends thought it was quite peculiar, they found it better not to judge. After all, with a diverse group like theirs, everyone had their own strange traits to them, all more personal than eating habits. Taz was fairly attractive on the outside, but once you knew her fully, she was the weirdest person you would ever meet in your lifetime (in a good way, of course), although she had a sort of charisma that only appeared in certain people, a kind of welcoming attitude toward newcomers in her life- the sort you would figure out the meaning, only to find that it’s too late.   

“So, you all enjoy your mallows?” She asked, breaking the eerie silence. The 4 others around the fire gave muffled sounds of agreement as answers, their mouths filled with masses of the soft sugar candy. They were soon to swallow it - just in time for the fun to finally begin. Taz rubbed her hands and grinned like a lunatic, her forest-green eyes darting around the circle of her friends, the cogs in her brain grinding along, whirring and figuring out which one to put on the spot.

“Johnny - what was the war like, old boy? I reckon we need some stories now. After all, this is a campfire.” She asked, a spark of playfulness in her raspy voice.  John, on the other hand, was the oldest of the group - 53 to be exact, and he had endured a long war starting when he was only 17. At least he was one of the ones thankful to survive.

“Oh it was hell.” He chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment, taking in the vivid memories that whistled through his mind. “You would have your mates near y’ in the trenches, but no- one ever talked to each other, no no. It was impossible to hear anyone over the gunfire. Boy, was I glad when they announced it was finally over.” John smiled, a genuine gleam of relief to be alive. And whenever John smiled, everybody else smiled too, whether they wanted to or not. I swear, it was infectious (in a good way). “Right, there’s something I want to address.” exclaimed Rory, an energetic 16 - year- old with an eccentric sense of humour. Once he had successfully caught the attention of everyone around the roaring flames, he spoke up again. 

“How the hell can this be a PROPER campfire when we haven’t told any stories that scare you out’a your fuckin’ skin?!” he groaned, half shouting into the fire, which ominously reflected in his wide eyes.

“I was getting to that.” Taz grumbled, a sour expression pasted over her face. When Rory eventually did shut up, she could get down to business.  

“Be prepared, because you ALL will be unable to sleep peacefully after this.” She paused for an attempt at dramatic effect, but it failed, and she was met with awkward silence. 

“This is the tale of Two inseparable girls, a Tragedy, and one blunt Axe. On the way, we will find four serial murders, a suicide and unrequited love. What’s the worst that can happen, right?” Everyone’s faces lit up, both figuratively and literally, as the fire cast a warm orange glow to the surroundings and the organisms in the area, both human and entity, were all itching with glee to hear Taz’s story. The forest lurched, creaking with pure ecstasy.

Does anyone have any good book recs for Trans for Trans relationships? I've only managed to find one The spirt bears it's teeth ( which was great everyone should go read it!)

Bonus points for any of the following

Vampires

Arranged marriages

Horror

Disability rep in the books

( just suggestions of things I like will read most anything!!)

my april tbr

i have been consumed by fredrik backman's books and i read beartown and us against you last month so i'm speeding though the winners. i literally cannot get enough of these characters and i'm going to be so upset when i finish these books

but i am slowly making my way through the pjo series. they're adorable and i'm lowkey sad that i wasn't able to read them when i was younger. i'm glad i could dice into that universe now though!

and of course stephen king, my peepaw, my favorite man. i'm about 40ish pages through thinner and from what i remember of the movie its not entirely the same idk tho bc that was literally forever ago

and lastly the audio books! i have abt 16 minutes left of horrorstor and it's going okay, not my favorite but i really do feel for the mc, amy. i am also aiming to get through how to sell a haunted house since i enjoyed grady hendrix's other work, my best friend's exorcism in the past

that's all i have really but feel free to let me know what you're planning on reading this month!

i'm also finishing the last few minutes of horrorstor by grady hendrix finally. stay tuned for chaotic reviews

yeah it was 3 stars. not bad though! i'll post my review tomorrow!

i'm also finishing the last few minutes of horrorstor by grady hendrix finally. stay tuned for chaotic reviews

i finished horrorstor by grady hendrix

okay so, as predicted it was a three-star read for me, but it wasn't bad honestly. i think since i didn't have the physical copy of it i listened to the audio book i didn't have the whole novelty of it all so it lost a bit of flair.

i thought the story was pretty okay all around, as i said before i really felt for amy through some parts because i really connected with what she was feeling sometimes. and i loved the catalog entries in the beginning of each chapter and it turning to more torture furnishings as the book started to turn. i definitely think that would've made the book a higher star for me if i could sit and read that physically.

some things were kinda ehh, like not bad but i feel like the ending was a little flat and wish it would've been better but i can't complain too much.

anyway, that was my 19th read of the year so i'm onto the next book!

welcome folks

hi, my name is rowan, i'm 22 (23 as of may 31st) and i love reading!

i wanted to do a quick intro and link all of my socials for anyone who would want them since i post a bit everywhere.

i'm starting this blog to eventually gain an audience to maybe start a youtube or a podcast based around books and reading since that's what i love to do and talk about the most. but also just meet more people in the community and maybe make some more reading friends!

i started my instagram in late 2022 and have been posting on and off on there for the past two years but i've loved books and reading since i was a child. i'd love to eventually make this a part time job and earn money but for now it's a fun thing i'm doing to share my thoughts and get to know people.

my asks are always open so if you'd ever want to chat feel free to reach out!

my socials:

goodreads

tiktok

instagram

amazon wish list

18+ reading and writing discord server

twitch

reading update

small reading update for the day.

i'm about halfway through the winners, it has been going a bit slow for me but i honestly just think i'm in a physical reading slump and i'm trying to push through it. ugh.

next, i just started how to sell a haunted house by grady hendrix and im about an hour into it and its pretty good. i really like the buildup so far and the brother mark is so sus i feel like he has smth to do with the parents' death. idk though but that is my theory so far!

anyway, feel free to let me know what you're currently reading if you'd like or just let me know if you've read either of these so far!

until next time! probably tomorrow

another reading update

so i have about five hours left of how to sell a haunted house and i realllyyyyy hate these dolls/puppets.

i feel bad for blaming mark for stuff now i see his side of the story but i do have to admit he was being a bit sus in the beginning.

and the ring leader puppet? pupkin? yeah i don't fuck with him tbh.

its actually scary like? when you get to the fight scene in the house with the needle? yeah that one i was cringing so hard because i hate that stuff so much.

so far i would give it about 4.5 or even 5 stars, it's my type of creepy, an actual book that makes me cringe and be creeped out but not over the top like a slasher horror. i would recommend it so far!

How to write good horror.

1- DON'T EXPLAIN WHAT THE HORROR IS. DON'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING. no context = more scary. "oh but it is just a ghost- " YES. you know that, I know that, but things are way more scary if you don't explain it. let your audience scare themselves trying to figure it out! the first FNAF game didn't explain anything it was just "ok these machines are kind aggro". that is part of what made it popular! (And truthfully this reason is why i dislike the other games in the series) i can't name how many horror movies i immediately lost interest in because it was explained. "oh no! there is blood dripping from the walls! " its demons or ghosts or whatever. you explained it. it isn't scary now that you explained the joke. if you have to explain what it is, explain it at the END of the story or near the climax at best. (or better yet, don't explain at all) 2- restraint is key i know it is tempting to show organs and blood dripping from the walls and someone eating out a corpse or whatever but don't outright show that kind of stuff ALL THE TIME or else your audience becomes desensitized to it, and if horror fans are reading/watching your work, chances are they are going to think this is weaksauce. you need to be SUBTLE when building up suspense in your story. don't show the real scary bits until the end of the buildup/ 3- normalicy and familiarity is key i am going to use bugsnax as an example. bugsnax has no gore and can be considered child friendly, but what made bugsnax scare people is that it has the facaude of a cutesy little game. doki doki lit club has a simmular principle where its like a normal dating sim but you are caught off guard and things feel off. this is a valuable tool. 4- be original and understand why the more popular ones are popular in the first place everyone has done analogue horror. why ? because we are all so used to modern technology that older televisions and tech seem kinda creepy. Blue_channel by gooseworks is one of my favorites. It gets right to the point, and while it DOES explain what the product is, it doesn't go "oooh death and scary!!! oooooooh!" it lets the audience make up their own horrifying reason as to what is happening here. saying "oooooooh look murder your parents ooooh!" isn't scary, and putting a glitchy tv filter over it isn't going to make it more scary. and finally 5- describe the unfamiliar i know i just said familiarity is key but that is only 1/2 of the equation. Everywhere at the end of time depicts the sounds of memory degrading in an alzheimers patients. this is an experience that no one could relate to except for those who are experiencing it (and sadly, those people are either dead or mentally comatose) this is also why lovecraft horror is loved, because we can only imagine so much before the lack of understanding drives you insane. hope this helps, for the love of all that is good, please stop writing bad horror.



I would reccomend the book full brutal by Kristopher triana. It definitely fits the criteria that you described and might be my favorite extreme horror book of all time. You will go from hating the main character to cheering her on over and over. It’s a slow burn in a way, the dark stuff doesn’t start until a while in but when it starts it SNOWBALLS FAST!

Horror Book Recommendations Needed

Hey guys! I absolutely love horror in any form (ARG, Movie, Game, Book, etc.) and lately have gotten into Splatterpunk/Extreme/Disturbing horror books.

The only thing is that multiple books I have been recommended are from the perspective of the killer/person doing the disturbing stuff and from the ones that I've read so far those just... don't work?

Like not in a 'haha I'm so desensitized' way because there are books with objectively less fucked up shit happening that I am disturbed by and enjoy reading. It's just that no matter what the protagonist is doing if they are just clinically describing it to the point where it feels like just another Tuesday, that actively takes me out of the book and out of feeling disturbed. If I'm reading disturbing fiction I'm reading it for the purpose of feeling DISTURBED and if I'm not disturbed while actually reading it then it doesn't feel like its doing it's job as a book.

I'd love to go more in depth about my thoughts on it but for the moment I want to see if there are any recommendations for me to get more data about these kinds of books.

So if you do know of any books that specifically have the protagonist as the person doing the disturbing stuff please let me know I want to see if there are good ones.

Two last things about any recs tho:

Nothing that jumps around perspectives to like, show other peoples direct responses I need it to be one persons pov

Nothing where its like 'oh the protagonist is doing this messed up thing but its totally normal in this society' so no like Tender is the Flesh type of deal

Thank you for any help!!!