There are so many good horror books out there that sometimes the ones most deserving of praise get forgotten. There are all kinds of horror books, from psychological horrors, to stories about possession, tales of the zombie apocalypse, and perhaps the most scary; those horror books which have their basis in real, true stories. In this list I will be discussing 6 books which I feel are a bit underrated within the horror genre. Some of these may seem pretty well represented compared to others, but when viewed in comparison to other books by the same author I think these ones definitely deserve more recognition!
Number 1; The Stand by Stephen King
Published: 1978
Length: 1153 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides — or are chosen.
Why I think it’s underrated: What? A Stephen King book on this list? Really?! Well, hear me out. compared to other books in the horror genre, I suppose The Stand wouldn’t really be considered underrated. BUT, when compared to other books by Stephen King, I think it definitely deserves more attention. This book is often overshadowed by King’s other big titles, such as IT and The Dark Tower series. In my opinion, The Stand is not only King’s best work, but his most horrifying. It’s so easy to imagine the events of The Stand happening in the real world, which is what makes it so scary. The characters are perhaps King’s most developed, and the story is far-reaching and a really good length to really sink your teeth into and get lost in. There was a mini-series released in 1994 (which is really good, I highly recommend it!), and I have been hearing a bunch of rumours lately that it is being remade into a film in the next few years, so who knows, maybe its on track to be getting the recognition it deserves again?!
Number 2; The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
Published: 2016
Length: 334 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.
The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake.
Why I think it’s underrated: The Hatching is such a cool book. When I first saw it pop up on my Goodreads feed, I thought it sounded kinda gross. I mean, an entire book on spiders?! Disgusting. However, once I read it, it became cemented as a firm favourite of mine. I don’t see this book around a lot and I really think if more people read it then it’d get the recognition it deserves. One of the best aspects of this book for me was that, unlike so many other doomsday books, this one didn’t focus exclusively on the United States. This book takes us from Peru, to Australia, North America to China. It is told from multiple POVs and it will 100% make you terrified of every single spider you see. It features a cast of characters from all different walks of life, including a female president, and is just an all-around awesome read which is totally underrated. Do yourself a favour and grab a copy!
Number 3; Cell by Stephen King
Published: 2006
Length: 449 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
In Cell King taps into readers’ fears of technological warfare and terrorism. Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Those without cell phones, like illustrator Clayton Riddell and his small band of “normies,” must fight for survival, and their journey to find Clayton’s estranged wife and young son rockets the book toward resolution.
Why I think it’s underrated: Another King book! I know, I know (be warned, there are 3 on this list!). Cell is such a fun book, but I hardly ever see it being talked about, even in the exclusively Stephen King fan groups I’m a part of! In addition, the few times I do se it being talked about, the majority of people seem to not have liked it, which I just cant understand! This book is scary. It made me freak out about answering my phone every time it rang for about a week after I finished it! It’s different and unique and brings some much-needed freshness and new ideas to the zombie genre. It makes for a fast read and is, in my opinion, a lot easier to read than some of the other King books which can drag on for a bit. The only thing I wasn’t too keen on in regards to this book was the ending, it wasn’t bad enough to ruin the book, but it did leave me with a ton of unanswered questions!
Number 4; The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Published: 1977
Length: 187 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
On December 18, 1975, a young family of five moved into their new home, complete with finished basement, swimming pool, and boathouse. Twenty-eight days later, they fled in terror, leaving most of their belongings behind. — The fantastic story of their experiences was widely publicised on network television, newspapers, and national magazines. But the Lutz family never disclosed the full details to the media. Now, their own carefully-reconstructed memories — and independent interviews with local clergy and police — reveal their entire harrowing story.
George and Kathleen Lutz were aware that the house had been the scene of a mass murder — Ronnie DeFeo, 23, was convicted of shooting his parents, brothers, and sisters. But it seemed an ideal home for them and their three children, and the price was right. On the day they moved in, a priest invited to bless the house was told by an unseen voice to “Get out!” At his rectory, he began to suffer a series of inexplicable afflictions. Meanwhile, alone in their new home, the Lutz family were embarking on the most terrifying experience of their lives. It began when their five-year-old daughter boasted of her new playmate, someone — or something — named “Jodie.”
Why I think it’s underrated: The Amityville Horror is a weird one. It isn’t exactly underrated (I mean, there is like a million films about it by now!), but at the same time I feel like the book itself, as opposed to just the story in general, is pretty underrated. I have always been a big fan of the films, and yet i didn’t even realise for years that they were based on a book! The book is short and super quick to read, and is written in a style which almost reminds me of a report. The writing style itself isn’t exactly riveting, but I found the more I read, the more lost I got in it and the more freaked out I became. It slowly builds suspense and fear, which I think made the overall effect much scarier than just trying to shock readers with jump scares from the get-go. Another thing which really boosts this book’s scare factor is the fact that it is based on a true story!
Number 5; World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Published: 2006
Length: 342 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.
Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”
Why I think it’s underrated: Similar to The Amityville Horror, I loved the film World War Z, but had no idea it was based on a book until I stumbled across it in a comic book store in Delaware. It just isn’t a book I see being talked about online a lot! This book is so cool, it’s written, again, like a bunch of reports and interviews and it covers the experiences of all different people. It is a bit open-ended, but for this particular book I think that really works and makes it feel more true to life. I highly recommend this one to all fans of the zombie genre.
Number 6; Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Published: 2013
Length: 531 pages
Goodreads Synopsis:
Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special 12-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.
On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless – mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.
Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”
Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.
Why I think its underrated: Doctor Sleep is the sequel to King’s famous novel, The Shining. I do see The Shining being talked about a lot and it’s definitely one of King’s more famous and well-known books, even amongst non-readers. However, I think this success of The Shining really overshadows Doctor Sleep, which is a shame as I actually think Doctor Sleep was far more interesting than The Shining. I felt a deeper connection to the characters in this book, and whilst perhaps not quite as scary as The Shining, I feel like the plot in this book was more thought out and came together a lot better than The Shining did. The book is being made into a film, so make sure to keep an eye out for it!
Have any other horror books which you think are underrated? Send me an email, or contact me through Instagram, and ill give them a read and review!
The Book Grub 