Halloween is rapidly approaching. It’s cold outside, it gets dark earlier, and the stores are lined with creepy costumes. ABC Family is airing its 13 Nights of Halloween movie marathon. For those of you who like being scared, here’s a list of the 10 creepiest novels (some fiction, some non) that everyone should read around Halloween.
1. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
This non-fiction novel includes the story of the infamous mastermind behind the Tate/La Bianca murders of LA; Charles Manson. It not only includes the gruesome photos from the crime scene, but also the minor details that make up the case.
2. Thinner by Stephen King
Arguably the best creepy writer of his time (and of today), Thinner is a captivating novel. If you’re in to gypsies, curses, and gory detail, this is the novel for you. Stephen King is a special human. He has the ability to both grab the attention of his audience within the first few pages, all while making sure they don’t sleep at night.
3. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Another non-fiction piece, this is the story of the 1959 murders of four members of the Herbert Clutter family. It takes place in Holcomb, Kansas and is horrifying, to say the least.
4. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
If you were creeped out by the movie, you probably cannot handle the novel. This is one that causes nightmares of the worst kind. Hannibal Lecter is a psychopath who is also a cannibalistic psychiatrist. *chills* Not that I was a fan of fava beans before, but I definitely wasn’t after reading this.
5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This is the most recent on the list, and it isn’t really considered a part of the “horror” genre. However, the character of Amy Dunne is both brilliant and crazy. Just crazy enough to make you on edge the entire novel.
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker
This creepy classic is a must read for any literature lover. The story of Count Dracula, a vampire attempting to move to England in an effort to find new blood is riveting. It’s written like a diary, which makes it much easier to connect to. You feel like you’re taking part of the action as you’re reading it, which is part of what makes it so scary.
7. The Last Victim by Jason Moss
This non-fiction piece is sure to make the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up. Moss developed the accounts of Jeffry Dahmer, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, and Henry Lee Lucas while writing his senior thesis at UNLV.
8. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
King strikes again in this sequel. The shining is this novel’s predecessor. This is told from the point of view of Danny Torrance, the little boy in The Shining. Torrance suffers from psychological trauma and his mother, Wendy, is recovering from the injuries she received in the first novel. This novel is full of psychic powers and a roller coaster of a plot.
9. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Another creepy classic, Rebecca is both crime and romance. The perfect pairing, right? Rebecca, the main obsession of a key character, is a dead woman who holds power of those still alive.
10. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
The film adaptation with Christian Bale is everything you could hope for. However, the novel is much more horrific. Patrick Bateman is an obsessive-compulsive serial killer (and businessman) living in Manhattan. Told in the first-person perspective, the audience is immediately keyed in to Bateman’s investments during the day and his psychotic murders at night.