It’s Friday the 13th today! And what better way to celebrate than with this writing prompt- Hype or Like Friday: I’m A Scaredy-Cat… list the top 13 books and films that scare you the most! You will quickly see I like my horror stories short and scary. I am a big fan of Stephen King, but typically only of his shorter work.
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by various authors
Impressive collection of horror/fantasy/paranormal short stories that were all inspired by old movies or books. The inspiration of each story is listed at the end of each story, but the fun is in guessing before you know for sure.
Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King
King became too wordy for me a long time ago, so I now stick to his short stories for I feel he writes them very well. I liked how not all of them had horror or a supernatural element to them, but they all brought the characters to life. Some authors write a whole book and you still don’t have a fully fleshed out character, so I have always felt short story writers who can pull you in quickly are the best authors. My favorites were Everything’s Eventual (listened to this on audio-Justin Long nailed it), Riding the Bullet and The Road Virus Heads North.
Poe: Stories and Poems by Edgar Allen Poe, adapted by Gareth Hinds
When I wrote my discussion post on whether classic stories should be adapted into graphic novels, I deliberately left stories about Poe off. I love many of the macabre poems and short stories he wrote, and I had heard that this adaptation would be out soon. The illustrations here are evocative, and I will be reviewing this particular book in a few weeks. (Edit- here it is!)
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Four very dark short stories with Big Driver and A Fair Marriage being my favorites. This was the book that truly gave me the most chills, as they were very realistic and grim.
Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriquez
One of the best graphic novel series I have ever read, Locke & Key starts with a family tragedy as the Locke family is terrorized by two students who have an ax to grind with the father, Rendell, who is a high school guidance counselor. After the father’s murder, the shattered family leaves California and heads to Massachusetts to start over at the Locke family estate, where Rendell’s younger brother Duncan provides them sanctuary. But alas, more evil awaits them there. This supernatural thriller set in a small coastal town is a winner and is being developed for a series on Hulu.
These early stories of King stories grab your attention, and wonderfully describe the characters and locale in just a few pages. Favorites were Jerusalem’s Lot, Strawberry Spring, Children of the Corn, and I Am the Doorway. That many of these short stories were adapted into movies say a lot about the strength of his writing.
As for the movies…
Alien– There is no place to escape in space! That alien is so freakin’ creepy.
The Ring– The urban legends are true! Don’t watch the video!
The Blair Witch Project– The first of the “lost footage” movies that was perfectly done and set the stage for a new genre.
Poltergeist– I watched this as a child and it freaked me out. Children in danger, killer clown toy, and a house built on a graveyard- this had everything to scare me!
Carrie– Religious fanaticism, telekinesis and mayhem at the prom!
The Silence of the Lambs– Cannibalism and mind games at their finest.
Arachnophobia– Spiders…nuff’ said.
Give these stories and movies a chance, and you’ll be sure to have a frightfully good time!
-Nancy
Graphic Novelty² 
October 13, 2017 at 12:11 pm
Wonderful answers, Nancy! I’m not a big fan of horror novels or movies so I’ve steered clear of Stephen King’s novels except for a couple of non-horror ones. You’re much braver than I am!
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October 13, 2017 at 4:36 pm
I discovered another short story collection by him today from 1990 (Four Past Midnight) that I was unaware of!
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October 13, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Are you going to read it?!
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October 13, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Absolutely! 😉
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October 13, 2017 at 12:13 pm
I do like Stephen King as well, so always enjoy his stories. Alien is one of my favourite film, its so nerve jangling and scary! I watched Silence of the Lambs again recently actually, classic horror / thriller, Hannibal still gives me chills! 🙂
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October 13, 2017 at 4:41 pm
Plus, I loved how Alien introduced us to Ripley, one of the best heroines ever in any movie genre!
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October 14, 2017 at 8:45 am
Me too, Ripley is such an awesome character. Alien is a great movie, always enjoy rewatching it,
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October 14, 2017 at 8:18 am
Great selection of books and movies 🙂
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October 14, 2017 at 10:11 am
Thanks, it was a fun writing prompt to pull together!
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October 17, 2017 at 11:42 am
My cousin is in a Literacy Club at her high school and they’re reading Stephen King’s ‘Full Dark, No Stars’ as their book for this month! I told her I was thinking of picking it up myself and reading along with her so we could talk about it. Given it’s on your list of super scary things I’m both more and less inclined to read it now :).
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October 17, 2017 at 10:04 pm
I am amazed that a HS group would be reading that at school, as there is a rape in one of the stories. It’s a great book, and will prompt some interesting conversation, but it’s definitely a brave teacher to choose that as a selection to discuss.
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October 21, 2017 at 10:48 am
Hmmm…honestly, I’m not sure how vetted it was. I know they got enough copies for the whole club so that was part of what prompted the choice. Either way, I’ll let you know how it goes.
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October 22, 2017 at 4:07 pm
As a librarian, I am all about letting people (all ages) make their own reading choices. But I’m on the skittish side with book selections that I lead at the library since my two supervisors were unhappy that I choose Invincible from Image Comics to read in a graphic novels book club. (I still think it wasn’t a problem and I went ahead and did it)
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October 23, 2017 at 8:05 am
I completely understand that. As a teacher, sometimes I think twice (or three times) about using a book or film or TV show in class that I wouldn’t think twice about reading or watching on my own or (in some cases) if a student had told me they were reading/watching it. But when you have that audience, it just kind of gets in your head (for good reason). And sometimes, a book or film that may be a little questionable ends up being the best tool possible for the discussion/lesson you want to get across to the kids.
As you said above, I think a lot of that comes down to how it’s presented to the students and how it’s handled as the reading or viewing progresses. I’ll be interested to hear from my cousin what happens once they finish/discuss this book.
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