Owen Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) Howdy Folks, I was thinking earlier today about which horror books are quintessential, must read books. Books which defined the genre, created movements and are still influencing authors today. Now they don't have to be critically acclaimed, I'm more interested in what you (yes you, over there!) feel to be the most important novels in the genre. My first... The Call of Cthulhu Short stories rather than a novel, but the story captures my imagination more than any other horror story. A big, ancient sea monster, worshipped by the evil and the insane wakes up and death and terror follow. Its a great adventure story as well. Ace with a capitol A, here’s an excerpt of HP Lovecraft’s prose, which can get a bit dense in places: They worshipped, so they said, the Great Old Ones who lived ages before there were any men, and who came to the young world out of the sky. Those Old Ones were gone now, inside the earth and under the sea; but their dead bodies had told their secrets in dreams to the first men, who formed a cult which had never died...hidden in distant wastes and dark places all over the world until the time when the great priest Cthulhu, from his dark house in the mighty city of R'lyeh under the waters, should rise and bring the earth again beneath his sway. Some day he would call, when the stars were ready, and the secret cult would always be waiting to liberate him. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the cool sounding rhyming couplet that finds its way into loads of other media: That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die. Now, what’s yours? Edited June 19, 2008 by O's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Ooh great question. I'm newish to the genre so haven't much to add really. Look forward to hearing other suggestions though. I will throw Dracula in to the ring however. I think it is a fantastic scary read today and must have been even more so in its time. How about the Pit and the Pendulum? Edgar Allen Poe. Tis only a short story though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Coolio, Dracula is a good idea. I like the way it breaches genres - Romance and Horror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'd say both Dracula by Bram Stoker and Carmilla by J. Sheridan LeFanu are "must-reads" of the classic vampire genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest radjack Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 i'm new to this kind of books so i haven't read much stuff... as soon as i finish the book that i'm reading right now i will read dracula. i hope is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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