It’s probably no surprise for horror aficionados that, according to a Goodreads ranking, the one and only Stephen King wrote the top three ‘scariest books ever’.
They promise that the list, which contains 167 books and has been voted on by the public, will “raise gooseflesh and keep you up all night”. For horror fans, this is a very decent promise.
But to take the top three spot of user-ranked scariest horror books is quite an accolade, so which books make the cut? Check out the list below.
3. ’Salem’s Lot
Published in 1975, the Goodreads description shares: “Thousands of miles away from the small township of ‘Salem’s Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to ‘Salem’s Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.”
Now, if that doesn’t sound creepy, we’re not sure what does.
2. The Shining
Made majorly popular by the film of the same name starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining book is somehow even scarier.
Published in 1977, the Goodreads description shares: “Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing.
“But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old”.
1. IT
Voted the scariest horror book of all time, IT has taken the number one spot thanks to its amazing storyline, readability, and the skill with which King crafts his main characters and the innocence of young friendship.
Published in 1986, The Goodreads description shares: “To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry, Maine, was just their hometown: familiar, well-ordered, a good place to live. It was the children who saw – and felt – what made Derry so horribly different.
“In the storm drains, in the sewers, It lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each person’s deepest dread. Sometimes It reached up, seizing, tearing, killing…
“The adults, knowing better, knew nothing. Time passed and the children grew up, moved away. The horror of It was deep-buried, wrapped in forgetfulness.
“Until the grown-up children were called back, once more to confront It as It stirred and coiled in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.”
Reading that, it’s quite clear to see why this is one of the most horrifying books of all time. Of course, the book has been made into three successful movies: IT from 1986, which was originally a miniseries that was combined to make a film, and IT parts one and two from 2017 and 2019.
But the book has been more widely received in a positive way, as the book has a 613,644 (50%) 5-star rating.
One five star review reads: “Once I turned the last page of 1,153 pages, I felt like Scribner or Stephen King or someone owed me a t-shirt saying…I survived IT. When I say IT, I’m not just referring to the enormous length of the novel, but also the total sticky, blood-encrusted immersion in this epic tale of horror.”
Someone else even penned that they would consider it to be a “modern classic of the horror genre,” which is big praise considering the forefathers of horror, including the likes of Bram Stoker.
Another wrote: “I first came across IT more than two decades ago, just a few years older than the Losers Club kids, and have reread it several times since, and it’s never lost its magic, no matter how old I am or where in life I am. To me, a Constant Reader of Uncle Stevie’s prodigious literary output, it’s quintessential King, King at his best.”