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Top 5 horror writers

SFG75

SFG75

Well-Known Member
Since joining TBF, I've gained a greater appreciation for Clive Cussler and have felt a new found sense of curiosity to read The Grapes of Wrath which I'm presently undertaking. One of the genres that I just haven't read a whole lot of is horror. I do enjoy horror movies, perhaps just as much as the next person who is into that kind of thing. With that being said, who are the top 5 horror writers? Yes, I see King on the shelves a lot, but like other genres, the top selling are sometimes not considered the best.

Looking forward to seeing some opinions. :)
 
I'm getting into Richard Laymon. I read Island, and enjoyed it tremendously. Then I started Blood Games and had to let it go after 100 pages because the story just wasn't working for me. Now I'm into In The Dark and it's very good - I can't wait to get back to it, it's so engrossing, and original.

Of course, Dean Koontz is a great horror writer, but I prefer his very early works - read them so long ago I can't remember the titles.
 
SFG75 said:
Who are the top 5 horror writers?
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Okay, let's filter out the shit first. Say goodbye to King, Laymon, Herbert, Hutson, Rice, Koontz, Garry Charles etc.

Take them away and you are pretty much left with an empty set of shelves in the bookstore, such is the industry's willingness to try out new authors in said genre.

Horror novels, to be fair, are shit. Like sci-fi and fantasy (urgh!) these are best done in short story form; small ideas seen through. Novels, especially recent ones, have the unlikable need to explain how such things are possible. Just read horror short stories; much better. The occasional novel is worth the time, but they are classics, and the horror genre is in the state it's in now because those dominating it have made such a mess of it. I suppose that's the true horror.


Top five horror. I don't think we can go for long without mentioning H.P. Lovecraft, his works have inspired many writing in the horror genre, some so much that they seek to emulate his style. Brian Lumley comes to mind.

Next up, Clive Barker. His series of short stories, The Books of Blood took many tired archetypes and gave them new blood. Well worth reading.

Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.

Edgar Allen Poe. Has to be read.

Thomas Ligotti has made a name for himself for his short stories. His collections can be hard to find but, a quick look on AbeBooks shows loads of bookstores selling his stuff.

British author, Christopher Fowler, produces loads of short fiction collections. His stuff, is more comic horror, but worth it for a laugh.
 
I havent read that much horror but i'd say Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft at least deserves a spot in the top5.

Then you should consider reading the classics such as:
Frankenstein
Dracula
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
 
What makes a 'horror' novel, though? Is it monsters? Is it blood and guts? Or is it more a feeling of repugnance (sp?) at what you're reading - the ideas and images and whatnot. I've read books that are not considered horror, but to me they WERE horrific.
 
Stewart said:
Okay, let's filter out the shit first. Say goodbye to King, Laymon, Herbert, Hutson, Rice, Koontz, Garry Charles etc.

Take them away and you are pretty much left with an empty set of shelves in the bookstore, such is the industry's willingness to try out new authors in said genre.
Click to expand...

If it's your money you're investing, do you sink it into a penny stock that has a 98% chance of tanking, or do you put in into a proven performer that has succeeded over and over?
And why do these authors (the "sh-t" as you refer to them) write successful books, that sell by the millions? It must be because there is a vast conspiracy by the publishing industry to foist sh-t on the public, who are somehow duped into buying terrible books against their will, instead of the really GOOD horror books that you prefer. It can't be because their work is just better, by far, than the oceans of manuscripts submitted by hack, amateur writers - who you think the industry should "try out" just because they are unknown and wrote something.
I'm not putting down the authors you mentioned on your top 5, but if you throw out King, Koontz, Laymon, and Rice (and the other top authors you mentioned that I don't recognize but they must be great to be mentioned along with the other "sh-t" you hate) then you are indeed left with nothing. Not that I don't like stuff out of the main stream - but, those main stream authors set the standard. Those authors are all great.
Or, you can go back to those dusty tomes of old, Like Frankenstein and Dracula, Poe and Lovecraft (great, but let's face it, just a tad out of date) and miss out on the best horror writers of OUR day!
 
Stewart said:
You've never heard of Shirley Jackson?
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Oh, I know of Shirley Jackson of course.
I meant your other "s--t" authors, Herbert, Hutson, Garry Charles and that other guy I see a lot, etc.
Hey, I haven't heard of a hell of a lot. My ignorance vastly exceeds my knowledge. Little by little, I hope to shift the balance, by reading, observing, thinking, and reflecting.
Edit-
Oh, THAT Herbert. Didn't ring a bell at first.
 
Still, I don't see how you can say King, Koontz, Laymon, and Rice are s... what you said.
I just finished a passage from Laymon's In The Dark that had me trembling - it was so vivid, so blood curdling, so frightening. The narrative flowed with perfect timing and the chain of events was so clear. I never read anything like it.
Misery was one of the best, scariest books I ever read. So was Cujo. The Stand, It, on and on. So much of King's work is great.
Interview and Lestat? Unbelievably great.
How can you be a horror fan and say King, Rice, and Laymon are s...?????????
Sometimes Koontz seems contrived and dopey, I'll give you that, still, some work - the earlier stuff especially, is super.

My TOP 5:
King, Rice, Laymon, Koontz, and 1 other to be announced.
EDIT - GOT IT!
Thomas Harris

Not sure about Koontz, though - I really should wait before giving him 1 of the 5 top spots. He's really not in the same league as the others. His books start strong but then usually get flakey and just plain stupid.
 
Hmmmm, o.k. so, I will be checking out some works by Poe. I have read a lot of him, though it is possible that I missed out on some good horror stuff. I have never read anything by H.P. Lovecraft, but I had a friend who was really into his works in college. I'll definitely put that name at the top of the list. Laymon will be a consideration, though I'll be sure to reserve judgment until a little more time has passed. :cool:
 
I find the late Richard Laymon to be a very poor writer. I've read a number of his works but found them pulpy, and his prose is nothing special - minimalist, actually. In fact, it's very minimal; or should that be lacking? However, if you like your horror like a Benny Hill sketch show, Laymon may be for you.
 
Stewart said:
I find the late Richard Laymon to be a very poor writer. I've read a number of his works but found them pulpy, and his prose is nothing special - minimalist, actually. In fact, it's very minimal; or should that be lacking? However, if you like your horror like a Benny Hill sketch show, Laymon may be for you.
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Stange how two people can look at the same thing and see two totally different things. I find the late Richard Laymon to be an excellent writer! I do agree that his work is pulpy. By the way, I looked up "pulp" to make sure I know the exact definition.

By the way - as an aside - I found the definition in a dictionary at this site:
http://refdesk.com
This is a GREAT reference site - far better than Google for directed research (rather than just searching for a term)

pulp: A publication, such as a magazine or book, containing lurid subject matter.

Well gee whiz, Stewart, these are HORROR books. If Laymon were NOT pulpy I'd say he was a poor writer - of horror, anyway. You want a horror writer to sound like Jane Austin?

Instead of...
"The fabulously wealthy, sex crazed pervert went on the prowl for his prey."
... you would rather...
"It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man, in posession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

I don't think so. Give me pulpy over stodgy every time.

I don't get the comparison to Benny Hill at all. And minimalist? His books seem to run over 400 pages.

I don't say you should enjoy is writing, but I do, and I think you should give him a fair shake.

Come on Dorian Gray - tell Stewart why you like Laymon!
 
There is no way to filter out the horror authors you see on the bookshelves, King, Koontz etc. They were put there because people like their books and they write well. If that wasn't the case, people wouldn't buy them.

Anyway, my top five, in no particular order are:

Clive Barker
Graham Masterton
Stephen King
Richard Laymon
Richard Matheson
 
I don't know about the best but my favorites are Anne Rice, Stephen King, Laurell K Hamilton, Dean Koontz, and....lol I don't know of another. ;)
 
I can't believe that nobody included Dennis Lehane in here! (Author or Mystic River and Shutter Island)

Top Five Horror Writers:

1) Dennis Lehane
2) Richard Layman
3) Thomas Harris
4) Edgar Allen Poe
5) Richard Connolly
 
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