Spine chilling horror story books are enjoyed by all. They are scary and terrifying but intriguing all the same. Horror stories make use of supernatural plots, suspense, murder, surreal beings like vampires and ghosts, gothic settings and other horror elements to raise the terror of the readers. Some horror story books also have themes based on myths and folklores like the tales collected by the Grim Brothers.
Horror story books have been written for many centuries but the popularity of this genre never seems to die. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries horror story books were written in the gothic form. Ann Radcliffe and Horace Walpole were great masters of the horror genre. Radcliffe's horror novels like The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne A Sicilian Romance , The Romance of the Forest , and The Mysteries of Udolpho make use of grim settings in Italy or France, old and abandoned fortresses, damsels in distress and dark brooding evil heroes. The horror story books have been the favorites of many readers since these early times.
Later writers also tried their hands at writing Horror Story Books. Mary Shelley's famous novel Frankenstein falls under this category. So does Bram Stoker's Dracula and Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. Edgar Allan Poe is another celebrated writer of horror and macabre story books. The Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is a well-known horror story collection by Poe .
Christopher Golden , an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels is a favorite among adults, teens, and young readers. Some of his popular horror story books are:
- Strangewood
- Straight On 'Til Morning
- The Ferryman
- The Boys Are Back in Town
- Wildwood Road
Modern Horror fiction writers have improved upon the older style. Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Stephen King are popular contemporary writers who bring the horror effect without portraying too much horror elements which you will find in mainstream horror story books. Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, Imajica and Sacrament are some of Barker's popular books.
Stephen Edwin King , an American author, is perhaps the best known horror writer of horror and macabre stories in contemporary times. He is enormously popular for his horror novels such as Black House, the Dark Tower Series, Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
Horror Story Books will never lose their popularity. Old or modern, horror story will continue to excite readers and hold on to their interest.
