What was that book? The 50 Scariest Books of All Time The air is getting crisper, the nights are getting longer, and All Hallow’s Eve draws near. You know what that means: it’s time to curl up with a book guaranteed to give you the shivers — or at least make you check the locks twice. Here, for your horrifying pleasure, are 50 of the scariest books ever written in the English language, whether horror, nonfiction, or speculative futures you never want to see. One caveat: the list is limited to one book per author, so Stephen King fans will have to expand their horizons a little bit. Check out 50 books that will keep you up all night after the jump, and add any other scary favorites to the list in the comments. IT, Stephen King All right, let’s get this out of the way up front: Stephen King is the you-know-what of horror, and if there wasn’t this pesky rule about keeping it to one book per author, this list could almost be wholly populated by his terrifying reads.
Top Ten Best Novels You've Never Heard Of Or perhaps you have. Yet the following list, laid out in no particular order (with the exception of Number 1), is relatively obscure: Nothing is as it seems under the sharp western sun. After recovering from an enigmatic and near-fatal illness, Gasteneau, a man with an iron will, glimpses something so extraordinary and so horrific that he feels his life irrevocably altered. But did he really see what he thinks he saw? 10. Published in 1995, this is James Salter’s fourth novel — a novel as real, as poetic, and as heartbreakingly beautiful as anything I’ve ever read. 9. By Fydor Dostoevsky. 8. Tom Drury’s fourth novel, published in 2006, is intelligent, endearing, funny — though perhaps a little too farcical — and contains an exceptionally likable hero named Pierre Hunter. 6. 5. Nick Tosches, who writes for Vanity Fair magazine, got poor reviews for this book, and in many ways you can understand why. 4. 3. That’s a lot of teeth-gnashing, I think you would agree. 2. 1. There you have it.
365 tomorrows : A New Flash of Science Fiction Every Day The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013 The thing about reading is this: it takes a long time. There are innumerable books in the world, and many more good ones than can be read by any mortal in a lifetime. It’s hard to choose — especially if you’re a slow reader. So, to go along with the list of the best albums from 1963-2013, here you will find a single must-read book from each of the last 50 years. 1963 — The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath’s only novel manages to be both elegant and filled with raw, seething emotion – no small feat, and not the least of the reasons the reading world is still obsessed with her. Also recommended: Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak; The Group, Mary McCarthy; V., Thomas Pynchon; Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut; The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan
Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels It's almost a cliche at this point to say that teen fiction isn't just for teens anymore. Just last year, the Association of American Publishers ranked Children's/Young Adult books as the single fastest-growing publishing category. Which is why we were only a little surprised to see the tremendous response that came in for this summer's Best-Ever Teen Fiction poll. And now, the final results are in. Selecting a manageable voting roster from among the more than 1,200 nominations that came in from readers wasn't easy, and we were happy to be able to rely on such an experienced panel of judges. Summer, like youth, is fleeting.
10 Modern Must-Read Sci-Fi Masterpieces Any discussion of science fiction invariably begins and ends with the masters of the genre. Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Phillip K. Dick, Arthur C. People didn’t suddenly stop writing science fiction novels in 1980. The Dark Tower (1982 – 2004) Written by: Stephen King King is best known as one of the modern masters of fantasy and horror but The Dark Tower series is as much science fiction as it is anything. Neuromancer (1984) Written by: William Gibson William Gibson created the cyber punk genre with Neuromancer. Ender’s Game (1985) Written by: Orson Scott Card There’s never been anything quite like Ender’s Game, before or since. The Liaden Universe (1988 – 2010) Written by: Sharon Lee and Steve MillerAgent of Change was the first book published (though not the first chronologically) in what would eventually become known as the Liaden Universe. Hyperion Cantos (1989 – 1997) Written by: Dan Simmons The Hyperion Cantos is actually four books. Jurassic Park (1990)
Top 10 Underrated Fantasy Stories Before 1937 Books J.R.R. Tolkien changed the face of the fantasy genre when he published “The Hobbit” in 1937 and subsequently his famous “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But with this defining moment in the genre, many of the great works that preceded Tolkien have been forgotten in time. Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees Publication Date: 1926 Probably the most obscure thing I shall mention on this list, this is a rather interesting tale in an alternate world where some rather mundane people live in peace, but are interrupted by a flow of fairy fruit form the neighboring lands. The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley Publication Date: 1863 This is a children’s novel that I might not recommend for the kids, but anybody with an interest in Victorian fairy tales and a bit of controversy absolutely must pick this one up. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson Publication Date: 1908 Lost Horizon by James Hilton Publication Date: 1933 The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald Publication Date: 1872
15 Books You Should Have Read in 2010 - Culture - GOOD - StumbleUpon Image by Jane Mount, Courtesy 20x200 Yes, we read Freedom this year and yes, it was good. As Esquire put it, it “was one great slab of a book, at a time when most books have given up on greatness.” But there were other books in 2010, books that had to compete for our ever more challenged attention spans and won. So we asked a few members of the GOOD team & some of our good colleagues which book made their best list this past year. 1. Author: Stephen King Recommended by: Ben Jervey, Environment Editor Why read? 2. Author: George R.R. Recommended by: Morgan Clendaniel, Deputy Editor, GOOD Why read? 3. Author: Jan Gehl Recommended by: Alissa Walker, Contributing Editor, GOOD Why read? 4. Author: Tom Rachman Recommended by: Zach Frechette, Editor in Chief, GOOD Why read? 5. Author: Walter Van Tillburg Clark Recommended by: Cord Jefferson, Culture Editor, GOOD Why Read? 6. Author: Colum McCann Recommended by: Nicola Twilley, Food Editor, GOOD Why read? 7. Author: Diane Ravitch Why read? 8. Why read? 9.
Webnovel - Your Fictional Stories Hub Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Tips on How to Write a Great Story By Maria Popova The year of reading more and writing better is well underway with writing advice the likes of David Ogilvy’s 10 no-bullshit tips, Henry Miller’s 11 commandments, Jack Kerouac’s 30 beliefs and techniques, John Steinbeck’s 6 pointers, and various invaluable insight from other great writers. Now comes Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922–April 11, 2007) — anarchist, Second Life dweller, imaginary interviewer of the dead, sad soul — with eight tips on how to write a good short story, narrated by the author himself. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.Start as close to the end as possible.Be a Sadist.