Whilehorrorbooks are always expected to scare readers, what’s more impressive is when they are so twisted that they leave them speechless. This has been the case for a select few books that pushed past common tropes and clichés to produce a story that was so depraved, frightening, and original that it blew readers' minds with its twisted nature. Fromicons of horror like Stephen Kingtolesser-known cult writers, all these books went the extra mile when it came to telling their twisted tales.
Many of thebest horror booksever written leaned into the twisted nature of human existence, as dark dystopian worlds, supernatural scares, or wicked wars have left readers cowering in terror. While some of these horror stories have had successful film adaptations, it’s important to highlight the power of the original written work and praise the ways it was superior to later film versions.Horror has the potential to go darker and more depraved than any other type of writing, and all these books achieved something scarily special.
10They All Died Screaming (2020)
Kristopher Triana
They All Died Screamingwas an extreme horror by the splatterpunk author Kristopher Trianaexploring vile protagonists amid a global pandemic that turns people into violent, murderous maniacs. This affliction is called “The Scream,” and once somebody gets it, life becomes so unbearable that they wish they were never alive at all. With an unnerving dual narrative exploring the downtrodden remnants of a disseminated population,They All Died Screamingfocused on the chronically unemployed slacker Chuck, joined by a bitter bartender, a dockside prostitute, a conspiracy theorist, and a homeless man, in an effort to survive the apocalypse.
Triana is known for deeply disturbing books, andThey All Died Screamingdid not skimp on the gore when it came to this dystopian tale of madness and the macabre. With an overload of vulgarity, this is not a novel for the faint of heart and will certainly leave more prudish readers in total shock.They All Died Screamingpushed post-apocalyptic fiction to the absolute extreme, and for those looking for a twisted horror book they will never forget, this is the perfect choice.
9The Only Good Indians (2020)
Stephen Graham Jones
Native American author Stephen Graham Jones delivered his own spin on a spiritual revenge story with the twisted horror novelThe Only Good Indians. With an air of folklore and the supernatural, Jones told the story of four members of the Blackfeet Nation coming to terms with an event that happened ten years prior and dealing with the consequences of disrespecting the dead. As Lewis, Gabe, and Cass killed a large number of elk years before, they later found themselves under attack by the ghost of one of the deceased animals.
The Only Good Indiansprovided a unique spin on a revenge storywith a clever subtext that could be applied to the historical treatment of Native Americans by white settlers. With impressive imagery that conjured the horror of these men’s supernatural situation, Jones highlights how the horrors of the past cannot stay buried forever. Exploring themes of psychological terror and the dire impact of long-festering guilt, the inescapable nature of trauma comes to the forefront in this clever and original novel.
8Rosemary’s Baby (1967)
Ira Levin
While most horror lovers will be well aware of Roman Polanski’s acclaimed film adaptation ofRosemary’s Babystarring Mia Farrow, it’s important to recognize the power of the original novel. This story of gaslighting and manipulative control highlighted the subjugation of women’s bodies in a way that felt totally modern amid countercultural movements for female empowerment in the 1960s. With a slow-building sense of paranoia,Rosemary’s Babygrew its tension in a calculated and eerie manner asthe true nature of Rosemary Woodhouse’s situation began to reveal itself.
What started with a simple story of a young woman eager to settle down and start a family soon turned into a creepy exploitation of lost bodily autonomy and a Satan-worshiping cult’s plan to inseminate her with the spawn of the Devil.Rosemary’s Babywent about as dark as the novel could in the 1960s as this exploited young woman realized she had been impregnated with the literal Antichrist. While the film may be recognized as an all-time horror movie classic, the book was equally unnerving and twisted.
7The Collector (1963)
John Fowles
The Collectoris a classic release from English novelist John Fowles that becomes all the more twisted with the knowledge shocking stories like this have occurred in real life. As a story of twisted obsession,The Collectorwas divided into two sections, as it first told of a kidnapping and imprisonment by a lonely young man named Frederick Clegg before switching the narrative to showcase things from the kidnapped woman’s point of view. With elements that feel akin to real-life captors like Josef Fritzl,The Collectorgives a dark insight into the horrific psychology of those who commit heinous acts.
The horror ofThe Collectorwas in the simplicity of its story as readers learned howClegg justified the kidnapping and convinced himself that he could force the woman named Miranda to fall in love with him. As a much more realistic version of aBeauty and the Beast-style narrative, Clegg’s dark love story would have no happy ending as Miranda felt nothing but total and utter fear toward her captor. The faux innocence with which Fowles presented Clegg made him one of the most unnerving villains in all of literature.
6The Exorcist (1971)
William Peter Blatty
Few stories have impacted the horror genre more thanThe Exorcistby William Peter Blatty. While the Oscar-winning film adaptation terrified viewers to the point that they literally fainted or had to leave the theater due to nausea, this would not have been possible if the novel’s story was not already innately twisted and terrifying. With a narrative inspired by genuine exorcisms of children believed to be possessed by demons,The Exorcist’sblend of religious imagery and demonic vulgarity made it stand out as truly subversive horror.
Telling the story of an 11-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil,The Exorcistturned dark as two priests attempted to resolve the poltergeist-like activities and disturbing happenings with which the girl had become associated.The Exorcistbecame all the more harrowing as Regan underwent major psychological and physical changes and became increasingly aggressive and violent. As a glimpse into the darkest depths of demonic possession,The Exorcisthighlighted a Christian spiritual practice in a manner readers had never before encountered.
5American Psycho (1991)
Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis captured the soulless nature of neoliberalism and American yuppie culture with his cult classic novelAmerican Psycho. While horror movie lovers will rememberChristian Bale’s impeccable performance as Patrick Bateman, the presentation of the character in this hefty satirical novel further highlighted his vain insecurities and sadomasochistic tendencies in a way that was even more jarring than in the film version. With long tirades on his skincare routine and the mundanities of everyday life, the revelation of Bateman’s murderous streak became all the more shocking.
The graphic descriptions of violence inAmerican Psychomeant it was banned in several countries, as it drove home its themes of the vicious nature of capitalism with impressive vitriol. From the objectification and brutalization of women to descriptions of literal cannibalism,American Psychowas every bit as shocking as its reputation has suggested. This book put Easton Ellis on the map, and for good reason, as it had not lost any of its twisted power, and its satirical slant has only become more relevant in the decades since.
4Haunted (2005)
Chuck Palahniuk
From his deconstruction of toxic masculinity inFight Clubto the seedy world of sex addiction inChoke, Chuck Palahniuk has been shocking readers with twisted stories of depraved characters his entire career. One horror novel that pushed things to the absolute limit wasHaunted, a strange book that utilized 23 short stories to tell a frame story satirizing reality television and contemporary culture. With classic Palahniuk themes of existentialism, sexual deviance, and violence,Hauntedtapped into the depraved nature of modern times.
By combining body horror, psychological torment, and pitch-black satire, the central story ofHauntedfollowed 17 writers participating in a secret writer’s retreatand, despite their attempts to come up with their masterpieces, descended into absolute savagery. Featuring grotesque and shocking short stories coming from the writers themselves,Hauntedwas able to delve into many different styles of horror writing as it captured each writer’s unique voice. With an unpredictable nature and overwhelming sense of dread,Hauntedwas as twisted as it was unforgettable.
3Pet Sematary (1983)
Stephen King
As the widely crowned ‘King of Horror,’ Stephen King is perhaps the most well-known and successful modern horror writer whose bibliography has included countless twisted and mind-blowing releases. Out of his dozens of published works, one novel stands above the rest as his scariest book, witheven King himself callingPet Semataryhis most frightening work(viaFar Out.) Through the discovery of a mysterious burial ground,Pet Semataryexplored the dark consequences of trying to cheat death.
By confronting the most shocking aspects of death, grief, and the consequences of trying to play God,Pet Sematarywas King at his darkest as he tapped into a truly nail-biting story of unbearable torment. With the death of a child as a focal point to this supernatural tale, King explored resurrection horror with eerie intensity as a once innocent kid reappears as a murderous, demonic entity. While some readers might argue about King’s most twisted work,Pet Semataryis a real contender for that title.
2Tender Is The Flesh (2017)
Agustina Bazterrica
Often, the more realistic a horror book feels, the more it has the power to terrify a reader. This was certainly the case withTender Is the Flesh, a dystopian story from Agustina Bazterrica exploring a world in which all animal meat has been contaminated with a virus. The lack of animal flesh leads to the legalization of cannibalism, and humans are bred like livestock, rebranded as special meat, and the population consumes with a disturbing air of normality.
Tender Is the Fleshfollows the story of Marcos, a human meat supplier who, despite despising the industry, still participates in it. Filled with brutal body horror and deeply disturbing descriptions of humans being slaughtered, the most unnerving thing about this novel was how applicable it is to the actual treatment of animals within the meat industry today. As a novel that’s sure to put anyone off their dinner,Tender is the Fleshwas terrifying not because of any supernatural foe but because of the sheer realism of what it depicted.
1Johnny Got His Gun (1938)
Dalton Trumbo
Although Dalton Trumbo’sJohnny Got His Gunis often discussed as a prime example of an anti-war novel, it’s impossible to take in this story as anything but pure horror. As the story of a young American soldier serving in World War I,Johnny Got His Gundid not begin with Joe Bonham on the battlefield but instead showcased him in a hospital bed after being hit by an exploding artillery shell. This catastrophic event meant that Joe lost his arms, legs, and all of his face, including his eyes, ears, nose, teeth, and tongue.
Without any means to communicate, Joe was thought by doctors to be in a vegetative state and, despite being entirely conscious, was left a prisoner in his own body with nothing to do but contemplate his fate. From attempts at suicide by suffocation to banging his head against a pillow in an effort to tap out Morse code,Johnny Got His Gunhighlighted thehorrorof losing one’s independence. As one of the most powerful anti-war documents ever written,Johnny Got His Gunwas as thought-provoking as it was terrifying.
