What is the scariest book you ever read, as an adult?

[jeffnc]

I agree about The Hot Zone. It was truly frightening in a completely different way. To think that Ebola was in Reston, VA! Too close for comfort!

[Diosa]

'Heart Shaped Box' scared the living daylights out of me!! I loved Coraline too, although the film was very strange!!

Stephen King and James Herbert always terrified me when I was reading those in my early teens. Good job my parents weren't big readers or they'd never have bought them for me!

[Mairin]

There are a couple of Stephen King's that frighten me still, like The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Gerald's Game, and IT.

[AntD919]

I love that so many people mention "IT" in this discussion, as that was the first book that actually SCARED me even after I closed it for the night. I think I was only 15 or so when I read it though, so I guess that doesn't qualify. As an adult, I guess I would have to say "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston probably gave me as much of a scare as I can recall a book giving me.It opened my eyes to the real threat of how easily a simple microorganism could devastate humanity before we even had a chance to combat it.
<edit>
OK... I didn't read through the entire thread before I posted and I see this was mentioned earlier. At least now I know I'm not alone!

[Mairin]

I love that so many people mention "IT" in this discussion, as that was the first book that actually SCARED me even after I closed it for the night. I think I was only 15 or so when I read it though, so I guess that doesn't qualify. As an adult, I guess I would have to say "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston probably gave me as much of a scare as I can recall a book giving me.It opened my eyes to the real threat of how easily a simple microorganism could devastate humanity before we even had a chance to combat it.
<edit>
OK... I didn't read through the entire thread before I posted and I see this was mentioned earlier. At least now I know I'm not alone!

I see many people were scared by this book and I hate to admit that I haven't read it. Its going on the TBR list!!

[StephenKingman]

I would recommend IT as one of his stronger books. Definitely some very scary moments in the book, made all the more disturbing by the fact that young children are the victims of many of the atrocities. King does turn the screw with a particularly unnerving scene about a gigantic bird chasing a kid at the abandoned Ironworks but be warned you have to endure far more descriptions of dams, pipes, forests and general town architecture than is necessary to the plot before you see the good stuff!

[Mairin]

I would recommend IT as one of his stronger books. Definitely some very scary moments in the book, made all the more disturbing by the fact that young children are the victims of many of the atrocities. King does turn the screw with a particularly unnerving scene about a gigantic bird chasing a kid at the abandoned Ironworks but be warned you have to endure far more descriptions of dams, pipes, forests and general town architecture than is necessary to the plot before you see the good stuff!

So true about the architecture, but even his long winded scenes (at least I feel) still don't take away from the story.

[AntD919]

The beginning of IT, where Pennywise lures the kid to the sewer grate is to me still one of the scariest moments in the book. Sets the tone for the rest of the story.

[Gannon]

I would have to say "IT" by Stephen King as well. I read it when I was in my early teens and have to say that for a few years I never looked at a clown the same way. In fact I went out of my way to avoid them.

[Melaniep]

I never read IT because the movie scared me so much. I had nightmares for weeks and never felt comfortable in the bathroom for months. Just imagine how I would've reacted to reading it!!

[Fran]

I have to say The Bible ... the God of the Old Testament must be one of the scariest characters ever created.

[Rockinroller]

I haven't personally been one for Stephen King, but the scariest book I ever read was "The Golem" by Gustav Meyrink. I had to read it for one of my literature courses and it is literally the only horror book I've ever read that made me turn all the lights on in the entire apartment before I continued reading. Some parts would keep me up late...

And there are some things in Coraline, as above, that are scary. The imagery speaks more to adults than it does to children, I think. At least when it comes to scaring them.