Struggling for something to read at the moment. I’ve read loads of Stephen King, James Herbert etc. Really enjoyed the Bourne series, and first few of Jack Reacher (although they seem as though they may be a bit samey after a while (worth carrying on with?)).

Enjoyed the Woman in Black too.

Tried M.R. James – just not my style.

Just looking for a few recommendations!

Dean Koontz, sir?

How do you define Thriller? Really enjoyed the likes of Chris Brookmyre, and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels of late.

Any reason you don’t like MR James? I was going to recommend Algernon Blackwood (try The Willows, it’s on Project Gutenberg) but if you don’t like the ‘datedness’ of James then you might not like that either.

I am always searching for some supernatural/psychological horror as grew up with it (just about every compendium, all the Stephen King Books, James Herbert, Clive Barker) but must’ve ‘matured’ inasmuch as I can’t find the thrill except for those that were truly involved in the occult and it shows in their writing (ie Blackwood, Machen etc…)

Can certainly recommend John Fowles’ ‘The Magus’, and ‘The Collector’, both creepy in their own way and engaging in a way that only John Fowles can muster.

M.R. James… it probably is the dated style. I keep coming back to the ghost stories book, bit it doesn’t quite grab me.

How do you define Thriller?

Thriller was probably the wring word! I like stories that have a dark feel and a twist too them. I thought Never Let Me Go was really good.

I liked the style of Peter James, but found his endings a bit week.

Dean Koontz – never read anything of his. What’s a good one to start with.

I basically looking for something to stop me ordering another Stephen King book!

Clive Barker.
Try the bBooks of Blood short stories. Or Weaveworld or Iimajica.

The Felix Castor novels mentioned above are quite good and if you want horror you could do a lot worse than read Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. I’ve recommended on here before and few other people had also enjoyed it if I remember rightly.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hates is worth a looK.

The Pilo Family circus. Loved that one

Not so much horror as fantasy (but with elements of horror) I can highly recommend Ray Bradbury. (Try the October Country – short stories, local libraries normally carry Ray Bradbury books)

As an author he singlehandedly changed the way I enjoyed literature – he was a master dreamweaver and his tales just amble lyrically into my mind and make a comfy chair with it, takes me places that I feel I may have dreamed once, or even lived. A monumental talent, truly magical.

forgot to mention the Hannibal Lecter trilogy by Thomas Harris.

The John Connolly books about Charlie Parker are good, a mix of supernatural and thriller. Clive Barker is another good shout

clive barker

china mieville

Old fashioned gothic novels – Moonstone and Woman In White by Wilkie Collins.

Another +1 for I Am Pilgrim. Fantastic book.

I presume you’ve read Tom Clancy’s stuff?

The Jack Reacher are ‘trash’ novel with the same basic formulae.. they don’t get any better but at least you know what to expect..

Justin Cronin “The Passage” series is worth a read & the 3rd book may actually appear… (1st 2 books are worth waiting for the 3rd!)
Saw a recommendation on here for Luke Smitherd’s “The Stone Man”, though I’ve yet to get my hands on a copy
Not sure what genre it really fit into but I loved (& it get universal acclaim) Andy Weir’s “The Martian”

Crag – Member
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes is worth a looK.

sounds good..

Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials trilogy:The Northern Lights ,Amber Spyglass & The Subtle Knife.
I’d describe it as a fantasy thriller ……..

Clive Barker is my favourite horror / fantasy horror author.
I love all his books apart from Abarat part 3, Absolute Midnight, which I just couldn’t get into for some reason.
Imajica is the most amazing book I’ve ever read.
For a tongue-in-cheek, short, sharp shock – try Mister B. Gone.

The Gruffalo. Shit meself.

franki – Member

Clive Barker is my favourite horror / fantasy horror author.

At a time I read all of Barker’s stuff (up to that point) and enjoyed it. It must have been in the mid to late 90’s as I remember being interested in the lord of Illusions film, I was in my late teens.
After moving house a few years ago I started to re-read some of his books, as I didn’t want to throw them out. Sad to say that much of it just came of as one big, unpleasant, protracted, sado-masochistic monster rape fantasy.

Dean Koontz – never read anything of his. What’s a good one to start with.

Koontz is very much like Steven King, if you like one you’ll probably like the other. He can be hit and miss though, he’s one of my favourite authors but by gods he’s written some rubbish. The Odd Thomas series is enjoyable, or perhaps Midnight from his back catalogue.

Clive Barker is my favourite

I’ve perhaps not given him a fair crack of the whip, but I got about halfway through, erm, The Great And Secret Show I think, before giving up.

Who else. Shaun Hutson I found, well, over-graphic for the sake of it really. Someone gets shot and he describes which bone explodes through which muscle, it’s like reading a Mortal Kombat finishing move.

Steven Laws is very, very good, best horror / thriller author you’ve never heard of.

There’s another author in the same vein I’ve read a few of, same early King-esque pulpy style covers, I can’t for the life of me remember his name just now. It’ll come to me. Enjoyable reading but seems to have an odd breast fixation, never one to miss a reference to scissors in shirt pockets poking a nipple or some such.

Richard Laymon, that’s him I think.

I reccomend the book my 7 year old brought home for reading homework last week.

In summary, nice young girl visits her Aunts big old house, finds an old doll. This possessed doll talks her into going up to the top floor, where the doll proceeds to throw the child out of the window and she dies. They bury the kid and the doll together because the doll “never wanted her to grow old”.

Wasn’t the most pleasant night-time reading.

Mo Hayder.

Crime, horror, thriller. The subject matter is dark.

IF you like the sound of this “a mesmerizing tale that lurks in the evocative literary landscape between suspense and horror”

Try Steven Sherrill’s “The Locktender’s House”. It’s quite freaky. I love the bloke’s writing but he’s only written 3 books, the lazy bastard.

Also a fantastic collection of short stories: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N6WTZCI
all a bit weird and twisty.

House of leaves – Mark Z Danielewski.

Scariest book you’ll ever read…..

James Lee Burke possibly if you like thrillers

+1 for Ray Bradbury, The October Country, and Something Wicked This Way Comes are excellent, full of a feeling of real unease.
Classic books, both of them.

Hater (and rest of the autumn series) by David Moody are a good read – sorta post apocalyptic horrorish

E.E. Knights Vampire Earth is a good series (bit long in the tooth depending on your reading speed) – I listened to these on audiobook over a period of a month or so and enjoyed them. More thriller than horror really

John Connolly , mix of crime horror and fantasy .

If you like Barker then Neil Gaiman should be next on your list, American Gods and Anansi Boys are particularly enjoyable.

For more traditional thriller I’ve just finished Tom Rob Smiths The Farm, very easy to read movie like pace but very well written and keeps you guessing.

Another writer that never disappoints is Robert Harris, Fatherland and Enigma are very good historical thrillers.