As far as reading habits go I was a late comer to horror. I read plenty of sword and sorcery, adventure tales, and classics before getting into horror. Horror was something I honestly never thought that I would have much interest in, much less a genre that I would ever write in.
But as they say, the only constant is change. I don’t remember what the first horror novel I picked up was but I remember devouring it. Much faster than I had the fantasy and adventure books that I had been reading.
And I thought, what is this?
So I picked up another.
And devoured it.
Soon a full blown addiction was to be had.
And I’ve never looked back sense. I found out that what I assumed horror was and what it actually was, were two VERY different things.
After all you know what they say about assuming.
But ever since that fateful day I have been reading (and writing) my fair share of horror and while I love the genre as a whole there are two books that really stood out to me.
One helped inspire me to write Knights Of The Blood, my first horror novel. And the other was one that cemented my love for the genre.
So without further ado, let’s get to the books.
Best Horror Novel I’ve Ever Read #1 – Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Between Two Fires changed what I thought the limits of horror could be. I love the “Soul’s” series of video games by Hidetaka Miyazaki and when I looked up novels that captured the ethos of the games this one was at the top of the list.
So naturally I had to read it.
And I did.
I loved it. So much so that it inspired me to read every medieval horror book that I could get my hands on. And while plenty were great and good fun, none of them were quite as good as Between Two Fires.
Castles, knights, demons, plague, monks, and more. This book has everything you could want from a medieval horror novel and more.
If you have not read it then go ahead and pick up a copy. There’s not much out there like it. It’s about the only novel I can think of that inspired me to write one of my own medieval horror novels. A genre that I plan on sticking with.
You can purchase Between Two Fires here.
Best Horror Novel I’ve Ever Read #2 – The Fisherman by John Langan
This book is heavy, but not in a bad way. If most horror novels are beer, this is like straight whiskey. As soon as I started it I knew it was not going to be a book that I was going to zip through.
And I was perfectly okay with that.
This book takes the best of genre horror and mashes it with the best of literary horror and makes it something unique and all its own. There are images from this book that stick with me and its one that I return to again and again.
This book cemented that the horror genre was the one for me. Without it I may very well still be looking for a genre to call home. Both in writing and for the majority of my reading. This book combines aspects of H. P. Lovecraft with Herman Melville and more.
And it works.
It does take a second to get going but once its going, its like a train going full steam ahead into worlds you never seen before. Its not a beach read, it’s a sit in a comfy chair with a fire going while it blizzards outside type of read.
You can pick up a copy of The Fisherman here.
What Is Your Favorite Horror Novel?
These were two of my favorites. They are two works that mean a lot to me and that I will always hold close to my heart. I am always on the search for the next great read. Something we discuss often on the newsletter. If you’d like to hear about more great reads and join in the discussion be sure to sign up there.
And if you’re in the mood for some medieval horror be sure to check out my latest book Knights Of The Blood!
I appreciate it.
