r/ExtremeHorrorLit

what are some of the most brutal books you´ve read? like, brutal enough to feel kind of odd that you read/liked it....

It’s a little much. I love his books but not every animal mentioned needs to die horribly. I’m reading The Deep right now and >!I’m sure LB dies in some horrible way!!< a book can be unsettling without multiple scenes of animals being tortured and murdered, I came for the people dying, not the animals.

Edit: I edited this to change the way it came off, I wasn’t being judgmental or complaining, I just wanted to talk.

*Mods, please remove this if this is not the place for a thread like this.

Hello! Recently, I've gotten back into reading and, since I am a big consumer of the horror genre in every other media aspect, I would love recommendations from some more knowledgeable sources.

Currently, I am reading We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and am loving it, though (without spoiling too much) I am beginning to believe it's leaning too heavily into supernatural aspects for my liking. I started this book after seeing many people online suggest it due to it being "terrifying" and "so upsetting they had to put the book down" but I'm really not feeling that way with it. Either way, I will be finishing it, lol.

That being said, does anyone have recommendations for any horror novels that also lean into the psychological subgenre, or others that are just overall disturbing, shocking, and meant to make the reader extremely uncomfortable? This is the type of horror I tend to appreciate more. Supernatural and spiritual stuff just never really hold my grasp. I like stuff that feels a little bit more real.

Genuinely, if you think it is too disturbing, I will probably beg to differ. And if I read it and DO get genuinely upset or disturbed by it, I consider that a five-star read. Thanks again so much I hope to see what everyone recommends!!

Looking for a book to give me goosebumps and look over my shoulder vibes. I’ve read splatterpunk and while that’s fun it’s more just gore on gore and I’m not really scared while reading it (if that makes sense). Looking for something fast-paced, atmospheric, and horror-focused. I also care about if it’s well written and plot is interesting Spook me!

for reference this is how I rated my recently read:
Tender is the Flesh 7
The exorcist 7.5
Withered hill 7.5
The shining 8
Salems lot 6
Misery 7
Pet semetary 7.5
Off Season 9
The Ruins 8.5
Off Spring 7.5
Your Body Will Never Be Found 8.5
The Suffering 8.5
Pressure 7
The Summer I died 5.5 (boring plot/writing was eh/just gore)

Only copies I can find online shipping in my country are used for $50+ and doesn’t include shipping. Hoping to find something a bit more affordable than that, just poking around to see :)

Also as a side note: this will be my first time reading this author, I’m so excited!

Thought it might be fun to read a horror short story every day in October. What are some of your favorite stories?

Need some recs

I loved the ending. It totally surprised me in a “fuck ya” type of way. Should I finish exquisite corpse, I’m only a few chapters in or move right into The House? Thoughts?

Not sure if I want a recommendations or spoiler free discussions, but open to both. Im always posting about liking psychopath pov novels, and i got curious about pro social psychopaths that are detectives. I was looking up novels that explore the concept, and im reading that the killer inside me by Jim Thompson is like the archetype for this shit. I also saw crow girl and the 50/50 killer. Have you guys read any of these by chance? Or do you have some good recommendations about the subject?