The Best Horror Novelists of the Last Century

I grew up in a family in which literacy was greatly encouraged. My father, my mother and my older brother were all avid book readers, so it's no surprise that I happily adopted the habit of reading - big time! I estimate that I've read over three thousand books in the twenty two years that I've been alive. However, the horror genre is one that has always taken my fancy and gripped me more than any other. Unfortunately, good horror writers are becoming rarer and rarer these days, but I'm also looking out for the next book that will captivate me in a significant way.

There are, in my opinion, a few timeless horror authors that cannot be overlooked whenever the concept of horror analysis comes up. In my mind, the king of horror writing is, without a doubt, Clive Barker. As the author of such chilling novels and short stories as Weaveworld, Hellraiser, Imajica, The Hellbound Heart and The Damnation game. He has had several movie remakes of his stories, most notably with the Hollywood release of The Midnight Meat Train, and is generally considered to be one of the fore fathers of the modern fantasy horror genre.

It would be foolish to not mention Stephen King when talking in terms of horror novels. Perhaps the most recognized horror author in the last thirty years, King has been praised for his chilling works, including Misery, The Shining, Salem's Lot, Carrie, The Dead Zone, and It. Not only has he been acknowledged for his horror, King is famous for writing The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, both of which have become major Hollywood blockbuster films.

Edgar Allen Poe, whilst perhaps dated for most modern audiences, is one of the grandfathers of terrifying literature. As an author and poet, Poe carved his name in the history books with The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of The House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell Tale Heart, and The Raven. Poe's incredibly intricate and skilled use of the English language helps your imagination to create unspeakable horrors through his work.

Finally, one of the most referenced horror novelists is H.P Lovecraft. He, and his subsequent works, have developed a cult following that has permeated in a culture of its own - "Lovecraftian" is the term now often used to describe works of cosmic horror. Famous specifically for The Call of Cthulu, The Dunwitch Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Shadow Out in Time, and The Haunter In The Dark. Many of his works have been successfully adapted into film, comics, and video games, and are often nodded at by many progressive musicians within their own pieces.

The horror genre of writing is one that has evolved over the last century, and has produced some of the most unique and fresh novels during that period. If you are a fan of horror, it would behoove you to check out some of these aforementioned novelists!

Kim Hanna is an athlete, marketer and avid book lover. When he's not in the gym or nose deep in a good book, he's busy creating high quality product webpages like fridges for sale and fridge freezers for sale.