I just realized that it’s been quite some time–months–since I’ve read any good, scary horror. I always look in the horror section when I visit bookstores, but new names are rare, and new concepts are practically unheard-of. I don’t want to read about some teenager’s romance with a vampire, sexy paranormal detectives, or another rehashing of the Dracula legend. What I want is something original, well-written, disturbing, chilling: something that makes me scared to fall aleep* and gives me intense, creative nightmares.

So I’m issuing a challenge to you, my readers. Tell me about your favorite horror novels or writers. Recommend something you think will scare the heck out of me. If I haven’t already read whatever you suggest, if I check it out, and if it scares me, I’ll give you a special prize. I’m not sure what yet. Maybe I’ll knit you something. Maybe I’ll write a story for you. Maybe I’ll buy you something cool (someday, when I get a book contract). There’s an extra bonus if your recommendation gives me nightmares.

The only rules are that I have to find it SCARY and it has to be tolerably well written…at the very least, enough so that I don’t toss it across the room or add it to my list of all-time horrifically bad writers (so no Chris Kuznieski or Sephira Giron). Doesn’t have to be contemporary. Gore and violence are fine, unless animals are involved. In that case, you must warn me and I will exercise the option not to read the book.

Cheats:

• Stuff I tend to find scary: serial killers, sinister supernatural, anything that goes “bump” in the night
• Stuff I’m not usually scared of: technology gone haywire, plagues, apocalypse, zombies, things hinted at but left so sketchy that there’s no substance for fear

* I would say “scares me so much that I have to sleep with the lights on,” but I do that anyway.