31 Days of Horror

I know things have been quiet here on RA for All: Horror, but that is because I have been feverishly working behind the scenes to pull out all the stops this haunting Halloween season.

Check back here EVERY DAY in October for 31 posts on all things horror.  Beginning this Saturday I will have a horror related post every single day.  I have some guest bloggers working on material, and I will have new content including book reviews, best of 2011 lists, and much much more.

To get you started here is the much talked about video of Stephen King reading from his upcoming and long awaited sequel to what is still one of his best books, The Shining.  It will be called, Doctor Sleep.

Back List Not to Miss: House of Leaves

Back in 2000 Mark Danielewski released his first book, House of Leaves, to great acclaim. Although originally marketed as a literary fiction title, this is really one heck of a scary horror novel.

As I was proof reading the final edit of my new book, I came upon the annotation I wrote for this book.  It will appear in Chapter 11 which focuses on books of satanic and demonic possession, but here is a sneak peek:

With its book within a book frame, House of Leaves tells the story of a home under the control of the Devil through the manuscript that its former inhabitants left behind. This is a creepy, thrilling, and intelligent novel. The apprehension and unease are bolstered by the book’s odd construction: footnotes, askew text, pages with only a word or two. There are real demons here, too, but it is the ones Danielewski puts in your mind as you read that are going to make you keep the lights on.

I cannot stress enough how the novel's physical construction adds to the anxious atmosphere Danielewski creates here.  You need to open this book and page through it a bit to understand what I mean.  Luckily, most public libraries own this great backlist title.  Check it our for yourself.