It's almost Halloween, so I thought I would talk about books that are suspenseful, spooky, creepy, or downright terrifying: the suspense, mystery, and horror genres. Some books in each of these genres have elements of the other two, so it's really hard for me to sort them out. At the foundation of each though, is a good scare in some form or another, and who doesn't like a good scare? That is, as long as it's between the pages of a book (or on film). Just in case you're wondering; all the images in this post are from our store/personal library.

My History with the Genre

When I was about eight years old, we moved into a new neighborhood. Our next-door neighbor was a young couple with a baby. Somehow the young mother learned that I liked books and she gave me a box of books. That was how I met Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon and began my love affair with a good mystery. Much of my reading, and subsequent book collections, often came from people wanting to get rid of their books.

Thankfully, my family always encouraged my reading. My stepdad bought me boxes upon boxes of books from local auctions. Mom didn't read much, but she had a few childhood favorites she later shared with me. She also loved the suspenseful and macabre, but mostly in film form. Think Alfred Hitchcock, and the King of Horror, Vincent Price. She's never read any Stephen King but loves the movie adaptations. She also loved going to haunted houses. Me? Not so much, but I digress.

I have such a large collection of books that I will never read them all. That doesn't mean I won't try, and it doesn't mean I won't get more. What it does mean is that I'm not always (or ever) familiar with newer authors, unless I come upon them by accident. I hope that some of you will share some of your favorites with us. No, I haven't read all the books listed here, at least not yet.

Broad History of the Genre

Human beings are storytellers. The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote about witches and haunting, as did Shakespeare. Gothic literature as a sub-genre of horror got its start with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, published in 1765 (I have not read this one, but I just found out I can read it on Google Books). The term “Gothic” comes from the architectural style of the Middle Ages. Think creepy old castles that are often the backdrop of those stories. Mystery, suspense, madness, tragedy, and usually at least a hint of romance are woven together to keep readers turning page after terrifying page.

19th Century

Moving into the 19^th century, we find Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, now considered the first work of Science Fiction. Shortly after, American Washington Irving published his Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A few years later, the Bronte sisters published their works of Gothic Romance, with Charlotte's Jane Eyre (which is one of those books Mom loves) and Emily's Wuthering Heights. Let's not forget Charles Dickens whose stories also contained Gothic elements, especially A Christmas Carol. Next came the creator of the first detective story (The Murders in the Rue Morgue), Edgar Allen Poe. In 1859, Wilkie Collins published The Woman in White, which is considered the first mystery novel.

Toward the end of the 19^th century, the horror genre gained several additions that are still recognizable today. In 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson published The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which is also considered a mystery novel. A year later, Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet which introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes. Three years later, Oscar Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Gray. In 1894, H.G. Wells published The Red Room. In 1897, Bram Stoker's Dracula appeared in print, and the next year, Henry James published A Turn of the Screw (Creepy!).

Early 20th Century

Moving to the 20^th century, H.P. Lovecraft published his first work The Alchemist in 1908, and Gaston LeRoux published The Phantom of the Opera in 1910. The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton appeared in 1911, and John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps in 1915. The 1920s and 30s Introduced us to mystery writers Dorothy Sayers (Who's Body?), Agatha Christie (The Mysterious Affair at Stiles), and Dashiell Hammet (The Maltese Falcon). Daphne Du Maurier published Rebecca in 1930 (also listed under both horror and mystery).

1930s and 40s

In 1933 Erle Stanley Gardner introduced us to Perry Mason in The Case of the Velvet Claw, and in 1939 Raymond Chandler introduced us to detective Phillip Marlowe in The Big Sleep. The 1940s brought us Micky Spillane's Mike Hammer novels beginning with I, the Jury. Raymond Chandler published The Lady in the Lake in 1943.

1950s and 60s

Moving to the 1950's we find Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and Psycho by Robert Bloch appeared in the late 1950s. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby were both published in the 1960s, as was A Case of Need by Jeffrey Hudson (a pseudonym for Michael Crichton).

1970s and 80s

The 70s brought us The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, Ghost Story by Peter Straub, Where Are the Children by Mary Higgins Clark, Whispers by Dean Koontz, and Carrie by Stephen King. Have you noticed that many of these books were turned into movies (for better or worse)? I don't know about anyone else from that time, but King and Koontz are still going strong in 2024! The 80s brought us more King and Koontz as well as Clive Cussler (Pacific Vortex) and Thomas Harris (The Silence of the Lambs).

Catch Me Up

That is about the time I stopped reading horror. Wow, time flies. So could someone clue me in on the last 30 years? Who is good? Who isn't? Who made you afraid to turn off the lights? Share with me and let me know. I did keep up with mysteries and crime stories somewhat. I'm familiar with Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, and James Patterson. I have read some Jeffrey Deaver and Harlan Coben too. Is Coben king of the plot twist or what?