10 Great Horror Novels You (Probably) Don't Know About

Horror fans are always looking for something new to watch, read, or listen to. There are “best of” lists aplenty, with each list focusing on a certain sub-genre or category. With this list, I am going to include ten books that I greatly admire, for several reasons, and which I think haven't got their due. I think even ardent fans of the genre will find a number of surprises included here.

1- CUTTHROAT by Michael Slade: Cutthroat by Michael Slade, is a superbly entertaining thriller. Violent, atmospheric, bizarre, and highly original, this novel about a special team of Canadian investigators hunting a seemingly invincible assassin, crosses genres with surprising ease, and ends with one of the strangest climaxes I've ever come across.

Book Review: FEAR STREET (SUPER CHILLER): CHEERLEADERS: THE NEW EVIL. By R.L. Stine *** and 1\2 out of *****

R. L. Stine returns to one of his most popular sagas, Cheerleaders, with this entry in the Super Chiller series. The New Evil continues the story of Corky, Deborah, and Kimmy, the last survivors of The Evil, a malevolent spirit that possesses people and forces them to commit mischievous acts, and even murder. This time around, Corky and her friends suspect that The Evil has escaped from its icy grave once again, and is causing a series of horrible accidents among the school's cheerleader squad. So Corky and the girls come up with a plan to trap the evil spirit once and for all, with shocking results.

Although the Cheerleaders saga is one of the sillier sagas in the Fear Street series, Stine amps up the chills and thrills in The New Evil, delivering a superbly enjoyable and twist-filled story, which even has a couple of truly scary moments, a rarity in the Fear Street series. Like the other entries in the Super Chiller series, this is a notch above the usual, and one helluva fun horror tale. Recommended for fans of Fear Street, the Cheerleaders saga, or for readers looking for a short, fun, horror read.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Book Review: FEAR STREET (SUPER CHILLER): THE NEW YEAR'S PARTY. By R. L. Stine *** and 1\2 out of *****

Fans of Fear Street, YA, or just plain fun horror books, shouldn't miss this entry in the Fear Street - Super Chiller series.

Part supernatural thriller, part murder mystery, this tale about a group of teens thwarted by a mysterious killer after a supposedly harmless prank goes horribly wrong, is, hands down, one of the best Fear Street books R. L. Stine has ever written, with twists and turns aplenty, and a thrilling double twist.

Recommended, as is the entire Super Chiller series, which are edgier and longer than the usual Fear Street books.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Book Review: R. L. Stine's Fear Street Sagas: The Hidden Evil. By Wendy Haley

Remember back in the late 80's - early 90's when the Fear Street books were all the rage among tweens and young teens? I wasn't one of those, I am afraid, as I am a little too young to have been the right age at the right time. But I did discover R. L. Stine and Fear Street about a decade ago, and, I have to admit, I found many of the books enjoyable, light, and occasionally very silly reads. But there's a reason why Stine is one of the most successful authors of all time, and that is his formula for an unputdownable book: Short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters, cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, and plots that don't tax the  reader's brain. The Fear Street books are brain-candy at its most fun.

Among the many off-shoots and spin-offs of Fear Street published were the "Fear Street Sagas", which recounted the adventures of the original Fear (or Fier) family. Most of these were written by other authors, and The Hidden Evil was written by Wendy Haley.

The Hidden Evil is unlike any other Fear Street book I've read, with the story being a cross between the darker Fear Street books and Henry James' The Turn of The Screw. This is an entertaining Gothic Ghost Story set in 19th century Boston, about a young governess (who has a terrible secret of her own) who takes charge of two young boys, one of which seems to be a homicidal maniac who hears his recently dead mother talking to him at night. What ensues is a slight tale, of murder, ghosts, and secrets, with an effective twist ending.

This isn't literature, folks, but it sure is one entertaining, little book, that is perfect for those nights when you feel like reading something, but don't feel up to reading something heavy. After all, that's what all of R. L. Stine's books are made for. To pass the time.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2013

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of  several short films, and a feature, released on Netflix. He is also the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer