5 Frightening Novels to Keep You Up At Night: September Edition

Haunted (2005)

Chuck Palahniuk

I read this when it first came out and believe me when I say, you will never forget this novel. As the title suggests, it’s haunting as hell. It’s also disturbing and visceral and at times very funny (if you’ve got a dark sense of humor), prepare yourself to have a truly physical reaction while reading this. The novel actually consists of a series of short stories, all framed within a construct that would fit right in with a lot of today’s reality television. Essentially, the characters are drawn together after signing up to participate in a writer’s retreat. The retreat takes place in a large house in a secret location where they are locked in and told to write their masterpiece before they’ll be permitted to leave. Though the house has everything they could possibly need to survive the duration, the participants begin to believe that they will receive fame and fortune if their masterpiece tells of their horrifying experience at the house – horrifying experiences that some of the writers decide to create…

The short stories explore topics as such sexual deviance, disease, death, and existentialism. You know, all the fun stuff.

Next: The last man standing