ManWithAPlan

Every once in a while I really have the urge to read a good book, and I can never just find one...

Can someone recommend me a good fantasy or mystery book to read? Perhaps something a bit scary, or rather scary?

I remember I enjoyed House of Leaves, and American Gods is probably still my favorite book ever.

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Plan9

House of Leaves is great.

I've never read a scary book... but I highly recommend "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson and "The Regulators" by Richard Bachman.

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fresnelly

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman.

It's a collection of his short stories. Some of them are definitely unsettling and one of them is a novella featuring Shadow from American Gods. He's a tourist in Scotland and stumbles into something ancient and both a bit and rather scary.

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PulpMind

When I read your subject of "fantasy/horror/mystery" House of Leaves immediately came to mind... but it looks like you've already read that one. Sorry I'm no help! ha..

levite

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
Smoke and Mirrors, by Neil Gaiman

The Greywalker novels by Kat Richardson
The Dresden series by Jim Butcher
Anything by HP Lovecraft

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Frosstbyte

If you haven't read Lovecraft, find a good collection and have at it. I would also second Levite's recommendation of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, even if I have to concede that it gets very strange and intense by the end.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is an excellent horror/fantasy hybrid if you're looking for something to take up a lot of time.

And, even if it can't strictly be called horror either, I'd be remiss if I didn't in a fantasy thread recommend the Realm of the Elderling books by Robin Hobb (3 trilogies, make sure you read them in order) and, of course, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.

powerclown

I will agree with the previous members' recommendations for H.P. Lovecraft and Matheson's "I Am Legend", and would add "Living History" by Hilary Clinton for pure, unadulerated horror.

cellophanedeity

If you like speculative fiction, Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake is a good read.

Also, if you like Gaiman's novels, make sure you've read the Sandman series of comics. They're probably the best thing out there.

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guy44

The best book I've read which fits that exact description is The Prestige by Christopher Priest. Great, great, book - and a great movie as well. As a bonus, the book and movie are different enough that they're totally different experiences.

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jewels

My first thought: Weaveworld by Clive Barker.

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ManWithAPlan

Wow guys, lots of responses. Thanks so much

I've read Fragile Things. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Can't decide what I think about the one with Shadow though... Kind of felt "off" to me, hehe.

I'm going to takes this list and look through it. Thanks again !

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In the end we are but wisps

thirdsun

Try the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake . It's a fantasy, gothic, mystery, Dickensonian tale of darkness spun out by a master story-teller. The character depth and style of writing are right up there with the best of the genre. Illustrated by the author. If you saw the BBC movie version, don't judge the book by the movie....

m0rpheus

Try World War Z by Max Brooks. It's an oral history of the zombie war. It is the BEST Zombie book out there. It's a collection of interconnected short stories that tell the story of the zombie war from the point of view of the survivors.

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Vaultboy

I'm busy reading Drood, by Dan Simmons. Excellent mystery with a tinge of horror. But I'm a total Simmons fanboy.

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Duskwynd

Not scary, but a FANTASTIC read with "adult" philosophical concepts is "The Chronicles of Hawklan" by Roger Taylor. The books in the initial series are:

"The Call of the Sword"
"The Fall of Fyorlund"
"The Waking of Orthlund"
"Into Narsindal"

I was really, really surprised when I first read these and now read them again at least once a year.

Scary fantasy: "Mulengro" by Charles de Lint. He is one of my favourite Speculative Fantasy authors and most of his books have a kind of scary element to them as well.

Hope this helps

Blessings!
Duskwynd

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ratbastid

I'm just finishing up Drood by Dan Simmons. It's SPECTACULAR. Magical gothic horror at its finest, circling around Charles Dickens and his family and literary peers. Based heavily on the true history of Dickens' last years. I completely recommend it.

Duskwynd

This is on my list of books that I'm thinking about getting. I'm going to bump it up to my 'books to get' list. Thanks for your recommendation

Blessings!
Duskwynd

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Spiritsoar

If you liked American Gods, have you read Anansi Boys? Neverwhere is very good too. Well, come to think of it, I don't think I've read anything by Gaiman I didn't like yet.

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Duskwynd

I've read "American Gods", which I totally adored. I've also just finished "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, which I also highly recommend. Anansi Boys is in my 'to read' pile (which just keeps on getting bigger and bigger *sigh*).

Blessings!
Duskwynd

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docbungle

As for scary: have you read The Descent(no relation to the movie), by Jeff Long? Pretty creepy stuff.

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The_Jazz

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Strange Famous

its big and expensive, but to me well worth it:

From Hell - Alan Moore
(I guess a combination of horror and mystery - although the mystery is why and not who does it)

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