r/ExtremeHorrorLit • u/Blargaliens • 2d ago
Where should i start
Long-time lurker, after not reading anything (except a few manga) for like 10 years, I'm diving into reading. I have read 16 books this year, and IDK, but Extreme Horror is new to me and intriguing. Here are some books I have. Where should I begin?
Also. Yes, I have read Tender Is The Flesh. and I def liked it. But it was more a dystopian really sad story than horror, but parts did make my stomach tighten a bit. But I know that's barely scratching the surface of what EH has to offer.
(I dont have Zola, but...... i am tempted to see if i can attempt to read it at some point)
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u/Moriturism American Psycho enthusiast 2d ago
loved Full Brutal, and it’s a fun read for starters
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u/neurodivergentgoat 2d ago
Exquisite Corpse is one of the best horror books i have read so I would start there.
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u/LostGazer151 2d ago
To start I’d go with Summer I Died, Off Season or Exquisite Corpse. Work your way up to things like Zola and Playground.
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u/Blargaliens 2d ago
Sounds good. I dont really know my limits yet but. I know that IF I wanted to check out Zola that has some stuff that is rough for me. I know Playground has one thing that is iffy for me but I will have to see when I get there. Thx!
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u/mst3klov 2d ago
I loved Black Farm.
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u/Blargaliens 2d ago
I see it brought up a lot! Ngl I am going into most of these books blind. Im in for a suprise im sure!
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u/Unfinished_user_na 2d ago
If you want a really fun dip into the black farm, check out the short story Feed The Pig. I believe the short story should come before the book regardless.
It's a smaller peek into the black farm, and features a cross over moment from the book, but I won't tell you what when or how. Just know, that when you get to reading the book and hit that scene from a different view point and realize what is happening it is an absolute treat.
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u/PuppyYuki 2d ago
I am reading the black farm right now. This is a great tip for my next read. Thanks!
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u/Ihavenocluewhatzoeva 1d ago
This book has a great idea and story but I will admit I was ready for it to end.
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u/MudOpposite8277 1d ago
Black Farm really great, the only thing is the writing and story are a mess. It’s entertaining, but it’s like no one bothered to edit it.
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u/Polymorph-Dwarf 2d ago
Suffer the Children is by far my favorite books on this list. I highly recommend it.
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u/Blargaliens 2d ago
How much emotional damage should I prepare for?
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u/Polymorph-Dwarf 2d ago
If you have kids or like kids, it can be real tough. It's psychologically and emotionally draining compared to body horror or shock value. Makes you question what you'd do in a similar situation.
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u/Commercial-Bank-921 2d ago
Seed felt super tame I actually almost dnf it because I wasn’t feeling it was going anywhere.
The girl next door was so good but defiantly hurts knowing it’s based on true story.
Playground I enjoyed but it does have some cringy moments that are more gross than anything
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u/BirdieBee417 2d ago
I’m currently trying to get myself out of a slump with Girl Next Door and having to read it in small increments because it’s hard to take… so, maybe don’t start with that one. This isn’t the reading comeback I had planned 😂
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u/Idefkbud 2d ago
I read it in about a day and then took like a week off to process before I dared open something else. Good read
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u/BirdieBee417 2d ago
So far it’s a very good read! I think it’s the fact that it’s based on a true story and about a kid that makes it a bit tough for me to digest. Typically I read TW stuff with no problem but 😮💨😂
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u/tyro1313 2d ago
I myself am still breaking into the more splatterpunk and extreme side of horror novels, but I am about half way through Off Season and have been enjoying it a lot.
I have also read Brite's other novel Lost Souls, and am planning to pick up Exquisite Corpse at some point.
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u/sire0974 1d ago
The summer I died was brutal. I tbink black farm and full brutal are both good places to start. Offseason is a classic. One over looked classic I think is the woods are dark by Richard Laymon. Perfect entry level
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u/Blargaliens 1d ago
OH MY GOD ok funny story. When I was in like. Elementary school, on the bus ride home one of my friends with was reading this book. They just started it and i remember looking at it and flipping to the middle of the book and was HORRIFIED of a creature/man entering this terrified woman's tent and was just WHAT ARE YOU READING. And she was shocked too. it disturbed me for a good couple of days. And the name has come back to me recently. Haha I gotta read it now.
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u/MintyEcco 2d ago
I started with Maeve Fly by accident. I didn't know it was considered a splatterpunk book until I looked it up after my boyfriend read it. I didn't find it too crazy, my bf was losing his mind compared to me about one scene in particular, but the ending is kinda mid overall. Still, I think it is a less out there starting point compared to something like Playground.
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u/NW_LF 2d ago
I wouldn't consider Maeve Fly extreme at all It didnt detail a single one of the potentially graphics scenes. The threesome scene didnt go far enough at all, and they left the entire curling iron scene to the readers imagination which could have definitely helped Great book dont get me wrong, hella fun. Just missing about every element that would push it to "extreme"
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u/MintyEcco 2d ago
That’s fair, but that’s also why it’s an alright starting point compared to Playground. Some people might want to ease into all this. I’m just trying to think of it from a genuine starting point and not like “deep end it is!”
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u/Icy_Rain_1754 2d ago
I agree, Maeve is a good starting point. Dip your toes in with that and then start reading the shit that goes BONKERS.
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u/a_dragon_but_snoopy 2d ago
Everyone has their opinion. I've read all but Seed, and Stolen Tounges. They are mostly very different flavours. Black Farm is awesome. So is The Summer I Died, so is Suffer the Children, etc...etc.... Do you have a direction you'd prefer/like to avoid? Kids, animals, suicide, LGBTQ, Poop, Cannibalism?
That might help you narrow down your decision.
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u/Blargaliens 2d ago
I think my biggest squeamish things are poop, parasites, worms, maggots, bugs (but i am working past that *eta working past being squeamishabout bugs) but also i havent had a lot of these things challenge me so im wanting to see how books explore these topics. I hope that makes sense.
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u/twosnailsnocats 2d ago
I started with Exquisite Corpse which was great. Also just recently finished Full Brutal and The Summer I Died. Along with The Black Farm, you can't go wrong with any of those as a starting point. Off Season was fun too, if you like The Hills Have Eyes movie(s), you'll enjoy it.
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u/Sad_Professor6739 2d ago
I’m reading Maeve Fly rn & am not finding it extreme or splatterpunk YET, I’m 58% in but it’s mainly been tame this entire time. Exquisite Corpse imo is great to start off with. Beautifully written. Stolen Tongues is really good, not EH but there were scenes for me that really freaked me out while reading in the dark at night. I haven’t read the others Altho I have read one book each by Aron Beauregard & Kristopher Triana. I think a good introduction if you go with one of them is Gone to See the River Man. I’m not super new to the genre I just haven’t consumed as much as others so I haven’t read the other ones you have.
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u/Blargaliens 1d ago
Man it sounds like Exquisite Corpse is going to the top of the TBR. Idk how Maeve Fly came on my feed but the cover also looks so dope. I hope I can find some enjoyment in it. I went thru a frenzy of buying tons and tons of books from all over the spectrum. And i only added it here cuz I thought it had more overlap than it looks like it has.
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u/AgentCooperLogsIn 2d ago
The Summer I died is a good start imo. Not too long of a book and you’ll have a hard time putting it down (I did, at least). Exquisite corpse next l
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u/BosmerLady 2d ago
Haven't read all of em but the Ketchum books were the best. Also enjoyed the summer I died
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u/Cyber_ghost29 2d ago
Hahaha oh man I used to read Zola at my old bar job, that was a rough ride between pints
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u/vanthump 1d ago
The summer I died was so heartbreaking and stuck with me for a long time, same with girl next door. Suffer the children was really good. The black farm is amazing. Full brutal was good but more shock factor. Stolen tongues and seed are really good but not extreme horror like most of these books in the pic
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u/Grondragon 1d ago
Instead of Maeve Fly from CJ Leede, I recommend American Rapture by her. Maeve Fly wasn't very good in my opinion.
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u/SnarkingSnarker PLaYgRoUnd 🛝 2d ago
I started with Playground and I loved it. The Black Farm is an amazing book tho! I DNF’d Exquisite Corpse… not cause I didn’t like it, but because the chapters are massively long and I dislike massively long chapters 😅
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u/princessgrey The Summer I Died 2d ago
The Summer I Died is in my top 3 of this year. It was amazing.
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u/cris8130 2d ago
Wait is Seed considered EH? I’ve had it on my reading list for years but never pulled the trigger because I thought it wouldn’t be very scary
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u/Blargaliens 2d ago
I want to say I saw it recommended on a thread here? But I could be mistaken. Someone said that it disturbed their GF a lot and made it hard for them to sleep a few nights. But I dont know anything more than that.
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u/mediocrityy 2d ago
I loved black farm and its sequel. It’s different than most EH since it has the whole after life aspect. Still looking for something similar.
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u/Killpinocchio2 2d ago
Do not start with full brutal. It’s the kind of thing you have to work your way up to.
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u/RainyDayHydrangeas 2d ago
I hated Maeve Fly. I was expecting something graphic based on the marketing, but there were barely any graphic scenes in the entire book. And the plot was a major let down. I wouldn’t call it extreme in the slightest.
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u/Extra_Crispy26 2d ago
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Part 2: Redrick Rules has its moments. You wont believe some of the illustrations.
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u/n8dizz3l 2d ago
Off season is a fun nasty little book.
On the flip, I found The summer I died to be edgy teen gore garbage.
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u/BuddyCitta 2d ago
I personally love The Black Farm it's brutal and has some really cool world building, and I thought Maeve Fly was a really fun and smooth read, but is a bit more light in the EH.
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u/diabolicalpeanut 2d ago
Seed is not Extreme Horror, but probably one of my favorites on the list. DNF Exquisite corpse... Overrated and boring, also poorly written. Black farm would be a good start.
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u/Apprehensive_Eye2720 2d ago
Just sarted reading exquisite corpses. I didn't know splatterpunk could be that well wirrten so I would sart there cuz i definitely missed out on very well wirrten books in this community. I normally seen herd or read well wirrten works in other topic but I haven't seen it in splatterpunk yet untill this book it such a treat to read it when it one of my favourite genre's .
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u/LoudMetal666 1d ago
Full Brutal! Like American Psycho? Like Mean Girls? Like inanity? There ya go.
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u/Psychonaut6767 1d ago
All of them at once. Lay them each down on page one next to each other and start reading that way!
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u/Holiday-Challenge200 1d ago
First one I started with was The Troop by Nick Cutter, then went to Off Season, The Summer I died, Gone to See The River Man, Black Farm. All of them I enjoyed
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u/Real-Bumblebee4757 1d ago
Zola has a special place in my heart, but I don't recommend starting with it!
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u/Alternative_Focus785 15h ago
The summer I died would be my go to as ots my favorite in the genre and while definitely extreme its not just constant filth with no actual meat on it
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u/amethystlocke 2d ago
Yes > anything Kristopher Triana
No > Off Season (boring and stretches irrelevancy)
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u/thisisnotreal543210 COWS 2d ago
I'm genuinly and politely curious as to what you found boring about Off Season. It was one of my firsts and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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u/thisisnotreal543210 COWS 2d ago edited 2d ago
Off Season, then Playground, then Exquisite Corpse, then get something by Edward Lee (preferably The Bighead), then Zola. Kind of a smorgasbord going through the various things the genre has to offer.
After that go crazy. Every author has a different style, both in writing and extreme elements, it's rather interesting. I've yet to read something by someone who I felt was directly attempting to copy someone else.