Top 100 Horror Writers - need your contribution
 

I was just going through a few top 100 projects which fell through in 2010 and 2011, and one post by Neverending (in the "100 Horror Books") caught my eye -

I have a bit of time in hand, maybe till next month-end. ;)

What do you all say, gang?

And a nice little article to whet your collective appetites -

http://www.mania.com/top-20-greatest...le_113153.html

I say yes. I don't think Doc's getting around to it.

Flayed also started a films by decade list as well; I don't think that's getting done either.:(

Going through Doc's thread now, and saving all the recs posted by HDC members in that thread into an Excel sheet, as I type this. Hopefully I might revive it in the not-too-distant future.

Went through Flayed's effort as well, but it feels too similar to other top 100 horror movie projects we have as stickys, and not too inspiring. But, who knows...

But that post by NE brought a spark inside my thought processes. I thought, "Why not?" almost immediately.

Anyways, I can't think of many guidelines for this, except that all nominated horror writers must have delved in horror fiction.

Just novels only or graphic stuff (comic books, graphic novels) to be included also, I leave it to all of you to decide.

Dude, why horror writers?? Why not horror novels and graphic novels?

Isn't that more fun?

i think a top book list sounds like a good idea, i think graphic novels and comics should be allowed they're still books after all

Because we have an incomplete project on the same by Doc Faustus - http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57359

If he doesn't return to finish that project, I will pick up from where he left it.

Plus, NE's post in that thread gave me this idea.

Plus, it would be tough to include writers like Poe and Lovecraft who wrote short stories extensively, in a novel/graphic novel standalone compilation. Through this way, we can cover all horror writers - short story writers and novel writers alike - and put the spotlight on the creme de la creme of the lot through a HDC Top 100.

Sounds like a great idea V! It'll more interesting seeing an overview of authors work rather than just a book. Plus it'll be a more varied list as I can see a few authors popping up more than once in a list of top 100 books. Looking forward to checking it out and helping where I can :cool:

Thanks, buddy.

For starters, everyone can start off by listing their top 10 favorite authors. I will go first:-

1) Edgar Allan Poe
2) H.P. Lovecraft
3) Clive Barker
4) Stephen King
5) M.R. James
6) Algernon Blackwood
7) Dean Koontz
8) Mary Shelley
9) Richard Matheson
10) Bram Stoker

Just off the top of my head I'd add

Ray Bradbury
Peter Straub
Shirley Jackson
Sheridan Le Fanu
Frank Belknap Long
Robert Bloch
William Burroughs

A very much long due project for HDC, imo. A compilation of all those great writers who significantly contributed to create, shape & set the standard of our beloved genre...is truly need to be done.

Anyway, though already mentioned but here are my favorites...

Edgar Allan Poe
H.P. Lovecraft
Mary Shelley
Bram Stoker
M.R. James
Richard Matheson
Robert Bloch
Clive Barker
Stephen King
Ramsey Campbell

Richard Laymond
Jack Ketchum
Clark Ashton Smith
Alex Scarrow
Arthur Conan Doyle

I am thinking of having a ranked list for this project. We haven't had one of these ranked lists for quite some time.

It will be interesting to see who HDC picks as their #1 favorite author from so many of our genre's absolute best. And also it would be very interesting to see who all break into the Top 10 of the 100 as well. (although I have a feeling it will be the usual)

#1 in your list will pick up 10 points, #2 gets 9, #3 gets 8...till #10, who gets 1 point.

If you have more nominations to add after your #10, they will get ½ point each.

Let's see your top 10 choices, folks.

Here's my ranked list:

1. Stephen King
2. H.P. Lovecraft
3. Edgar Allan Poe
4. M. R. James
5. Ray Bradbury
6. Shirley Jackson
7. Roald Dahl
8. Bentley Little
9. Richard Matheson
10. Hector Hugh Munro (Saki)

1. King
2. Koontz
3. Dan Simmons
3. Alex Scarrow
4. Clark Ashton Smith
5. Arthur Conan Doyle
6. John Ajvide Lindqvist
8. Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
8. Clive Barker
9. Poe
10. Lovecraft

Nice. Let's see plenty more, folks!

Can't choose between the two?

1. Stephen King
2. Richard Laymom
3. Brian Keene
4. HP Lovecraft
5. Edgar Allan Poe
6. Gord Rollo
7. Jack Ketchum
8. Joe Hill
9. Mary Shelley
10. Bram Stoker
11. Clive Barker
12. Edward Lee

Sorry. You can't have one without the other. So far. ;)

In order:

H.P. Lovecraft
Edgar Allan Poe
Richard Matheson
Ray Bradbury
Robert Bloch
Robert E. Howard
Stephen King
Shirley Jackson
Leslie H. Whitten
Bob Leman

Eventually you will get around to choosing one, over the other. :)

Thanks, guys. Keep them coming!

Edgar Allen Poe
Mary Shelley
Bram Stoker
Robert McCammon
Stephen King
Peter Straub
H.P. Lovecraft
Joe Hill
Clive Barker

Not in any order....

Stephen King
Jack Ketchum
H.P. Lovecraft
Ray Bradbury
Peter Straub
Clive Barker
Ramsey Campbell

I notice a few people listed Ray Bradbury. I've always considered his work to be more science fiction than horror.

In my opinion, a good deal of Bradbury's work could be classified as horror, or even "light" horror. He isn't outright scary or gruesome, but a lot of his stories have an underlying, unsettling creepiness to them that I think would place them in the horror genre. Even if it's just barely. :)

1 - Blackwood
2 - Matheson
3 - Lovecraft
4 - Rice
5 - Koontz
6 - King
7 - Herbert
8 - Stoker
9 - Poe
10 - Laymon

As Ellie said, a lot of his work has horror elements and a good deal of his early work is straight up horror. His work appeared in Weird Tales and other horror pulps of the era. Something Wicked This Way Comes is definitely a horror story, and the collection October Country has many terrifying tales in it.

I'll make my ranked list in a few days.

Mary Shelley
Bram Stoker
H.P. Lovecraft
Edgar Allan Poe
M R James
Richard Matheson
Ray Bradbury
Robert McCammon
Peter Straub
Jack Ketchum

1.HP Lovecraft
2.Clive Barker
3.Edgar Allan Poe
4.Ramsey Campbell
5.James Herbert
6.Stephen King
7.MR James
8.Peter Straub
9.Anne Rice
10.Dean Koontz

1. Lovecraft
2. Poe
3. Blackwood
4. Bradbury
5. Stephen King
6. Mary Shelley
7. Bram Stoker
8. Sheridan La Fanu
9. Frank Belknap Long
10. William Burroughs

And the rest worthy of 1/2 point, as per V's instructions:

Clive Barker
MR James
Richard Matheson
Shirley Jackson
Robert Bloch
Jack Ketchum
Clark Ashton Smith
HH Munro
Peter Straub
Whitley Streiber (whether you consider him a lunatic or a clever publicist of his work post Communion, it's good to remember he wrote some really great horror before that, such as The Hunger and Wolfen)
Franz Kafka

I was told by Neverending I should come by and offer up my ten, focusing on ones you guys might miss.

1. Dante Alighieri
2.Franz Kafka
3. Arthur Machen
4. Brett Easton Ellis
5. William Burroughs
6. Joyce Carol Oates
7.Joe Lansdale
8. Thomas Ligotti
9.Robert W. Chambers
10. William Hope Hodgson

1/2 point

John Skipp
M.R James
Goethe
The Marquis De Sade
William Peter Blatty
Ira Levin
Harlan Ellison

Thanks for chipping in, Doc. And thanks NE for getting him here! :)

Hoping to have a few more before we start the sorting process.

1. Lovecraft
2. Stephen King
3. Clive Barker
4. Bram Stoker
5. Robert Bloch
6. William Peter Blatty
7. William S Burroughs
8. Poe
9. Ira Levin
10. Franz Kafka

You're welcome, V! Long as I don't get into anything big, I might stick around awhile.

My Top 100 in no order

H.P. Lovecraft
Stephen King
Dan Simmons
Peter Straub
Brian Keene
John Skipp
Robert Bloch
Clive Barker
Arthur Machen
F. Paul Wilson
Ramsey Campbell
Craig Spector
Ambrose Bierce
M.R. James
Joe R. Lansdale
David J. Schow
Robert Bloch
Ray Bradbury
T.E.D. Klein
Gary A. Braunbeck
Poppy Z. Brite
Robert W. Chambers
Mort Castle
Ray Garton
August Derleth
Don D'Ammassa
Dennis Etchison
John Everson
Mark Morris
John Farris
Charles L. Grant
Ed Gorman
Christopher Golden
James Herbert
J.F. Gonzalas
Rick Hautala
Joe Hill
Dean Koontz
Jack Ketchum
Nate Kenyon
Scott Nicholson
Brian Lumley
Ed Lee
Richard Laymon
Tim Lebbon
Bentley Little
Frank Belknap Long
Algernon Blackwood
Michael McDowell
Jonathan Maberry
Graham Masterton
Elizabeth Massie
Robert McCammon
Oliver Onions
Edgar Allen Poe
Tom Piccirilli
Anne Rice
Mary SanGiovani
Gord Rollo
John Saul
Bryan Smith
Thomas Tryon
Steve Rasnic Tem
Melanie Tem
T.M. Wright
Chet Williamson
William Hope Hodgson
Richard Matheson
Richard Christian Matheson
Shirley Jackson
Mary Shelley
Bram Stoker
Robert Louis Stevenson
Joseph Sheridan La Fanu
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Frietz Lieber
Peter Benchley
Charles Beaumont
William Peter Blatty
Ira Levin
Douglas Clegg
Peter Crowther
Phil Rickman
Simon Clark
W.D. Gagliani
Wrath James Wright
Cody Goodfellow
Jeff Strand
John Shirley
Michael Laimo
Deborah LeBlanc
Sarah Pinborough
Ronald Malfi
L.H. Maynard
M.P.N. Sims
Kim Newman
S.P. Somtow
Al Sarrantonio
Whitley Strieber
Michael Slade

Good to see someone showing some love for both Skipp and Keene. I hung out with both of them at last Bizarrocon. They're great guys who've changed the genre and have a lot of vision for the future.

Reading Keene introduced me to a lot of authors i had never heard of it and his style of writing greatly inspired my own.

Keene is a fantastic author. He would be my #11 for sure.

Will update the entire nomination list in a day or two. Keep posting your top 10s, folks!

1. King
2. Poe
3. Lovecraft
4. Keene
5. Barker
6. Shelley
7. Straub
8. Koontz
9. Simmons
10. Danielewski

Received 16 entries so far.

Question for Roshiq, Hammerfan, Ellie, horror4ever & Bob Gray -

Are the lists you submitted your ranked lists (from #1 to #10)?
Please go through your submitted entries and if you need to rank them, do so in a subsequent post.
If they are already ranked, post your confirmation.

Waiting for more entries.