Choosing Novels for a Horror Course
 

Hi Everyone!

Please can you recommend six horror novels that I can teach to undergraduate students?

As it is a course within popular culture, I have chosen to focus on vampires and zombies. It is an introduction to horror.

What do you think of the following selections? Please feel free to make suggestions / changes.

1) Richard Matheson - I am Legend
2) Stephen King - 'Salem's Lot
3) Anne Rice - Interview with the Vampire
4) Max Brooks - World War Z
5) Dean Koontz and Kevin J Anderson - Frankenstein: Prodigal Son
6) Robert Kirkman - The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

I would really appreciate your guidance.

Thanks.

I would include a broader scope in regard to the publications of the book, especially if it is an interduction to horror. I wouldn't ignore everything before the 50's. Is there a reason you avoided the classics like Dracula?

I would include Herbert West–Reanimator by Lovecraft, though it is just a short(ish) story. Some of Lovecraft's attitudes in the book would spark a good discussion.

I agree with Ferox. Some assignment with a little more meat. Those books are beach reads.

Thanks for the responses.

There are many reasons for my choices.

The students have options between streams. They include Romance (50 Shades of Grey), Crime (American Psycho, Dexter, The Silence of the Lambs), Science Fiction and Fantasy (LOTR, GoT).

I have serious competition.

If I attract very few students, then they will cut my stream. This is my only opportunity to teach horror.

I'm guessing that the students will choose books they know have television / film adaptations. They will choose the thinnest books, etc.

If they see my books on a list, then chances are they will know about Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice. They may not know who Richard Matheson is, but I am sure that they will say, "Hey! That's a Will Smith movie!"

Bottom Line: I need students before I can start prescribing Thomas Ligotti.

The crime novels would spark probably the most discussion, especially American Psycho.

...which is why I need strong choices!

To lure them away from the serial killers.

I think that from a student's point of view a book with lesser pages seems more attractive than a thick book of a couple hundred pages.
Maybe you could start your lessons with short stories and work your way up to thicker books.

-I think Stephen King's Silver Bullet wasn't that long and a good read.
-The Woman In Black by Susan Hill might be good. It isn't that long, the movie adaptation is quite recent and stars Elijah Wood.
-H.P. Lovecraft's longest stories are around 150 pages long. His work contains a lot of fancy and old timey words. But it does seem to appeal to a lot of people and it's classic horror literature.
-The Midnight Meat Train from Clive Barker is a short story turned into a movie with Bradley Cooper. He's a famous actor so that might raise interest.

Good luck...

It stars Daniel Radcliffe, not Elijah Wood.

Meh. Why bother?

I wonder if they're heard of Dracula... Hmmmmm... ::roll eyes::

Also, get rid of Koontz. Oy.

Introducing a graphic novel/series (Walking Dead) is an good choice; that will probably get them in seats.

And I second "Herbert West–Reanimator," choosing books that have been adapted to film will be a good pop culture tie-in. Maybe preface it with Frankenstein.

You might be surprised there are some student costumers who don't want read books of films they've ready scene, &/or didn't much like. Not only that, I bet you there will be students looking forward to reading some horror classics they haven't yet had a chance to read. (I would have been one of those.)

I'd recommend:
The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney
Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelly
Dracula, Bram Stoker

Some novellas & short stories:
Who Goes There?, 168 pages, John W. Campbell, Jr.
The Lottery, 30 pages, Shirley Jackson
The Tell-Tale Heart, 25 pages, Edgar Allan Poe (and take your pick of others The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, etc)

For some reason I always confuse those.

I hear you about Koontz, but he is extremely popular.

I would love to do The Walking Dead, but I am barred from including film or graphic novels in my stream.

Thank you for posting an alternative perspective. Really excellent choices. I was thinking about including The Hellbound Heart.

What do you think?

First off, I was laughing embarrassingly at my prior post, I'm freaked I wrote "ready scene" instead of "already seen".

Anyway, I never read Hellbound, so I can't speak to it's content. I'm also not a fan of the films or Barkers material. Objectively, I'm sure there's some interest, but it'd be more useful to look at the book's sales numbers and ratings (than to listen to me). Then you'd have to decide, as a teacher, if there's anything of value in the book.

I think the concept of the box leading into other dimensions is a great premise. But I personally don't have an appreciation of the nihilistic tone of Barker's work. I can understand hedonism easily, but nihilism is like a styrofoam screw... I don't see any use in it.

Out of that list?

I Am Legend

The guy with American Psycho picked a great book but getting people interested in it might be tough. Two of my friends that I suggested read it gave up on it after the pages and pages of satire about consumerism, I think they were bored the second they started reading about his VCR.

I don't hate any of the other authors but I don't love the choices there. If I were to pick something it would probably be Lovecraft, maybe Shadow Over Innsmouth, Herbert West: Re-Animator, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, or The Haunter of the Dark.

A Clockwork Orange anyone?

Excellent suggestion.