5 horror novels that influence to this day

The horror genre in literature is constantly evolving, creating fabulous fictions. However, there are some novels that set trends in the literary art and become classics of compulsory reading.

Here are 5 horror novels that have influenced literature until today.

#1.The Black Cat and Other Stories, Edgar Allan Poe

The Black Cat and Other Stories is a book written by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) and published in 1843. The book contains several horror stories which have a high autobiographical content. The brilliant American writer deals with themes such as insanity, alcoholism, remorse, violence and lack of control over one's impulses. Poe currently has a strong influence on the horror genre, especially in the gothic subgenre, as the author explores dark and self-destructive emotions that he then captures in his stories. The Black Cat is considered one of the best horror stories of all time. The protagonist of the story is at first a normal man who eventually loses his mind and commits the worst crimes.

#2.The Long Walk, Stephen King

The Long Walk is a horror novel written by the talented Stephen King, published in 1979. The novel tells the story of a young man named Ray Garatty, who is chosen to participate in this deadly race. Along the way Ray will make friends and enemies, but soon he will realize that he must forget them in order to reach the finish line. One hundred teenagers chosen by lottery compete in this insane foot race. The prize: fame and fortune for the winner, that is, for the sole survivor. From the novel, the Maine native criticizes an exaggeratedly competitive society, without ethical values.

#3.At the Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

At the Mountains of Madness is a short horror and science fiction novel written by Howard Phillips Lovecraft, published in 1936. The novel tells the story of an expedition to the Antarctic region and the discovery of a cave that holds secrets and horrors unknown to mankind. The virtuous author H.P. Lovecraft describes like no one else a cosmic horror, describing realities that can only be accessed from the oneiric world, that is, through dreams.

At the Mountains of Madness describes the first-person memory of a geologist at Miskatonic University about a recent expedition he led to the Antarctic continent and its tragic end. The surviving professor recounts how the expedition began and how on one of the reconnaissance flights they encountered an impressive mountain range, perhaps higher than the Himalayas.

#4.The Woman in Black, Susan Hill

The Woman in Black is a gothic horror novel written by English author Susan Hill, published in 1983. Hill is a talented writer who has managed to stand out in horror literature, a field dominated by men.

The Woman in Black tells the story of lawyer Arthur Kipps who must travel to a remote village surrounded by misty marshes to attend the funeral of an old woman. In this assignment he sees the possibility of professional advancement. As he tries to tidy up the deceased's legacy, he begins to see a s

trange apparition and is introduced to a story that the locals try to forget: that of a single mother who had to leave her child in the care of her sister, but the boy sank into the marshes while his birth mother watched helplessly from her window. According to tradition, whenever someone sees the specter of the mother, a child dies.

#5.The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House is a novel written by the excellent author Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. She explores the edges of the human mind and how this connects to the paranormal.

Four individuals arrive at an old, labyrinthine mansion known as Hill House. They are Dr. Montague, a scholar of the occult who searches for evidence of psychic phenomena in haunted houses, and three people whom the doctor has recruited to conduct an experiment. Despite her family's reluctance, Eleanor, a somewhat tormented young woman with an unhappy past, will eventually become part of the unique entourage. The others are Theodora, with whom Eleanor establishes a strong initial bond, and Luke, the heir to the house. Soon they must all face situations that are beyond their comprehension. Hill House seems to be preparing to choose one of them and make him theirs forever.