And if you want a bit of Devil for Halloween you won’t want to miss out on this one. Once again proving how dangerous everyday people are Needful Things establishes the worst kind of monsters are those who wear human faces. Gaunt simply hands every customer a match. Those deeply buried little irritations that have piled up over the years are like dried corn husks in the mind. What starts out as seemingly innocent pranks pulled on local neighbors quickly escalate to harsh offenses. You just have to pull a little prank for him. You just have to do him a little favor and it’s all yours. Can you believe your luck? Your holy grail here in your hometown! The coveted treasure of your heart’s desire. His shop also just happens to have exactly what you’ve wanted your whole life. Gaunt awaits you with a warm smile and cheerful eyes. Needful Things, it reads in the window and inside the kindly Mr. Fallen leaves, crisp air, long nights and a haunting presence lurking in unnatural shadows.Īs is his favored way of approaching stories, a sleepy little town in Maine finds itself in the center of a hellacious onslaught once a humble emporium opens up. Often overlooked by its big brothers, this book is an underrated horror gem for fans! For one thing it just screams Autumn to me. No wonder this is my favorite one! Needf ul Things Along the way are monsters, Lovecraftian sized terror, and a Killer Clown. The story also allows us to step back in time for a glimpse back to the happier days of childhood. And King was in his element with this book. Something that marks the work of a great writer. You grow to love the main cast of characters and come to fear for their safety. This is a macabre terror train monster extravaganza and boasts some truly chilling moments. Pennywise takes on the face and image of what people fear, and if children fear monsters they’ve seen in movies that’s precisely what he, IT, will become. Pennywise was his chance to use these monsters he grew up loving. Stephen King wrote IT because he wanted a book where he could include all those wonderful Universal guys like Mummy, Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s monster. I picked this one not just because it’s my favorite Stephen King book but because if you like monsters for your Halloween – especially the classic ones – you’ll not want to miss out on reading this book! Given the movie’s (both of them now) global success everyone knows who Pennywise the Dancing Clown is. The book opens upon a dark and rainy day when innocents is taken by the reawakening of an eldritch evil lingering deep in the roots of Derry, Maine. He reinvents gothic horror by utilizing universally established vampire lore set within the shadows of the old haunted (dark) house legend. In one book King does something very difficult and he does it very, very well. Yes, there are the vampires, but the center of the story, the rotted and tacky black core all has to do with that old accursed house where bad things happen and worse things are drawn towards.

It all has to do with that old corpse of a house looming gravely atop the hill. This is an exceptional haunted house story.

Upon re-reading the book last year though I was struck by a new revelation. It sets a malignant mood for eerie spooks and chills that’s required for Halloween. King envelops the reader with a phantasmagorical atmosphere much like how the quiet town of ‘Salem’s Lot is slowly engulfed by creeping vampires. The vampires here are ruthless, uncaring, and bestial with blood-lust. Upon a first read – back in my teens – I would have told you the book is primarily about vampires, and, to be fair, it is teeming with legions of undead fiends of the night. This was the book that introduced me to King’s work and I’ve been hooked ever since. Nearly every book he’s written has gone on to become a certain masterpiece in the field of horror and his career has given nightmares to generations since his first published work.ĭedicating time to discuss each of his books would be a miniseries of reviews in of itself, and, admittedly, almost all of his books in their own way can be enjoyed for Halloween, I’ve selected those paranormal powerhouses that I tend to re-read this time of year. In my previous post, there was a definite lack of Stephen King’s wide variety of grizzly works. Welcome back, my Nasties! It’s time to dim the lights, cozy up with the corpse of your dreams, and spice the cider as we discuss more terrifying tales to titillate your tinglers this Halloween!

Pennywise actor bad dreams