Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish
giving bloggers a chance to create their own Top Ten Lists based on a certain subject. This week it’s the books with the scariest covers. This one was a lot of fun for me to do.
These aren’t in any particular order, and most of them are from my childhood that really messed with my head.
1. MPD-Pscho by Eiji Otsuka- This is a manga that is extremely disturbing and violent and twisted, one that I really love. The covers are all rather disturbing. If you’re into something that can really play mind games and you’re not squeamish, check this series out.
2. It by Stephen King. This book messed me up as a teenager, and I knew I shouldn’t have read it as I have a thing with clowns, but I did. And I regret it, and this cover still freaks me out.
3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. I think this book and the sequels are going to show up on a lot of lists. These stories really scared me, and the illustrations/covers that went along with them are downright terrifying.
4. Night Shift by Stephen King. This cover was one that drew me in constantly. It was on my parent’s bookshelf and I wanted to read it so bad. I think I made the biggest mistake in my reading life by reading this at night. For me Stephan King’s shorts are scarier than his full length novels.
5. Hex and the City by Simon R. Green. While the story itself isn’t scary, this cover freaks me out. I’m not sure what it is about it, but I don’t like it. It gives me a very eerie feeling.
6. Fear Street: Cheerleaders the Second Evil by R.L. Stine. I think there are going to be a few of his books on here too. I think it’s the way the center cheerleader is staring straight at the reader. This series freaked me out content wise too.
7. Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine. I think this one is pretty self explanatory. Plus I made the mistake to read this in the middle of the night, with a doll staring at me from across the room. Nine year old Shelly was a reading dare-devil.
8. A Wind in the Door by Madeline L’Engle. This cover just makes me feel so uncomfortable.
9. Night by Elie Wiesel.
10. DayWatch by Sergei Lukyaneko. I love this series, but this cover really scares me. I don’t like the negative image, and the screaming open mouth is not something I really like.
What makes a book cover scary? Is it the imagery or things that you’re uncomfortable with? In the spirit of Halloween, let’s talk about more scary books. If you also did a top ten post, go ahead and link it here.
books and writing 
The two that scare me the most on your list are DayWatch and Night of the Living Dummy. Dummies, clowns, creepy dolls, they are all so scary to me. Eek!
The Night of the Living Dummy was one that still scares me. I’ve never really liked clowns/dummies and dolls now that I’m older freak me out a bit.
Night of The Living Dummy has such a freaky cover. I remember reading it when I was younger and the cover did creep me out!
The other covers in that Living Dummy duo/trio were scary too. Ventriloquist dummies/puppets just freak me out to begin with though.
Ooh, Night Shift is really creepy! I’ve never seen that cover before (haven’t heard of the book either, not surprising considering how many he’s written!) but it’s really disturbing. Love Hex and the City too – that cover really makes me curious about the book. I’m actually disappointed to hear the story isn’t scary!
It’s a great anthology–it’s one of his older works so there’s lots of scares and less of the sci-fi/mental scares. Hex and the City is actually part of a series by Simon R. Green. There are some spooky parts to the series, but it’s more urban fantasy with a sarcastic bent.
King’s covers are terrible. 😀 And I totally forgot about Goosebumps series…
My TTT
They really are! The older ones I find are spookier than the new ones. He’s jumped on the minimalistic imagery train when it comes to book covers.
I can’t even handle Goosebumps and that’s doesn’t seem like the scariest book on your list. I think it’s residual from my childhood but I still can’t read them 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Aly @ My Heart Hearts Books
I think for the most part, the covers of the Goosebumps series were the scariest part. There were a few that were creepy/spooky but very few.
They’re all scary and creepy! And yet, I think the scariest one is ‘It’, that movie scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. But I’ve heard the book’s different.
Great choices!
The movie certainly scared me more than the book, and I think that’s why it ended up on my list. I think terrifying things, and IT pops into my head almost instantaneously. Thank you!
IT pretty much scarred me for life. Thanks Stephen King for making sure I never go to another circus again.
IT made me stop reading Stephen King for a little while. I’ve never been a big fan of circuses, but IT really drove home my fear of clowns.
Clowns are definitely my biggest fear. Creepy evil things..
That cover for Stephen King’s Night Shift is creepy indeed! And Wiesel’s Night…yeah, I would’ve added it to my list too for obvious reasons. Thanks for dropping by my blog earlier! 🙂
My copy of Night Shift has a different cover–more simplistic and on trend with covers today. But that cover I showed is the one my parents have, and it still makes me feel so uncomfortable and almost itchy. 🙂
I totally remember reading Night of the Living Dummy and Night of the Living Dummy part two. And that is a great cover for It! I love me some Tim Curry!
I think there was a part three also. I used to go through those books like candy, but the Night of the Living Dummy made me pause, and I think it was the one It Came From Under the Sink–with the thing that looked like a potato but would bite people.
Nothing says Halloween like some Stephen King! Great list and thanks for stopping by my post earlier 🙂
He’s so very fitting for this season. Right now I’m reading the new release Doctor Sleep and loving it.
These scary book covers are definitely doing what they set out to do; which is creep us the hell out!
Here’s Our List
I think a lot of people came up with some really great covers!
IT and Scary Stories both made my list too. And I SO remember the RL Stine books. I grew up with them in the house, though I never read many of them myself. Great covers! 😀 Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
The Scary Stories ones were the worst I think. I loved the RL Stine books as I was growing up, but that cover in particular scared me. 🙂
Goosebumps is totally creepy. Oh man….
Great list!
My Top Ten List!
They are! But they were so great.
I was going to Google these covers to see for myself… but I got as far as Night of the Living Dummy and am now too scared to keep going. Which I think means you did a great job!
M from Backlist Books
DayWatch, Hex in the City, A Wind in the Door aren’t really scary. Night is a bit disturbing because it’s true and the subject matter. I had a lot of fun putting this one together. 🙂
I haven’t heard of Daywatch, but I love that cover. I can only imagine what’s making him scream like that.
Thanks for visiting!
Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia
It’s the second in a series, and the scene that the cover is based off of is pretty epic. 🙂
I’ve seen IT on a few lists and the clown is so creepy as well as the ventriloquist on Goosebumps. *shudders* The negative image effect on the DayWatch cover makes it look like there’s some creature in his mouth.
Oh, nice picks! Who knew there were so many scary covers out there?! I would definitely have to take some of the dust jackets off those titles.
Thanks for visiting my TTT post – and apologies that it took so long to make it over here to comment on yours!
I remember Goosebumps! I think I read it in highschool 🙂 Creepy cover….