1 - The Shining by Stephen King
A classic in modern horror that has been made into multiple movie and TV adaptations. None come close to the intentions of the novel. Jack Torrence is a writer who takes his family to a hotel in the at a secluded ski resort to work as its caretaker during the winter break. Things don't go smoothly, as previous employees and guests of the hotel are still there in spirit form. The haunting drives him mad. From the author of The Dead Zone, Storm of the Century and countless other books and tales in the snow.
2 - The Terror by Dan Simmons
Two ships, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror are lost in the arctic. Stranded, the men face starvation and the horrors of the cold elements. As if that weren't enough, they are also stalked by a creature. They play a catch and mouse game with it over the weeks that pass.Will they survive till spring or have any chance to get back home? From the author of Hyperion and A Winter Haunting (the latter fits on this list, too).
3 - The Whisper Killer by Rod Little
A small town is trapped and cut-off from the world by a blizzard. Using the storm as cover, six men enter the town to take revenge and kill all the townspeople. The only thing that can stand in their way is a serial killer who has recently taken up residence there. Gripping and twisted. A gut-wrenching thriller that keeps you on edge. The characters are eerie and all too real.
4 - The Thing (Who Goes There?) by John W. Campbell
A true classic. The writing is a bit dated (some expressions can barely be understood today), but this is the origin of the classic movie by John Carpenter, The Thing. An expedition into the Artic is stalked by an alien being that can change shape. It holds enough suspense to still be effective today. A recommended read. From the iconic author of Frozen Hell, The Incredible Planet and countless other books.
5 - Moondeath by Rick Hautala
A werewolve stalk a small town in New Hampshire. After a recent kill, he is hunted by the main character and the Chief of Police. Only part of it is during winter (the main part). Witches are also involved, which is rare in a book of this sort. Hautala was a brilliant horror writer.
6 - Misery by Stephen King
When a writer crashes on the snow-covered roads of a small mountain town, he is rescued by his #1 fan. Unfortunately, she's a psychopath.
7 - The Ardennes Tapes by Timothy Benford
On Christmas Eve in 1944 the Ardennes Forest was being ravaged during the Battle of The Bulge. In the midst of combat, two hundred troops—Americans and Germans alike—abruptly ceased fighting each other and united to face one common, and unspeakable, enemy. Only two men survived.
8 - Snowblind by Christopher Golden
Basically a ghost story, but it's nicely done. And yes, there is a snowstorm. It's creepy.
- On Top2040 see also: The Top 10 Winter Horror Movies here on Top2040.
9 - The Wolf's Hours by Robert R. McCammon
Set in World War II in the cold of a harsh winter on the front. Our hero is a secret agent who goes behind enemy lines to stop the Axis powers from using a deadly weapon. Oh, and our hero is a werewolf. Nice, right? It's superbly laid out. Like most of McCammon's books, it could have been trimmed down a bit (at 600 pages, it could have been told in 400), but it still deserves a
recommendation.
10 - The Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright
The only post-apocalyptic novel on our list. It is snowing in every country on the planet . . . and it won't stop. The book focuses on one pub's patrons who initially come in to drink through the storm. It twists a bit from there and a few mysteries crop up. An interesting short tale.
There you have it: the chilliest horror novels and thrillers that take place in the snow and expound the horrors of a cold winter. Get under the blankets and read on!
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