The Terror

By Dan Simmons,

Book cover of The Terror

Book description

The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth. As they enter a second summer in the…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked The Terror as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

When I think about the arctic, and horror, I immediately think of Dan Simmons and The Terror.

It’s an expansive, tense, visceral book that feels historical. The authority and details make this feel like fact when we know this is fiction. It’s also quite lyrical and haunting—the setting as a backdrop, the weather, and senses brutalized by this expedition, and the events that slowly unfold. Madness, mutiny, and cannibalism? Yes, please. There are so many ways you can die out here in the cold—starvation, hypothermia, scurvy, exposure, etc.

Whether you came to his work via this book, Carrion Comfort…

From Richard's list on Arctic and winter horror books.

The Terror is my first foray into the works of Dan Simmons, and it is an unforgettable experience.

In this novel, Simmons delves into the mysterious fate of Arctic explorer John Franklin and his crew, weaving a bone-chilling tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Terror in this story goes far beyond the lurking presence of whatever menacing creature is feeding in and around the ship Terror. Simmons masterfully captures the harrowing trials faced by Franklin and his crew, including the haunting specter of scurvy, the relentless isolation embedded in the ice for over three…

This novel is a gritty, realistic look at the crew of a ship attempting to voyage through the Arctic Circle in the 1800s. Soon, they are iced in, and something horrifying waits out in the tundra for them. Loved this book, the building tension, the detail of Dan Simmons’s writing – I could tell he really researched this book.

From Mark's list on horror set in the dead of winter.

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A murder. A wind sorcerer. A dark spirit.

On Draakensky Windmill Estate, magick and mystery rule. Sketch artist Charlotte Knight is hired to live on the estate while illustrating poetry under the direction of the reclusive spinster, and wind witch, Jaa Morland—who believes in ghosts. Charlotte quickly encounters the voice…

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