Well . . . if you're looking at a book simply as a collection of text, I too have never feared a line of text. What books allow, is a slow building of fear that require quite a bit of character development. I don't read horror novels waiting to be frightened, and truthfully read very little horror. The fear just happens. To be honest, it's a different type of fear - more of an uneasy feeling really. Certainly, a book can't have, what my son calls, "The scary jump out scenes". But if we exchange the term fear with edgy, here are a list of my favorite books with an "Edge":
It's really cliche to recommend A Song of Ice and Fire on reddit, but that's the only thing I can think of that has all four of those elements. Stephen King's, The Stand has them to some extent, but is lacking on the history. Both are phenomenal reads.
Perhaps Stephen King's The Stand or Robert McCammon's Swan Song? Neither have zombies but they do have some fantasy elements.
The Stand
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0307947300/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496948753&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=the+stand+stephen+king
Have you read the Newsflesh trilogy? I'm COMPLETELY obsessed. They're so good!!!!!!
And classic - The Stand. I could go on forever so I'll just leave it there :)
Well . . . if you're looking at a book simply as a collection of text, I too have never feared a line of text. What books allow, is a slow building of fear that require quite a bit of character development. I don't read horror novels waiting to be frightened, and truthfully read very little horror. The fear just happens. To be honest, it's a different type of fear - more of an uneasy feeling really. Certainly, a book can't have, what my son calls, "The scary jump out scenes". But if we exchange the term fear with edgy, here are a list of my favorite books with an "Edge":
[The Passage] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Passage-Novel-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345528174)
[The Terror] (http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/0316008079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404481514&sr=1-1&keywords=terror)
The Stand
Carrion Comfort
Desperation
I am Legend
The Sparrow
Night
Frankenstein
All Quite on the Western Front
Hunger
Blood Meridian
Watchers
The Minus Man
In no particular order - Not the usual suggestions either. Hope it helps, and happy reading!
fear cuts deeper than swords
[Here is a neat book about Oregon.] (http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Curiosities-2nd-Characters-Roadside/dp/0762749717/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376357656&sr=8-3&keywords=made+in+oregon)
[Here is something made in Oregon.] (http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Shine-Breakfast-Gift-Set/dp/B0011UNLKY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376357656&sr=8-1&keywords=made+in+oregon)
PS: Are you from Oregon? Also, thank you for the reminder.
BAM!
Alternatively!
It's really cliche to recommend A Song of Ice and Fire on reddit, but that's the only thing I can think of that has all four of those elements. Stephen King's, The Stand has them to some extent, but is lacking on the history. Both are phenomenal reads.