This post is all about 25 deep water fear-inducing Shark Horror Books, Movies, and Audiobooks! The perfect start to summer and Shark Week pre-game.
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In honor of the upcoming Shark Week, This week we’re talking about all things horror and sharks. Now you’ll find nothing but shark supporters in this house, but that being said Jaws is a family favorite to read and watch. So this week we’ll be discussing books, movies, and audiobooks of the same flavor.
Shark horror movies, shark horror books, shark horror audiobooks, in this one you’ll find all things shark “monsters”. If you find yourself in need of more deep water monsters while waiting for the new episcopes to air each day, look to the list below.
So without further ado, let’s jump into the shark week edition of monster horror, fantasy, science fiction, and fun!
Best Shark Horror Media
Books
1. International Bestseller shark books fiction for adults
by Peter Benchley (Author)
When Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior. Over the ensuing decades, Benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions around the world as they expanded their knowledge of sharks.
This edition of Jaws contains bonus content from Peter Benchley’s archives, including the original typed title page, a brainstorming list of possible titles, a letter from Benchley to producer David Brown with honest feedback on the movie adaptation, and excerpts from Benchley’s book Shark Trouble highlighting his firsthand account of writing Jaws, selling it to Universal Studios, and working with Steven Spielberg.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- I don’t think you can talk about International Bestseller shark book fiction for adults without talking about Jaws. This cult classic is very different from the written form to the film version, and both should be on your shark week radar.
2. Epic must-read best fiction books about sharks
by Amy Hill Hearth (Author)
“Sharks are as timid as rabbits,” says a superintendent of the Coast Guard, dismissing the possibility that a shark could be the culprit in an unprecedented fatal attack at the Jersey Shore. It’s July, and swimming in the sea is a popular new pastime, but people up and down the East Coast are shocked and mystified by the swimmer’s death.
A prominent surgeon at the shore, Dr. Edwin Halsey is the one who examines the victim, and the only one who believes the perpetrator was a shark—and that it will strike again.
With the public and the authorities—and even those who witnessed the attacks—so stubbornly disbelieving, Dr. Halsey finds himself fighting widespread confusion, conspiracy theories, and outright denial. Seeking the input of commercial fisherman, he soon learns they have long been concerned about a creature they call the Beast. The Lenape, one of the tribes native to the area, have their own beliefs about this creature, but can Dr. Halsey convince the rest of the world before it’s too late?
The story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark changed the way Americans think of the seashore, reminding us once again that nature plays by its own rules.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- So if you love historical fiction and shark week, you have to give Silent Came The Monster a read. This is one of the best fiction books about sharks that I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
3. Action-packed fiction books about sharks
by Jacob Peyton (Author)
When a storm leaves them stranded at sea…
… a group of vacationers finds themselves facing an apex predator.
They need to get out of the water to survive.
When Henry and his wife agree to go on a work trip they think it’ll be the answer to all their marital woes, but when their ship is hit by a massive storm their dream come true soon turns into a nightmare. With no food or water and no one coming to save them, they’ll have to do whatever it takes to survive.
The only problem is they aren’t alone in the water.
The Taylor’s, a father and son duo are hot the trail of a man-eating shark with a seemingly endless appetite. This same shark once took everything from them and now they’ll do anything for revenge.
This shark isn’t going to go quietly.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- If you love a good horror story mixed with fiction books about sharks, Float is an awesome read. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through, waiting to see who sinks and who swims.
4. Offshore terror meets books about shark attacks
by Paul Carberry (Author)
There is no ‘safe.’
The small island of Newfoundland and its people are used to the perils of the sea, and the mysteries that lie beneath its murky depths. But even they could not have been prepared for the horrors that arose from beneath the decks of The Swift Current one dark evening.
That night, the sea birthed a perfect predator: hundreds of years old and gargantuan in size, with hungry jaws that have never needed to evolve, and glassy eyes that disguise a fierce intelligence. Can Newfoundland and her people survive this horror from an age gone by?
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- While I know that the horror story version of sharks is fiction, I’m still terrified of deep water. That being said, Carcharodon probably should have stayed on my summer TBR list and not my nightstand. Who needs swimming anyways, when you can read books about shark attacks?
5. Fun and scary time with sharks in fiction
by Brian Berry (Author)
It was supposed to be a family vacation. The celebration of a birthday. A weekend of skiing and smiles. But something haunts the slopes, hunts beneath the snow.
No longer does it require the sea, no longer the depths of dark waves. Conditioned for land, a winter terror is unleashed upon the guests who inhabit the resort of White Cap Lodge. S
lopes will run red, people will scream, and out there in the snow, no man, no woman, nor child, is safe from the jaws of:
SNOW SHARK!
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- If we can’t laugh and let our imaginations have a fun time, what’s the point? Snow Shark is a fun read, and just like Sharknado, it’s campy horror and fun for all the perfect reasons.
6. Great shark books for adults
by Chris Jameson (Author)
When Alex Simmons is invited to a college reunion in the Hawaiian islands aboard the private yacht of his old pal Harry Curtis, he is not sure what to expect. The two men had a falling-out years ago over the suicide of one of their friends. Could this be Harry’s way of making amends? Or is something more sinister in store?
The crew sets sail and arrives at Orchid Atoll, the site of a deserted former Coast Guard station. But they are far from alone. Out here, three hundred miles from civilization, Alex and his friends are about to encounter two very different brands of evil—one human, the other with fins—unlike anything they could have possibly imagined. They have entered a place where there’s no law, no mercy. . .and no way out.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- So this sounds like my worst nightmare come to life. Devil Sharks is the next book on my TBR list, and I’m not sure I why I do this to myself with the shark books for adults.
7. Terrifying deep ocean shark horror novels
by
A strange plague called the ‘Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys, then the not-so-small things, like how to drive or the letters of the alphabet. Their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. There is no cure.
But far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a universal healer hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But when the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- I haven’t got to read this one yet, but I am excited to. It reminds me of a mix of The Meg and The Happening. Needless to say, The Deep is a shark horror novel that I can’t wait to get to. Even if it does give me nightmares.
8. One of the best shark attack fiction books
by Steve Alten (Author)
Seven years ago and seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Jonas Taylor encountered something that changed the course of his life. Once a Navy deep-sea submersible pilot, now a marine paleontologist, Taylor is convinced that a remnant population of Carcharodon megalodon—prehistoric sharks growing up to 70 feet long, that subsisted on whales—lurks at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Offered the opportunity to return to those crushing depths in search of the Megs, Taylor leaps at the chance…but his quest for scientific knowledge (and personal vindication) becomes a desperate fight for survival when the most vicious predator the earth has ever known is freed to once again hunt the surface.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- This one does an awesome job of mixing science with shark attack fiction books and it’s great. The Meg is part of a shark horror story series, and it’s VERY different from the movie. A must-read for sure.
9. Best fiction books about sharks and murder
by P.K. Hawkins (Author)
For Simon, the trip was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime gift: a journey to the Amazon River Basin, the land that he had dreamed about visiting since he was a child. His enthusiasm for the trip may be tempered by the poor conditions of the boat and the captain leading the tour, but most of the tourists think they can look the other way on it.
Except things go wrong quickly. After a horrific accident, Simon and the other tourists find themselves trapped on a tiny island in the middle of the river. It’s the rainy season, and the river is rising. The island is surrounded by hungry bull sharks that won’t let them swim away. And worst of all, the sharks might not be the only blood-thirsty killers among them.
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. Instead, they’ll be lucky if they make it out with their lives at all.
Booked & Bewitched Babbles- If you like murder mystery mixed with shark horror and isolation horror, Shark is a great choice. It’ll keep you on your toes till the very end!
10. Best shark books with a horror twist
by J.D. Huff (Author)
The largest reliably measured great white shark in history—a protected, unpublicized, biological rock star—becomes an ecological disaster when it comes into contact with illegally dumped toxic waste. Tragically, the exposure proves fatal. But the resulting DNA mutation starts an unprecedented regeneration.
In a completely unnatural deviation from its original existence, life returns to the shark. A once elegant, complex creature transforms into a mindless killer. All its natural behaviors are forever gone—all that remains is an insatiable urge to feed.
Four friends plan the vacation of a lifetime in an isolated tropical paradise. They know nothing about the water-bound creature that has taken up residence in the Atoll’s lagoon. Samantha and her friends Jake, Mandy and Ollie have been dropped off for two weeks of bliss. What they get is a fight for their very survival.
The eight thousand pound zombie shark turns the lagoon into its own private buffet. It learns quickly that humans are easy prey and seeks every opportunity to feed on them. Whether in the water, wading in the shallows or riding on a boat, no one is safe.
The question now—who will survive Z-Shark?
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- While I am not a huge zombie fan, this one caught my eye. Z-Shark will have you full-on panicking with each chapter. One of the best shark books with a horror twist.
Movies
11. Must-watch shark monster horror movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So The Meg takes into the nightmare version of what happens when rescue diving goes wrong, and a monster is unleashed. It is a great summer watch full of shark horror and horror comedy. As long as it’s not at the beach.
12. Cult classic shark attack movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- If you’ve never seen Jaws and love shark week you’re missing out. This oldie still has the power to terrify everyone who goes to the beach for summer.
13. Must watch the best shark fiction movies
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- Deep Blue Sea gives a good example if you’ve ever wondered what could go wrong with questionable testing on sharks. Full of twists, turns, and pretty awesome jumpscares.
14. Amazing movie about shark attacks
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- This movie is my worst nightmare come to life. 47 meters down pins you in a shark cage, while being hunted from the bottom. OMFG talk about trauma-inducing.
15. Pulse-pounding Harrowing shark attack movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So what will you do to survive and escape a great white killing zone? This one shows us just that and will have to peek between your fingers to see if she makes it to the end.
16. Great shark horror movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- What could go wrong on a tropical paradise holiday? Well, The Requin shows us just how awful it can get, and how fast in the awesome shark horror movie.
17. Amazing shark horror comedy
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- Shark Of The Corn, I mean come on now, need I say more? This shark horror comedy will have you laughing and squealing in equal measure.
18. Cult classic shark horror movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- Love it or hate it, Sharknado has become a shark week cult classic. Full of horror and comedy, if you’ve never seen it, you must watch it, at least once.
19. Nonstop thrill ride shark suspense movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So, I would die of a panic attack and drown before I could escape great white-infested waters, but if you’d like to see how it’s done, The Reef will lead the way. Full of panic-inducing horror and sharks, it’s a great time.
20. Must-watch shark horror movie
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- If you thought you were safe by staying away from the beach, think again. Shark Lake throws us into a resort town under attack, by sharks. Full of action and horror, it’s a good shark horror movie to fill your Sunday.
Audiobooks
21. Love of mystery and sharks
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So this one may only have sharks mentioned in passing throughout the novel, Shark River is still a great summer read. Full of suspense, mystery, and whodunit quests.
22. Sexy shark-loving romance
by Naomi Lucas
Netto was a Cyborg, a protector, and a contracted mercenary. His specialty was the water: shallows, salt water, and open oceans across the universe. He was also a freak forged from the DNA of a bull shark-blue-gray skin, a body built with power, and a double-set of razor-sharp teeth. His nomadic lifestyle came to a halt when his old employer, the Earthian Planetary Exploration Division, offered him his old job back.
Rylie was born and raised on the planet Kepler, on an agri-lot that farmed jewels from the sea. But something was happening to her family’s lots and people were disappearing.When a giant Cyborg showed up at her settlement and struck a deal with her father, she was forced to follow the stranger out onto the water, into the dangers of the alien deep, and far beyond the sight of land. She feared the Cyborg. She feared his teeth. But she feared the monsters in the water more. Contains mature themes.
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So this is one for all my dark romance shark lovers out there. Shark Bite may not apply to everyone who loves shark week, but I am too please around here. And this one is sure to rev your engines.
23. Best horror audiobooks of all time
With the 1974 publication of the novel Jaws and the release a year later of the film based on the book, an American cultural phenomenon was born. Today, the remarkable bestseller by Peter Benchley still towers as a thrilling classic of suspense, drama, and the eternal conflicts of man against nature … and man against himself. As the movie continues to broadcast all over the world, entire generations may know the Jaws story only through its cinematic rendition.
Those unfamiliar with the literary forerunner are in for a wonderful surprise, for the novel contains many twists of plot and character that were omitted in the film. Peter Benchley’s Jaws is an extraordinary experience of its own, a masterpiece as mesmerizing today as it was in 1974, when it first took us into the watery world of a creature designed by nature to kill … and into the terror it brings from the silent darkness of the deep.
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- So if you’ve only ever seen the movie version of Jaws, you’re missing out. This horror thriller audiobook is a must-listen classic for all horror lovers out there.
24. Best shark audiobooks for kids and YA
by Scott Cawthon, Kira Breed-Wrisley
A dark bridge to the past… Dirk sets out on a long-shot quest to recapture a cherished childhood memory from a unique animatronic pizzeria. Mandy finds something lurking in the files of her favorite horror game and opens herself up to a haunting.
In light of her son’s fascination with Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, Sylvia buys her son a unique birthday present – a Freddy Fazbear mask that’s the genuine article… in more ways than one.
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- Well, I think it goes without saying that Five Nights At Freddy’s is a kid hit. Felix the Shark brings the fun of horror and sharks to every age group with this great shark audiobook
25. Best shark fiction audiobooks
by Steve Alten
On a top-secret dive into the Pacific Ocean’s deepest canyon, Jonas Taylor found himself face-to-face with the largest and most ferocious predator in the history of the animal kingdom.
As the sole survivor of the mission, Taylor is haunted by what he’s sure he saw but still can’t prove exists-Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark. The average prehistoric Meg weighs in at twenty tons and could tear apart a Tyrannosaurus rex in seconds. Written off as a crackpot suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Taylor refuses to forget the depths that nearly cost him his life.
With a PhD in paleontology under his belt, Taylor spends years theorizing, lecturing, and writing about the possibility that Meg still feeds at the deepest levels of the sea. But it takes an old friend in need to get him to return to the water, and a hotshot female submarine pilot to dare him back into a high-tech miniature sub. Diving deeper than he ever has before, Taylor will face terror like he’s never imagined, and what he finds could turn the tides bloody red until the end of time.
Booked and Bewitched Babbles- If you’ve only ever seen the movie version of The Meg, you have to listen to one of the best shark fiction audiobooks. It’s very different in some ways and similar in others, but I can tell you that both are amazing.
This post was all about 25 out-of-this-world shark horror books, audiobooks and movies you need to add to your TBR right now. Seriously, what doing? Go! Read something!
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