# Where has all the horror gone?



## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

I write creepy. Sometimes he writes me back...so I thought I might find him around here.
I dig and dig and find a tidbit here and a smidge there. Another dead horror thread might make me scream! What is going on around here?    In a world where television is full of The Walking Dead, Hannibal, Grimm, True Blood, Sleepy Hollow, The Strain...all based on books. American Horror Story? Penny Dreadful? and on and on. 

Horror is popular. Books are popular. 

How do we get these two kids together?

Bring on the horror! Let's talk about Bradbury, King, Koontz, Poe, Matheson...and some of those folks who still need first names as well!
What scared you recently? Or made you think?

Last three books I read in the genre NOS4A2, American Gods and a revisit with Hell House. Always looking for more reads, new stuff. Love ghost stories more than anything, but I'm open. 

Bring the scary!


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## derekailes2014 (Aug 4, 2014)

I've always supported the off beat horror novels of the 80s and 90s that I found in cheap bins from the Leisure  and BWI publishers. I wish I could remember most of those author's names.  I donated most of those novels after I read them. My favorite was always the late R. Karl Largent.  He was my first mentor and Black Death and the Witch of Sixkill were two of my favorites.  Since his death and the bankruptcy of Leisure books, his novels are out of print unfortunately.  Michael Bray (a facebook friend) is another great horror author.  Amazon has a lot of great indie horror authors.


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## Emm Oh (Jul 4, 2014)

All the horror is on the front page of the Daily Mail  .


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

I like KnightWatch Press (http://www.scorchedflower.co.uk/knightwatch/) for some quirky horror.

But on the whole, I don't tend to read much horror. I love American Gods but didn't really think of it as a horror novel. Other than that, I read a bit of Simon Clark (The Fall), and quite a few indie bits and pieces, mostly zombie related...


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Two words.
JACK KILBORN.
You have been warned.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

"gone to graveyards, every one."


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

alawston said:


> Other than that, I read a bit of Simon Clark (The Fall)


I liked that one, but didn't think it was really horror. His early stuff is much better, IMO


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

New stuff is too similar, perhaps? I recall the great books of the 70s and 80s and how each was unique, even from author to author. They did not repeat their own work but offered something new and fresh with every new release. I loved _Thomas Tryon_ and the early _Stephen King_ novels. But when I scroll through new stuff on Amazon I see what looks like copycats of the *Twilight* series and other bestsellers; just doesn't tempt me to try it.

If you want something that seems new but is actually classic, I can recommend the short stories of _Saki_, real name _H. H. Munro_. He wrote in a variety of genres, from comedy to drawing room dramas to horror, all of them short stories. Try *The Interlopers* and *Shredni Vashtar* just for starters. If your blood doesn't chill then you can return my 2 cents of recommendation for a full refund!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

derekailes2014 said:


> I've always supported the off beat horror novels of the 80s and 90s that I found in cheap bins from the Leisure and BWI publishers. I wish I could remember most of those author's names. I donated most of those novels after I read them. My favorite was always the late R. Karl Largent. He was my first mentor and Black Death and the Witch of Sixkill were two of my favorites. Since his death and the bankruptcy of Leisure books, his novels are out of print unfortunately. Michael Bray (a facebook friend) is another great horror author. Amazon has a lot of great indie horror authors.


Agreed. Everything you said, agreed. That's why I find it weird that none of these threads last. There should be a whole community of readers on here looking for horror. Maybe it's the general term "horror"... it's such a divided genre. Some like only supernatural. Some paranormal romance. Some vampires that sparkle. Some vampires that like to have sex with Louisiana faeries. Some vampires that are actually monsters. Some like werewolves. Some like bizarro-clown-murder stuff... Some, sigh, like zombies. Stand together people!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Emm Oh said:


> All the horror is on the front page of the Daily Mail .


Real life monsters aren't the same. Not for me. There are a lot of folks who enjoy the fiction version, but I prefer a bit of supernatural to my horror. That goes for reading as well as viewing... That said, a good story is a good story. I just prefer the fiction to the news. As if the news isn't fictitious to a great degree.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

alawston said:


> I like KnightWatch Press (http://www.scorchedflower.co.uk/knightwatch/) for some quirky horror.
> 
> But on the whole, I don't tend to read much horror. I love American Gods but didn't really think of it as a horror novel. Other than that, I read a bit of Simon Clark (The Fall), and quite a few indie bits and pieces, mostly zombie related...


Ahh, a zombie fan. Not much on zombies really... I just think the smell would be unholy disgusting. 
You're right about American Gods. Not really a horror novel, but definitely chocked full of horror elements. Not sure where to place that one, really. Although Mr. Gaiman's work tends to have an unsettling aspect to it, whatever he writes. Even his children's stories are dark. Roald Dahl, anyone?


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

cinisajoy said:


> Two words.
> JACK KILBORN.
> You have been warned.


Mr. Konrath, right? I've read a few of his. He has a very bleak way of telling tales. I get why he is so successful.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

lmroth12 said:


> New stuff is too similar, perhaps? I recall the great books of the 70s and 80s and how each was unique, even from author to author. They did not repeat their own work but offered something new and fresh with every new release. I loved _Thomas Tryon_ and the early _Stephen King_ novels. But when I scroll through new stuff on Amazon I see what looks like copycats of the *Twilight* series and other bestsellers; just doesn't tempt me to try it.
> 
> If you want something that seems new but is actually classic, I can recommend the short stories of _Saki_, real name _H. H. Munro_. He wrote in a variety of genres, from comedy to drawing room dramas to horror, all of them short stories. Try *The Interlopers* and *Shredni Vashtar* just for starters. If your blood doesn't chill then you can return my 2 cents of recommendation for a full refund!


As an indie writer, I'll take your 2 cents.  And I'll check out those you've mentioned. Although Saki and H. H. Munro sound very familiar. I have a short attention span, so I love short stories. If I can get all my heebies and jeebies in one sitting, I'm a happy boy. Your first statement brings up a question: Do you think the new trend toward trilogies/series is causing the formulaic similarities? Or is it the army of independent authors? A combination of both? Stories used to stand on their own. Now it seems every story has to have a couple of sequels, then a prequel. Films are the same way. It feels trendy. Personally, I'm not much on following the same character through too many adventures because it just begs for silliness to rear its head. Once a formula kicks in, the fun is over for me.


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## Saul Tanpepper (Feb 16, 2012)

I think you might have to be more specific in your tastes. There's splatterpunk horror, if you're into gorefest. Then there's psychological horror, not mention their various offspring (torture, child abuse, rape, murder, monster, ghost, technological, apocalyptic, natural disaster, dystopian...). I tend to embrace technological, coming from a science background, but more and more ecological and geopolitical woes are creeping into my stories.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Serial Killers Uncut still gives me nightmares.  The List was really good too in a horror way.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

DanDillard said:


> Your first statement brings up a question: Do you think the new trend toward trilogies/series is causing the formulaic similarities? Or is it the army of independent authors? A combination of both? Stories used to stand on their own. Now it seems every story has to have a couple of sequels, then a prequel. Films are the same way. It feels trendy. Personally, I'm not much on following the same character through too many adventures because it just begs for silliness to rear its head. Once a formula kicks in, the fun is over for me.


I think the formulas spring from the mindset of whatever works, let's use it. I don't believe that is true of Indie writers in particular; just look at movies and how Hollywood cranks out the same old sequels and and prequels and movie versions of old TV shows season after season. I feel it springs more from a desire to play it safe and keep the fans happy and the sales coming then due to lack of creativity. In one way it's understandable, because it's risky to venture into new territory and possibly lose fans and money when you have invested so much time into a book or a movie. But I'm with you: once the formula kicks in, I'm outta there!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Agreed... What I meant about indie writers was that in the past 10 years it has become increasingly easy for us to publish. So there are a lot more books showing up. I would bet a good majority of those books were inspired by current hits. Maybe a little more than inspired.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

DanDillard said:


> Agreed... What I meant about indie writers was that in the past 10 years it has become increasingly easy for us to publish. So there are a lot more books showing up. I would bet a good majority of those books were inspired by current hits. Maybe a little more than inspired.


Agreed. On the other hand, there is a sub-genre of fan fiction that inspires younger authors to take intriguing characters from beloved books a little farther down the road than the author of the original intended. There exists the possibility that they publish these adventures under a new title with the names of the characters changed. Sometimes the fan fiction can be a lot of fun to read, especially that inspired by *The Lord of the Rings*, truly some of the most entertaining stuff I have ever read. One of the funniest was titled "If *The* *Lord of the Rings* had been written as a soap opera" which had me doubled over in laughter as the writer imagined how the story might have flowed and the characters interacted if written as such. A confrontation between Arwen and Eowyn over Aragorn, complete with elf magic vying for supremacy with warrior princess power? Check. The possibility that Boromir didn't really die, and that he had previously had an affair with Eowyn as he passed through Rohan, and he swore to return to her, only to find when he returns from the dead that she is now married to his younger brother Faramir? Check. And you _don't _want to know about Frodo and Sam and Rosie.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Kindle Worlds.  They are books set in other books worlds.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Whereas detective fiction got respectable many decades back and even science fiction is admired these days, horror fiction remains the poor -- and sometimes despised -- man of literature. An awful lot of people remain convinced that it is all about gore and guts, and what has convinced them? About 7 million cheaply made straight-to-video horror flicks produced for the amusement of drunken teenagers who want an excuse to fumble their girlfriends, that's what.

But hold on a minute. Think Edgar Allen Poe. Think M.R. James. Think Henry James, for that matter. Great horror is about psychology, not blood, and ought to be afforded some respect for that.

On the other hand, there's something rather outlawish about writing in a genre that isn't socially acceptable. What's the proper balance? I'm not even sure that one exists.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I love horror, but for me horror has gone too far into things like zombies and vampires. I like creepy, haunting horror. I think Stephen King does it well and he has always been my favorite. These days, I love guys like Iain Rob Wright (a guy out of the UK) and love Blake Crouch.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Tony Richards said:


> But hold on a minute. Think Edgar Allen Poe. Think M.R. James. Think Henry James, for that matter. Great horror is about psychology, not blood, and ought to be afforded some respect for that.


And _Gaston Leroux _for *The Phantom of the Opera*, _Oscar Wilde _for *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, and even _Peter Benchley_ for the original *Jaws* book as well as *Beast*, another of his great suspenseful novels about creatures you could only imagine in your nightmares!


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

I am sooo with you guys. Love horror, but the last book I read that scared the bejesus out of me was Ghost Story. Nothing really since, although this one is purty good: http://www.amazon.it/Hollow-Dream-Summers-End-English-ebook/dp/B008XWXHT8. I read Justin Cronin's The Passage recently, but it didn't do it for me. I guess I'm tired of all this re-imagining and updating of monsters. Vampires are bloodsucking evil creatures, not misunderstood twinkly teenagers.


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## mmurphy (Aug 14, 2014)

DanDillard said:


> I write creepy. Sometimes he writes me back...so I thought I might find him around here.
> I dig and dig and find a tidbit here and a smidge there. Another dead horror thread might make me scream! What is going on around here?  In a world where television is full of The Walking Dead, Hannibal, Grimm, True Blood, Sleepy Hollow, The Strain...all based on books. American Horror Story? Penny Dreadful? and on and on.
> 
> Horror is popular. Books are popular.
> ...


I think horror has been struggling amid the emergence of paranormal romance and the like, but those books dealing with common human fears often appear to have the most impact on the reader. In the UK, there was an interesting piece on this subject recently: http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/aug/15/has-horror-and-fantasy-fiction-run-out-of-common-fears-to-trade-on

For those looking for some up-to-date traditional chillers, I would recommend the Stephen Jones collection A Book of Horrors, which also has an introduction broaching this subject.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Paranormal romance gets packaged in a similar way to dark fantasy, but the real deal with that sub-genre is the romance. All the rest is background detail.


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## kjbryen (Jul 3, 2014)

Tony Richards said:


> Whereas detective fiction got respectable many decades back and even science fiction is admired these days, horror fiction remains the poor -- and sometimes despised -- man of literature. An awful lot of people remain convinced that it is all about gore and guts, and what has convinced them? About 7 million cheaply made straight-to-video horror flicks produced for the amusement of drunken teenagers who want an excuse to fumble their girlfriends, that's what.
> 
> But hold on a minute. Think Edgar Allen Poe. Think M.R. James. Think Henry James, for that matter. Great horror is about psychology, not blood, and ought to be afforded some respect for that.
> 
> On the other hand, there's something rather outlawish about writing in a genre that isn't socially acceptable. What's the proper balance? I'm not even sure that one exists.


Agreed! So true! It has always surprised me what a bad rep horror gets. I suppose it is because of all the gory movies out today, but most horror fiction I've read isn't really focused on the blood. It's about psychology and fear. To me, that's what makes a good horror novel.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

kjbryen said:


> Agreed! So true! It has always surprised me what a bad rep horror gets. I suppose it is because of all the gory movies out today, but most horror fiction I've read isn't really focused on the blood. It's about psychology and fear. To me, that's what makes a good horror novel.


Some tend to lump horror all together as one thing when the truth is it's a much varied genre. Slashers vs. psychological horror is a good example. Both have their place at the table and I appreciate it all. Some days I want to truly feel fear, whereas others I just want to read about a monster stomping on those foolish enough to tread where they shouldn't.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

You're right, Rick ... horror is just as varied as any other genre. Problem is, most people outside the genre don't even see it that way ... to them, it's all the same messy nasty thing.

And yup, gory horror can be fun sometimes, largely because it's partway _intended _as funny.It's OTT, it's rather surreal, and most importantly of all it's not really happening to any real people. There was a strong hint of that in Hitchcock's attitude to his film Psycho ... he actually referred to it as a 'funny movie.'

But the vast majority of the gore flows in movies rather than in novels and short stories, which is the real point that I'm trying to make.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> Whereas detective fiction got respectable many decades back and even science fiction is admired these days, horror fiction remains the poor -- and sometimes despised -- man of literature. An awful lot of people remain convinced that it is all about gore and guts, and what has convinced them? About 7 million cheaply made straight-to-video horror flicks produced for the amusement of drunken teenagers who want an excuse to fumble their girlfriends, that's what.
> 
> But hold on a minute. Think Edgar Allen Poe. Think M.R. James. Think Henry James, for that matter. Great horror is about psychology, not blood, and ought to be afforded some respect for that.
> 
> On the other hand, there's something rather outlawish about writing in a genre that isn't socially acceptable. What's the proper balance? I'm not even sure that one exists.


Outlawish. I like it. I don't mind being the neglected stepchild either...I just know there's a million minions of the dark out there reading and scribbling stories of their own. And they need a hole here on the Kindleboards. Not a slimy wet hole, as The Hobbit mentioned, but a warm, dark hole full of crawly things.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for slasher films, but that's different. That's fleeting, in the moment fun. A good horror book lasts well beyond closing the cover and placing it on the shelf---or hiding it behind the toilet tank so your family doesn't know you have a vice. It lasts every time you hear a twig snap under foot in the dark. Every time you have to flip the light switch and then walk ten feet to your bed. Every time you have to open a closed shower curtain. Every stinkin' time the priest comes over to perform my monthly exorci.... never mind that.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

DanDillard said:


> I have to admit, I'm a sucker for slasher films, but that's different. That's fleeting, in the moment fun. A good horror book lasts well beyond closing the cover and placing it on the shelf---or hiding it behind the toilet tank so your family doesn't know you have a vice. It lasts every time you hear a twig snap under foot in the dark. Every time you have to flip the light switch and then walk ten feet to your bed. Every time you have to open a closed shower curtain. Every stinkin' time the priest comes over to perform my monthly exorci.... never mind that.


Quite true. I know a horror novel has been effective when it's time to lock up for the night and I find myself standing at the top of my cellar stairs dreading the trip down to fill up the cats' water bowl. For at that moment, who knows what monstrosities wait down there to ensure I never again see the light of day?


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

There's still lots of great horror being written, but I suspect a lot more is being published by small presses or self-published nowadays. Here's a list of some books/authors I've enjoyed recently:

Alison Littlewood: The Unquiet House
Alan Ryker: Dream of the Serpent
Stephen Volk: Whitstable (not quite horror, but a fictional story about Peter Cushing)
Lauren James: The Side Effects Of The Medication
Sarah Pinborough: The Language Of Dying
Iain Rowan: Ice Age
Steve Byrne: Phoenix
MR Cosby: Dying Embers
Mark West: The Mill
Various: Best British Horror 2014


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Rick Gualtieri said:


> Quite true. I know a horror novel has been effective when it's time to lock up for the night and I find myself standing at the top of my cellar stairs dreading the trip down to fill up the cats' water bowl. For at that moment, who knows what monstrosities wait down there to ensure I never again see the light of day?


How big is this cat that you keep in the cellar?!


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

DanDillard said:


> How big is this cat that you keep in the cellar?!


Cats. They're not big, but then neither are velociraptors.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

kjbryen said:


> Agreed! So true! It has always surprised me what a bad rep horror gets. I suppose it is because of all the gory movies out today, but most horror fiction I've read isn't really focused on the blood. It's about psychology and fear. To me, that's what makes a good horror novel.


Exactly. There's this terrible trend toward creating "sub-genres"... I think it's so people can say "I have the #1 selling 314-page-long-typed-in-Times-New-Roman-scary-book-about-horseback-riding-devil-worshipping-doughnut-shop-owners on Amazon!" Um...congratulations? So it takes away from the parent genre. I think people have an innate need to categorize and place things in their own niche. I also think a lot of good horror gets put in the "thriller" category. It sounds less icky to the straights. There are people who scoff at "horror", but then LOVE a book/film like Silence of the Lambs. It won oscars! It can't be horror. Psh. It's about a cannibal. That's about as horror as it gets.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

> You're right, Rick ... horror is just as varied as any other genre. Problem is, most people outside the genre don't even see it that way ... to them, it's all the same messy nasty thing.
> 
> And yup, gory horror can be fun sometimes, largely because it's partway _intended _as funny.It's OTT, it's rather surreal, and most importantly of all it's not really happening to any real people. There was a strong hint of that in Hitchcock's attitude to his film Psycho ... he actually referred to it as a 'funny movie.'
> 
> But the vast majority of the gore flows in movies rather than in novels and short stories, which is the real point that I'm trying to make.


True. There's a survival factor to being a witness to fictional atrocities that I think people enjoy. A rush without any guilt or trips to the psychiatrist. You know deep inside that you're not in any danger, but it's fun to take the ride with the characters...and if the story is good enough, you might just experience a little of the terror with them.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Rick Gualtieri said:


> Cats. They're not big, but then neither are velociraptors.


Man...there's a city-wide ban on velociraptors where I live. Knew I should've bought that creepy old farmhouse.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

DanDillard said:


> You know deep inside that you're not in any danger, but it's fun to take the ride with the characters...and if the story is good enough, you might just experience a little of the terror with them.


This +1000. Every off year, my family hosts a large Halloween party. For this, I usually turn our basement into a full on haunted maze - typically taking me at least a month of prep time to build. In years past I have made many a child cry because I refuse to make it cute. It's brutal, bloody, and I try to fill it with disturbing things to see.

But you know what, after they come out screaming they usually get right back in line to do it again. Why? It's exactly what you said...they know deep down that it's a safe scare. As much as they might be terrified in the moment, there's nothing down there that's really going to hurt them. Hence, it all winds up being good fun.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Rick Gualtieri said:


> But you know what, after they come out screaming they usually get right back in line to do it again. Why? It's exactly what you said...they know deep down that it's a safe scare. As much as they might be terrified in the moment, there's nothing down there that's really going to hurt them. Hence, it all winds up being good fun.


Then they go home and keep their parents up all night  We do a big party every year as well...No haunted maze yet, but I do put on the gruesome. We had all the "sweet" characters from the Wizard of Oz decapitated with their heads on poles a couple years ago. The Wicked Witch was making a brew with Cowardly Lion's tail as the evil Scarecrow looked on. Dorothy had a ruby stiletto heel in the eye. It's a family party...and no one complained.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

DanDillard said:


> Then they go home and keep their parents up all night  We do a big party every year as well...No haunted maze yet, but I do put on the gruesome. We had all the "sweet" characters from the Wizard of Oz decapitated with their heads on poles a couple years ago. The Wicked Witch was making a brew with Cowardly Lion's tail as the evil Scarecrow looked on. Dorothy had a ruby stiletto heel in the eye. It's a family party...and no one complained.


I think you just proved my point that gruesome can be funny, Dan. Sounds hilarious!


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

I've recently re-read all of Robert McCammon's old horror -- and it's still great  (his new stuff is awesome, too, but not horror). If you've never tried him, it's hard to go wrong.

Scott Nicholson has some great stuff, as does Stephen Knight (his books are usually in the zombie genre), and I've also been enjoying all the John Saul books I didn't read between the 80s and now. 

Love me some horror, preferably of the spooky / ghost / monster / mental variety.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> I think you just proved my point that gruesome can be funny, Dan. Sounds hilarious!


Yes, gruesome is fun. And funny at times. Too soon about the Wizard of Oz, though? Ya think?


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

James Everington said:


> There's still lots of great horror being written, but I suspect a lot more is being published by small presses or self-published nowadays. Here's a list of some books/authors I've enjoyed recently:
> 
> Alison Littlewood: The Unquiet House
> Alan Ryker: Dream of the Serpent
> ...


Good list! Have to look into those, thanks. Look everyone! Books!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Fredster said:


> I've recently re-read all of Robert McCammon's old horror -- and it's still great (his new stuff is awesome, too, but not horror). If you've never tried him, it's hard to go wrong.
> 
> Scott Nicholson has some great stuff, as does Stephen Knight (his books are usually in the zombie genre), and I've also been enjoying all the John Saul books I didn't read between the 80s and now.
> 
> Love me some horror, preferably of the spooky / ghost / monster / mental variety.


I've read McCammon and Saul and need to read some of Scott Nicholson's work. Not a big fan of zombies --GASP--...I just don't get it I guess. They're dead, they smell bad, they eat people. Yippee. How many different ways can you say it? Okay, I'm guilty of writing a few stories about the shamblers as well, but they are my least favorite monster.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

There are new talents appearing all the time, on both sides of the Atlantic. I know a few of the writers on that list and they're serious about their work, not simply in it for a buck. A shame some critics don't give them the regard they deserve.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

How many posts does it take to get to page 3? 

Any horror movies that surpassed the books they were based on? You never hear, "Hey, I read that. The film was better."  I'm sure it's happened.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Reminder that here in the Book Corner it is a 'promotion free' zone.  So those of you who are authors should not be talking about your own work. 

Thanks.


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## Kirkee (Apr 2, 2014)

Try some Jack Ketchum.

Also: The Professor & the Madman By Simon Winchester.

Enjoy,
Kirk


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Are vampires that aren't greasy, brooding, whining, sulking teenagers still considered "horror"?

(yes, I probably just described everyone's teenage offspring, including the vampire part, since all you have to do is look at the bleeding holes in your wallet/bank account to realize I speak truth)

To me, Stephen King is horror. Or was. Not sure what he's writing now, but it doesn't seem to be the classic 'horror tales' that I grew up with reading over and over. Was never much of a Koontz guy, other than Intensity, which is one of the few books I've read that takes off on page 1 and never lets up.



> Any horror movies that surpassed the books they were based on? You never hear, "Hey, I read that. The film was better." I'm sure it's happened.


Well, not horror, but the only movie that equaled the book (in my opinion) is Stand By Me (The Body). I guess I'd lump The Shawshank Redemption (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) in there as well, as the movie is one of those, like Forrest Gump, that must be watched anytime I'm flipping through the channels and stumble across it.

Beyond that... I can't think of another movie that was anywhere close to the book. Not even the original Carrie. Especially not Christine, It, and The Stand. MAYBE The Green Mile? Not really horror. The Dead Zone? Who doesn't love Christopher Walken? Besides crazy people who are allergic to cowbell

Right, these are all Stephen King movies/books. I guess I should try reading some other horror books, though my whole life, I kinda have, and haven't really been too impressed. I guess it's why I love The Exorcist and most of King's books... they are horror without the blood & guts and overly descriptive scenes that tell me down to the milliliter how much blood just pumped out of an artery when Jim's head was ripped from his torso.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

I know it's not horror, but speaking of _Forrest Gump_, if ever there was a movie better than the book, that's it.


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## Kirkee (Apr 2, 2014)

Interested in reading a suspenseful novel about a Chicago cabbie doing his best to track down a serial killer determined to slash the throats of as many of the city's taxi drivers as he can get his blood-stained paws on? Pick up Jack Clark's hair-raising Nobody's Angel. The guy's a natural.
Self-pubbed initially and sold from his cab at five bucks per. Released by Hard Case Crime eventually.

"A great read."
                    ––Publishers Weekly

This is what I like to do anytime I come across anything well done: Pass it on. 
Enjoy.

Best,

Kirk


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

AngryGames said:


> Right, these are all Stephen King movies/books. I guess I should try reading some other horror books, though my whole life, I kinda have, and haven't really been too impressed. I guess it's why I love The Exorcist and most of King's books... they are horror without the blood & guts and overly descriptive scenes that tell me down to the milliliter how much blood just pumped out of an artery when Jim's head was ripped from his torso.


Oh brother, Angry, I'm going to have to start all over again. I think it's probably been quite a while since you have read anything horror other than Stephen King. There used to be a fashion for extremely gory horror back in the Eighties -- it's probably part of what killed off the genre commercially for a while. But horror these days is generally a more subtle affair, and has some darned good writers in its ranks.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

I'd probably agree, since I haven't bothered to read much horror in the last x-number of years. I kind of got that way with crime fiction (a reason I no longer read it), and for a while, my beloved science fiction. And vampires. Twilight vampires (and clones) have really just killed it for me. And zombies. I LOVED zombies, but then, I'm old and grew up with proper zombie flicks and Bruce Campbell (no matter how awful and D-list they were lol). Same with superheroes. 

Now that I think about it, I think I just hate anything that is commercially successful (which is probably a strange thing for an author to say). It all seems so cookie-cutter after the first huge hit or two. Which doesn't surprise me, since everyone sees a huge hit and starts writing/directing/developing video games/etc in that subject matter. I'm cringing at the "Guardians of the Galaxy" clones that are likely to start flooding the world over the next couple of years. 

Probably another reason I stopped reading fantasy. Dragonlance, Drizzt Do'Urden, Richard Rahl, etc... I lived and breathed Dungeons & Dragons (pen & paper, then CRPG) stuff from my earliest memories, which coincided about the time I saw The Hobbit cartoon. But how many dragons can one slay? How many fair maidens can one hero save? How many strong women realize their potential and save the realm before they all start bleeding together? 

As it turns out, quite a lot. But eventually, it becomes noise. There's always a number of standouts, gems, books that make you read them multiple times because they're just that good even though they aren't anything new or revolutionary (or evolutionary), but it gets harder and harder to find them with all the clones, copycats, and get-rich-quick garbage. 

I've actually got Joe Hill's NOS4A2 on my Kindle, and the new "Shining" story by his pops, neither of them touched yet. Hopefully Joe is like his dad and is into the internal, psychological horror instead of the blood & guts type. 

Hopefully I'll realize it is 4:30AM and it's time for me to sleep so I won't annoy you fine folks with my walls of text any more (for tonight, at least).


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Fredster said:


> I know it's not horror, but speaking of _Forrest Gump_, if ever there was a movie better than the book, that's it.


Never read the book... I did enjoy the movie. Hard not to.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

AngryGames said:


> I've actually got Joe Hill's NOS4A2 on my Kindle, and the new "Shining" story by his pops, neither of them touched yet. Hopefully Joe is like his dad and is into the internal, psychological horror instead of the blood & guts type.


I like Joe Hill and enjoyed NOS4A2 quite a lot. As much fantasy adventure as horror and with one hell of a bad guy. I liked Heart-Shaped Box better, I think, although it isn't as well written...just the premise. Joe Hill nails a good idea, and seems to be able to deliver on it all the way to the end. He is similar to his father in some ways, very different in others. It will be interesting to see how his books fare as movies. Horns is coming soon, after a long delay, and I think the other two are in development.

I'm not sure I'd agree Stephen King isn't the blood and guts type. He dwells in the character's head a lot, but isn't afraid to splatter viscera and liberally.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

One horror film I feel surpassed the book is "American Psycho". I _enjoyed_ the book, if you can call it that. It made me squirm...there aren't many books or films that can do that...but it was more of a weird stream of consciousness thing. 80's excess and this disturbed serial killer and no one really existed, did they? The movie had everything necessary to tell the story, managed a narrative, and didn't go into all those places while still maintaining its ick factor. 
Mr. Brett Easton Ellis needs to pull into a car wash and scrub his brain. Some nasty bits in there


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Reminder that here in the Book Corner it is a 'promotion free' zone. So those of you who are authors should not be talking about your own work.
> 
> Thanks.


Was it me? I didn't mean to!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't even remember -- that was almost a week ago -- but a couple of posts were deleted because the poster was basically answering the question posed in the subject with, "well, here's some right here that I wrote."


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## Adrian P (Aug 5, 2014)

Books and the written word are actually my favorite kind of horror. I think they have the biggest habit of getting into the character's heads, as opposed to stuff such as movies and video games that often just devolve into jumpscares.



DanDillard said:


> Real life monsters aren't the same. Not for me. There are a lot of folks who enjoy the fiction version, but I prefer a bit of supernatural to my horror. That goes for reading as well as viewing... That said, a good story is a good story. I just prefer the fiction to the news. As if the news isn't fictitious to a great degree.


I agree. However, I _*DO*_ have a special place in my heart for stories that have the evil supernatural thing, and then a "regular" human villain who somehow manages to be even _*worse*_ and _*more*_ terrifying.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't even remember -- that was almost a week ago -- but a couple of posts were deleted because the poster was basically answering the question posed in the subject with, "well, here's some right here that I wrote."


I see. You all are quick on the draw! Didn't even see them.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Adrian P said:


> I agree. However, I _*DO*_ have a special place in my heart for stories that have the evil supernatural thing, and then a "regular" human villain who somehow manages to be even _*worse*_ and _*more*_ terrifying.


Can you give an example? I feel a mad scientist tale coming on... I'm stuck on Frankenstein where the "monster" isn't the monster, but the way the townsfolk react to the "monster." But that's not exactly what you're saying here, is it?


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## zaqwis (Jun 24, 2014)

I enjoyed reading 'Naomi's Room' by Jonathan Aycliffe. A good ghost story.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

lmroth12 said:


> If you want something that seems new but is actually classic, I can recommend the short stories of _Saki_, real name _H. H. Munro_. He wrote in a variety of genres, from comedy to drawing room dramas to horror, all of them short stories. Try *The Interlopers* and *Shredni Vashtar* just for starters. If your blood doesn't chill then you can return my 2 cents of recommendation for a full refund!


My favorite author of all time is Saki, but I've never really considered him horror. But now that you mention it, I guess he kind of is... Black humor. ha, ha, ha. I wish there were more authors like him.

I like the kind of understated horror of Shirley Jackson and un-gory (is that a word?) of S. King, but as mentioned, the 80's and 90's brand of blood-and-guts horror kind of destroyed the genre for me. I still search for "creepy" stories or oddball stories and often just search for "ghost stories" because they tend to be less gore and more spooky. I saw several suggestions I'm going to check out. I've read S. Nicholson quite a bit and I like some of his stuff...


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

zaqwis said:


> I enjoyed reading 'Naomi's Room' by Jonathan Aycliffe. A good ghost story.


Love a good ghost story. Especially if it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck and has me checking partially opened doors and shower curtains for the next few weeks!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Amy Corwin said:


> My favorite author of all time is Saki, but I've never really considered him horror. But now that you mention it, I guess he kind of is... Black humor. ha, ha, ha. I wish there were more authors like him.
> 
> I like the kind of understated horror of Shirley Jackson and un-gory (is that a word?) of S. King, but as mentioned, the 80's and 90's brand of blood-and-guts horror kind of destroyed the genre for me. I still search for "creepy" stories or oddball stories and often just search for "ghost stories" because they tend to be less gore and more spooky. I saw several suggestions I'm going to check out. I've read S. Nicholson quite a bit and I like some of his stuff...


My opinion is that gore has it's place. Gore for it's own sake doesn't scare me. It may be gross, but so is elementary school lunch and the smell of fertilizer and the contents of a tissue used by someone with a heavy sinus infection and...well, you get the picture. Not scary. Scary, for me, involves taking a world I could live in and making it off just a little bit. Believable, but off. The supernatural element adds to it because I don't have definitions for those things and don't know what to expect. I need to feel that danger, whether it be claustrophobia or impending violence or my favorite: possession. Loss of self. Loss of sanity. Loss of control. Those are the most unsettling in my mind.


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## mphicks (Jan 29, 2014)

The small indie publisher DarkFuse has become my automatic go-to for horror over the summer, and I've become a huge fan of their output to the point that I've pre-ordered all of their September, October, and November releases.

I absolutely love Tim Curran's work, and he's got a few solid DarkFuse titles out right now, like Deadlock and Blackout. I'd also recommend Dead Sea; great bit of nautical/Bermuda Triangle horror.

I've also enjoyed the few Ania Ahlborn title's I've read, particularly The Shuddering. I've got a few more of her books on my Kindle TBR.


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## Adrian P (Aug 5, 2014)

DanDillard said:


> Can you give an example? I feel a mad scientist tale coming on... I'm stuck on Frankenstein where the "monster" isn't the monster, but the way the townsfolk react to the "monster." But that's not exactly what you're saying here, is it?


Hm...it's a bit harder to remember/find examples than I expected...though I suppose there are quite a few variations on the theme.
For example, there is a whole story trope called "Mainlining the Monster" where the powerful monster is quite often exploited for the benefit of greedy and powerful humans. More about that can be found here - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MainliningTheMonster

Um...I can find some quotes like this, even though humans are often not actually the "monster"/villain behind the plot line - 
"The human race. Greatest monsters of them all."
- The Master, Doctor Who, "Last of the Time Lords"
"Us? 'Monsters'? Oh I think not. There is a far nastier, far uglier monster around than us. Go home and look in the mirror. You'll find it there."
- A Werewolf telling the human Takeda who's really the monster here, Dance in the Vampire Bund
"You know who isn't human? You know who isn't human?! PEOPLE LIKE YOU!"
- Lucy, Elfen Lied

That last one is probably the most applicable to what I was originally talking about, since it's coming from a non-"human" who's been quite murderous and killed a lot of people, and aimed at an even more amoral human being. (If I remember correctly. That series wasn't to my taste, and I stopped reading).

Another story trope with a lot of examples is simply proving that humans CAN be as bad as the monsters, or sometimes even more cruel. I'll put a link to where you can find more right here: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Humansaretherealmonsters

*Beware - if you don't already know - following TVTropes links can be like going down the rabbit hole - they just keep going and can eat a lot of your time.*

A lot of supernatural series - where the heroes fight various supernatural enemies each episode - have an episode where the villain of the episode turns out to be human, often to the shock of the heroes. These humans are sometimes considered worse than the monsters they face. There are a couple of episodes like this in the TV show Supernatural, and at least one in Torchwood, which was my favorite episode so far (though I stopped watching the series shortly after that).

This idea can also be illustrated by the fact that "when super-villains want to scare each other, they tell Joker stories." Which applies, because the Joker doesn't have any "super-powers," per se. Here's a link, but again, it's another variation of what I was thinking. - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HorrifyingTheHorror

Anyways, that's probably a probably enough comment for now. Sorry for rambling.


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## Set Sytes (Dec 4, 2012)

I never used to be into horror, it was always just fantasy. Now I'm still fussy with horror, but more and more into it (starting with an exploration of horror in film, lately with books, like I'm only just getting into Stephen King). My writing gradually evolved from oddball fantasy or comic fantasy into gathering more horror, thriller and plain grotesque themes. I guess it was the darkness growing inside me haha 

For me though, while I will watch/read stuff like slasher films and the like, and they can be entertaining and scary, what really grabs me is the _aesthetic_ aspects of horror. The surreal, the supernatural, the fantastical, the plain obscenely weird... and so the best horror for me is a mere darker, crueler, less forgiving extension of the fantasy genre. Take a film like Pan's Labyrinth, for instance...

I love horror art, and its place in film and games. Not to mention music and music videos (I guess that's where my first flirtations with dark imagery started). I love its nightmarish presence, its tales told of something very important to me - dreams. Without some creative side like this, then horror to me becomes boring and stale. Too real-world.

Translating a highly visual (sometimes auditory) aesthetic like this into writing is very difficult, but sort-of possible in a way. I guess I see it as pushing a sense of vision on the reader, like the equivalent of what Cormac McCarthy does with his style. Due to my personal appreciation of horror, I myself don't really make a deliberate effort to scare people. I just try and make them see what I see. To see old things in new, horrible ways. I want to flip the world upside down into this shadow world where nothing is as you know it. It's just another type of fantasy.

That's the kind of thing I like to read myself. I'm pretty new to horror fiction though, and fussy. The more you can ensnare and confuse my imagination the better. I've only got three King's books so far, but look forward to getting others. Oh and I've been reading a lot of Lovecraft (The Necromonicon collection), which is brilliant (if you excuse the racism). Weirdly I always feel like I've already been exposed to a lot of horror literature, even when I haven't. I was writing some horror stuff before I'd actually really read any... unless you count Goosebumps.

Although if I'm going to half-heartedly recommend a work of pure nightmare in its most unfiltered form, it'd be William Burrough's Naked Lunch... 
senseless as it is. Nothing else like it, and I'd say that more about that book than any other book.

Oh I read George R. R. Martin's Fevre Dream recently and that was really good, and I'm not normally a fan of vampire fiction. But the whole Mississippi steamboat thing was a cool attraction and novel spin.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Adrian P said:


> Hm...it's a bit harder to remember/find examples than I expected...though I suppose there are quite a few variations on the theme.
> For example, there is a whole story trope called "Mainlining the Monster" where the powerful monster is quite often exploited for the benefit of greedy and powerful humans. More about that can be found here - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MainliningTheMonster
> 
> Um...I can find some quotes like this, even though humans are often not actually the "monster"/villain behind the plot line -
> ...


Not at all! Good information here. In our world, so far as I've seen, it is most often the human monster at fault.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

mphicks said:


> The small indie publisher DarkFuse has become my automatic go-to for horror over the summer, and I've become a huge fan of their output to the point that I've pre-ordered all of their September, October, and November releases.
> 
> I absolutely love Tim Curran's work, and he's got a few solid DarkFuse titles out right now, like Deadlock and Blackout. I'd also recommend Dead Sea; great bit of nautical/Bermuda Triangle horror.
> 
> I've also enjoyed the few Ania Ahlborn title's I've read, particularly The Shuddering. I've got a few more of her books on my Kindle TBR.


I've heard of DarkFuse... Have to check them out.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Adrian P said:


> Hm...it's a bit harder to remember/find examples than I expected...though I suppose there are quite a few variations on the theme.
> For example, there is a whole story trope called "Mainlining the Monster" where the powerful monster is quite often exploited for the benefit of greedy and powerful humans.


Sounds like King Kong.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Set Sytes said:


> I never used to be into horror, it was always just fantasy. Now I'm still fussy with horror, but more and more into it (starting with an exploration of horror in film, lately with books, like I'm only just getting into Stephen King). My writing gradually evolved from oddball fantasy or comic fantasy into gathering more horror, thriller and plain grotesque themes. I guess it was the darkness growing inside me haha
> 
> For me though, while I will watch/read stuff like slasher films and the like, and they can be entertaining and scary, what really grabs me is the _aesthetic_ aspects of horror. The surreal, the supernatural, the fantastical, the plain obscenely weird... and so the best horror for me is a mere darker, crueler, less forgiving extension of the fantasy genre. Take a film like Pan's Labyrinth, for instance...
> 
> ...


I think you just reiterated exactly what this thread is about. "Horror" is a diverse topic but it gets snubbed because one portion or other within its realm is disliked by people, so the whole is neglected. For example--I can't stand Lovecraft, don't like his writing style at all--it makes me long for stereo instructions. If I'd started with his work, I might never have read anything else in the genre. Thankfully, I've also had a lot of good experiences as well. That is, I suppose, the nature of the beast.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks, a few posts were definitely moving toward discussion from an author's point of view -- a good topic for the Writer's Cafe! So I've split those out and moved them there: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,194836.0.html


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## BCPooleAuthor (Aug 27, 2014)

Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett series is an interesting genre intersection: horror, detective and period fiction. The series can be a bit darker than your standard mystery or procedural (especially _Mister Slaughter_) and makes effective use of the period and setting to evoke "environmental" horror (like a ride through a dark forest, not knowing what's out there that may be after you).


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Let's get back on topic.

So there's horror, and then there's dark fantasy (could be horror, might not be)...and then there's the dreaded dark romance.  Vampire romance, Werewolf Romance...I think I saw some Sasquatch Romance out there. 
I haven't read any of these (aside from Twilight), but I'm going to bet in most cases, you could remove the creature aspect and nothing would change...that the presence of a vampire/zombie/ghoul/were-creature does not add to the story other than to make it seem like something it is not. 

I think if all of those books were removed from the "horror" category, it might make it easier for me to find the stuff I'm really looking for. The endless categorization that is happening...ugh.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

Gore's fine, if it has a point to it. But I'm not sure that, artistically, it does very often. I often find a brief, one sentence description of violence can be more shocking, if the writer has the requisite skill. A single image that sticks with you.

As someone mentioned, Darkfuse books are pretty much a guarantee of quality horror fiction nowadays. I'd add Spectral Press, PS Publishing, Grayfriar Press etc. to the mix (all British publishers).


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## Douglas E Wright (Mar 11, 2011)

I tend to like Gothic more than horror. Supernatural characters are right up my alley, like you say -- creepy.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

BCPooleAuthor said:


> Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett series is an interesting genre intersection: horror, detective and period fiction. The series can be a bit darker than your standard mystery or procedural (especially _Mister Slaughter_) and makes effective use of the period and setting to evoke "environmental" horror (like a ride through a dark forest, not knowing what's out there that may be after you).


I'd like to second this. McCammon was one of my favorite authors back in his horror heyday, and for years I put off trying "Speaks the Nightbird" because I was all, "historical mysteries? no thanks!" It was my loss. The Corbett books are _definitely_ tinged with horror, and a great addition to any library (though I feel like the most recent one was a little on the short side for the price).

On another subject (sort of), I read "I Am Legend" last night by Richard Matheson. What an excellent book. I can definitely see why King cites Matheson as one of his biggest influences. I'd read a lot of Matheson short stories, and "Hell House," but this one was the best I've read of his yet.

ALMOST LIKE IT'S A CLASSIC, OR SOMETHING.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Amy Corwin said:


> I like the kind of understated horror of Shirley Jackson and un-gory (is that a word?) of S. King, but as mentioned, the 80's and 90's brand of blood-and-guts horror kind of destroyed the genre for me. I still search for "creepy" stories or oddball stories and often just search for "ghost stories" because they tend to be less gore and more spooky.


Same here! FWIW, we had a discussion on a large mystery reader's group not long ago, and many of them are looking for good ghost stories, too. I recently read James Herbert's The Secret of Crickley Hall and really liked it, as well as his The Magic Cottage.


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## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

I've heard that _The Demonologist _by Andrew Pyper is old-school horror: missing kids, an unbalanced parent, and, of course, the devil. But I haven't read it yet. The reviews I've read have been mixed for me.

I agree, too, that horror ain't what it usta' be. Or it seems that way. My theory is that it's not horror that has changed, but readers. Some of us are really disturbed by a small subset of things in our younger year, yet we feel compelled to read about it. But once we've confronted that horror, it loses some of its power. We blame the genre for failing to scare us, even though we're the ones who aren't scared anymore. Just a theory.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

Emm Oh said:


> All the horror is on the front page of the Daily Mail .


Sadly true.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Douglas E Wright said:


> I tend to like Gothic more than horror. Supernatural characters are right up my alley, like you say -- creepy.


 Yep, I dig atmosphere, putting me right there with the character as the specter hits the fan. Then I can't walk up the stairs in the dark for a week!


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Fredster said:


> ALMOST LIKE IT'S A CLASSIC, OR SOMETHING.


I wish there was a "like" button on here.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

WHDean said:


> I've heard that _The Demonologist _by Andrew Pyper is old-school horror: missing kids, an unbalanced parent, and, of course, the devil. But I haven't read it yet. The reviews I've read have been mixed for me.
> 
> I agree, too, that horror ain't what it usta' be. Or it seems that way. My theory is that it's not horror that has changed, but readers. Some of us are really disturbed by a small subset of things in our younger year, yet we feel compelled to read about it. But once we've confronted that horror, it loses some of its power. We blame the genre for failing to scare us, even though we're the ones who aren't scared anymore. Just a theory.


I keep hearing about that book as well. Must seek it out. I do enjoy a good tangle with the devil... My book list is getting longer and my reading seems to be slowing down.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

WHDean said:


> I agree, too, that horror ain't what it usta' be. Or it seems that way. My theory is that it's not horror that has changed, but readers. Some of us are really disturbed by a small subset of things in our younger year, yet we feel compelled to read about it. But once we've confronted that horror, it loses some of its power. We blame the genre for failing to scare us, even though we're the ones who aren't scared anymore. Just a theory.


That's how I feel myself. I've seen so many "screwed up" images from my job that very little "scares" me anymore when it comes to fiction. I guess, to a degree, that's growing up... I guess that why I look for surreal, twisted endings with horror themes.

If you have any recommendations, please let me know!


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## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

JT Williams said:


> That's how I feel myself. I've seen so many "screwed up" images from my job that very little "scares" me anymore when it comes to fiction. I guess, to a degree, that's growing up... I guess that why I look for surreal, twisted endings with horror themes.
> 
> If you have any recommendations, please let me know!


Real life is real scary. I prefer to be unhorrified by what I read nowadays.

The last thing I read that come closest to horror isn't really horror at all: Jorge Luis Borges. His stories are just "unsettling." But maybe that's saying something for me these days...


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Have y'all noticed that there seem to be new categories under Suspense for Horror and Gothic? Of course, most of the top sellers in Horror are King's books, or Koontz's.


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## Douglas E Wright (Mar 11, 2011)

Not


bobbic said:


> Have y'all noticed that there seem to be new categories under Suspense for Horror and Gothic? Of course, most of the top sellers in Horror are King's books, or Koontz's.


 no but I'm going to check it out now! Thanks.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

bobbic said:


> Have y'all noticed that there seem to be new categories under Suspense for Horror and Gothic? Of course, most of the top sellers in Horror are King's books, or Koontz's.


Interesting.


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## OdiOsO (Nov 12, 2010)

Horror isn't as popular as it used to be.

Period. Let's get used to the idea.

Everything in life has a natural cycle, and horror peaked during the 70s and early 80s...
to a tepid cycle closure that began in the later half of to 80s and lasted through most of the 90s.

There are a few good, creepy new literary voices out there... but there's no particularly big movement to back them up.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

OdiOsO said:


> Horror isn't as popular as it used to be.
> 
> Period. Let's get used to the idea.
> 
> ...


Again, have to disagree. Or why else would The Walking Dead, Grimm, Penny Dreadful, True Blood, Dexter, American Horror Story and a dozen different paranormal hunting and haunting shows be so popular? What about the glut of horror remakes and sequels in theaters? I think the problem is finding the fans...Horror fans are loyal as hell and seem to find their thing and stick with it. How to sneak into their world is the key.


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## alsentan (Jul 26, 2014)

It's hard to sort the actual horror from the not-actually-horror, for me at least.

I know I'm super late to the party, but I just got around to reading The Shining. That shit actually scared me.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Where has the horror gone? Maybe all the good stuff is in the e-magazines and anthologies that are being published now. IOW, shorter fiction.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Reminder: here in the Book Corner all comments should be from the point of view of a reader, only. So no comments about one's own work.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Reminder: here in the Book Corner all comments should be from the point of view of a reader, only. So no comments about one's own work.


Sorry.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

alsentan said:


> It's hard to sort the actual horror from the not-actually-horror, for me at least.
> 
> I know I'm super late to the party, but I just got around to reading The Shining. That [crap] actually scared me.


I just re-read The Shining  Great book.


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## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

alsentan said:


> It's hard to sort the actual horror from the not-actually-horror, for me at least.
> 
> I know I'm super late to the party, but I just got around to reading The Shining. That [crap] actually scared me.


That's it. I think what scares people changes over time, too. I think _The Shining _is a good example of horror that has more of a perennial quality. I'd put _Pet Sematary _in that same pile. Some of the stories in _Full Dark, No Stars _had that quality (e.g., "1922"). But I doubt I'd be disturbed by some of King's other stuff nowadays.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Speaking of Gothic (not horror)--I just finished reading THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton. It was the best example of a modern gothic I've read. It's a long book (over 500-pages) and I usually don't read books that long. But the suspense and sprinkling along of little revealed secrets kept me intrigued. It has a few romances in it, but it's not romantic suspense. Apparently the author has a good ghost story (THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON) and THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN. I would LOVE to be able to write gothics like this, but my sense of humor just wouldn't fit.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm liking his son's stuff a bit better. His short story collection,


WHDean said:


> That's it. I think what scares people changes over time, too. I think _The Shining _is a good example of horror that has more of a perennial quality. I'd put _Pet Sematary _in that same pile. Some of the stories in _Full Dark, No Stars _had that quality (e.g., "1922"). But I doubt I'd be disturbed by some of King's other stuff nowadays.


I like some of his son's stuff better. His short story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, is good. I read NOS4A2 but found it just way too long for me.


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## Gone To Croatan (Jun 24, 2011)

alsentan said:


> It's hard to sort the actual horror from the not-actually-horror, for me at least.


Ditto. Publishers stopped publishing the kind of horror novels I liked to read, and finding good self-published horror is hard when the Amazon Horror Best-Seller list is full of romance novels every time I go looking (nothing against them, but Twilight isn't what I think of when I think of Horror).


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

OdiOsO said:


> Horror isn't as popular as it used to be.
> 
> Period. Let's get used to the idea.
> 
> Everything in life has a natural cycle, and horror peaked during the 70s and early 80s...


I noticed that McCammon is self-publishing some of his stuff now, so hopefully the more horror authors do this, the more it will get popular again.

Here's a thought that just occurred to me. Maybe there is a market out there for it, but right now, they're younger and reading stuff like Twilight (ugh). Maybe some of them like the non-romantic aspects of it, and they just haven't discovered the classic authors yet. Those of us who are older have probably read most of the good horror novels that have been published over the last 40 years.

I know that's a lot of maybes. LOL.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

For those of you looking for new horror books/stories, I just read the introduction to the Best New Horror 2014 collection, and it lists lots of new books/stories that were published last year. Also, the HWA has a page of new books, so maybe that would be a good place to start.

http://horror.org/new-releases/

As for me, I'm reading some "old" horror. Started PSYCHO last night, and have the collection with PSYCHO 2 and PSYCHO HOUSE by Bloch in it. So far, the story's tracking with the movie (one of my all time favs).


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## ET (Oct 23, 2014)

Sadly, even Stephen King doesn't really write horror anymore--at least not the way he used to. I recently read _11/22/63_. It's an entertaining enough book, but it doesn't compare to his horror novels from the 1970s and 1980s: _The Shining_, _'Salem's Lot_, _Cujo_, etc.

While there are still horror movies being made, it now seems obligatory to inject them with irony or satire. (AMC's _The Walking Dead_ is a notable exception here, and I think this is a central reason for the series' success: The show's writers aren't trying to use the zombies for ironic ends, they are trying to _scare the viewer_.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

bobbic said:


> For those of you looking for new horror books/stories, I just read the introduction to the Best New Horror 2014 collection, and it lists lots of new books/stories that were published last year. Also, the HWA has a page of new books, so maybe that would be a good place to start.
> 
> http://horror.org/new-releases/
> 
> As for me, I'm reading some "old" horror. Started PSYCHO last night, and have the collection with PSYCHO 2 and PSYCHO HOUSE by Bloch in it. So far, the story's tracking with the movie (one of my all time favs).


How do you feel about the characterization of Norman in the book vs. the film? I loved both...Psycho 2 was all right...Psycho House was not my favorite


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Edward Trimnell said:


> Sadly, even Stephen King doesn't really write horror anymore--at least not the way he used to. I recently read _11/22/63_. It's an entertaining enough book, but it doesn't compare to his horror novels from the 1970s and 1980s: _The Shining_, _'Salem's Lot_, _Cujo_, etc.
> 
> While there are still horror movies being made, it now seems obligatory to inject them with irony or satire. (AMC's _The Walking Dead_ is a notable exception here, and I think this is a central reason for the series' success: The show's writers aren't trying to use the zombies for ironic ends, they are trying to _scare the viewer_.


See, I don't find Walking Dead scary...The zombies could've been anything--war, virus...It's about the people (the actual walking dead) and that's what drew me to the show in the first season...also what put me off of it in the third. There are a lot of shows that are horror based. I keep listing them: Dexter, American Horror Story, Supernatural, The Originals, Hannibal, Bates Motel, Being Human, Dominion, Hemlock Grove, Penny Dreadful, True Blood, Grimm, The Strain...even The Evil Dead is in development for a show. They aren't all everybody's cup of horror tea, but very successful. Maybe writing books isn't the way to be a horror writer...write for film or television. That's my goal. I think horror as a genre is more popular than ever--thanks in great part to shows like these.

Have you read Stephen King's Joyland? More murder mystery than pure horror, but it reminded me of the olden days


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

DanDillard said:


> How do you feel about the characterization of Norman in the book vs. the film? I loved both...Psycho 2 was all right...Psycho House was not my favorite


Hmmm, Norman. I think I liked him in the movie better, but can't say why. Maybe it's just based on the description of him in the book? Or maybe because Anthony Perkins was great in the role? I'm just about to start Psycho 2, so we'll see how I like it.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Just thought I'd post that there are a bunch of horror books for sale at $1.99 right now for Halloween. See the list here.

Betsy


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I will check out that list Betsy! I am currently reading "The Small Hand" by Susan Hill and finding it very creepy. This is my favorite genre and today on my blog I posted my own list of recommendations, both old and new: http://www.piewacketblog.com/journal/2014/10/31/pies-pics-for-a-sleepless-nights-2014-edition.html


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## CRL (Nov 8, 2013)

If you like Stephen King you can currently pick up Pet Sematary, Bag of Bones, and Everything's Eventual for $2.99 apiece.

Not sure of the time frame, though.....


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

I loved Joyland, and I don't read a lot of King's stuff anymore. Not that it's not good; it's just too long for me to get through. I have a shorter attention span. I do read all of his "short" stories, though.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

bobbic said:


> I loved Joyland, and I don't read a lot of King's stuff anymore. Not that it's not good; it's just too long for me to get through. I have a shorter attention span. I do read all of his "short" stories, though.


I hear this more and more, but it never gets easier to sell the short stories. It's like lint or cat hair...always opposite of the clothes you're currently wearing


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Just thought I'd post that there are a bunch of horror books for sale at $1.99 right now for Halloween. See the list here.
> 
> Betsy


Thanks for the tip, Betsy! See, step away for a week and miss all the good stuff. I hope some of these are still on sale


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

We recorded the old movie "Strait-Jacket" on TCM last week and watched it last night. WOW, was it good! Hatchet murders galore, crazies running amok. Written by Robert Bloch, BTW. Now I'm on a search to see if it was based on a novel or short story.


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## bberntson (Oct 24, 2013)

I just ran across Straight Jacket for the first time recently and LOVED it!  I thought Dementia 13 was pretty effective, too. I'm not a fan of the psychological thriller, but I thought, for it's time, it was pretty disturbing in some aspects.  Great stuff.


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## DanDillard (Mar 10, 2011)

Currently reading "Gil's All Fright Diner" by A. Lee Martinez which is quite funny...not really scary, but it isn't meant to be.

For some chills, I recommend hitting your Video On Demand and finding "The Babadook". That movie is all old-school scares. Had me hating the dark for about a week. That hasn't happened in probably 10 years.


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## belindaf (Jan 27, 2011)

I enjoyed and miss Joe Schreiber's horror novels. A fellow medical guy, his novel Eat the Dark was one of my favorites! Chasing the Dead was also good. I've read some Michael Robertson, Jr. who is an indie and his novel Rough Draft was pretty good. Beyond that, I've been hanging with the mystery, thriller, true crime crowd these days. Sometimes you get burnout. I'm sure I'll be back to reading horror. I have Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie on order. I hear it's incredible. Fingers crossed!


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## Adrian P (Aug 5, 2014)

DanDillard said:


> There are a lot of shows that are horror based. I keep listing them: Dexter, American Horror Story, Supernatural, The Originals, Hannibal, Bates Motel, Being Human, Dominion, Hemlock Grove, Penny Dreadful, True Blood, Grimm, The Strain...even The Evil Dead is in development for a show. They aren't all everybody's cup of horror tea, but very successful. Maybe writing books isn't the way to be a horror writer...write for film or television. That's my goal. I think horror as a genre is more popular than ever--thanks in great part to shows like these.
> 
> Have you read Stephen King's Joyland? More murder mystery than pure horror, but it reminded me of the olden days


Dexter is a horror? I watched the whole thing and didn't realize... O_O
(I also had a much harder time relating to many of the "normals" in the show than I did with Dexter.)


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

I've been reading Night Film by Marisha Pessl. I'm not quite finished, but I'd put it in the horror camp, though it's a bit of a mystery-thriller as well. Journalist investigates the suicide of a cult film director and spirals down a very dark path.

The book's interesting for its additional visual components as well i.e. re-creations of websites and articles about the director and his daughter etc.


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