reader's advisory: horror
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Fear and Loathing Fear and Loathing
in your libraryin your library
What is Horror?• An intense, painful
feeling of repugnance or fear.
• That which excites horror or dread, or is horrible, gloomy or dreary.
• A shuddering with terror and detestation; the feeling inspired by something frightful and shocking.
What is horror fiction?Broadly defined, a story intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader.On the most basic level horror fiction contains a monster, whether it be supernatural, human or a metaphor for the psychological torment of a guilt-ridden human.
A guided nightmare ridethat can shock, educate, illuminate, threaten, shriek, and whisper before it lets the readers loose. - Robert McCammon
“Horror is not a genre like mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries or bookstores. Horror is an emotion.”
– Douglas Winter, Prime Evil
Did You Know?
Horror is one of the most pervasive literary types. Elements of horror can be found in almost every genre: romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, even westerns.Not considered a separate genre until about 1985 when the beginnings of the Horror Writers Association was formed.
Appeal FactorsAppeal FactorsProvokes a emotional/physical Provokes a emotional/physical response in the reader.response in the reader.Allows a safe exploration of The Dark Allows a safe exploration of The Dark Side.Side.Encourages escape from everyday Encourages escape from everyday reality.reality.Validates a belief in supernatural.Validates a belief in supernatural.Provides a place to face our fears.Provides a place to face our fears.
Some Early MilestonesSome Early Milestones1764 1764 –– The Castle of Otranto The Castle of Otranto –– Horace WalpoleHorace Walpole1798 1798 –– Wieland, or the TransformationWieland, or the Transformation –– C. B. BrownC. B. Brown1818 1818 –– Frankenstein Frankenstein –– Mary ShellyMary Shelly1835 1835 –– Berenice Berenice –– Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allen Poe1847 1847 –– Barney the VampireBarney the Vampire –– A A ““penny dreadfulpenny dreadful””1847 1847 –– Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights –– Emily BronteEmily Bronte1851 1851 –– The House of the Seven Gables The House of the Seven Gables –– N. HawthorneN. Hawthorne1872 1872 –– Carmilla Carmilla –– Sheridan Le FanuSheridan Le Fanu1891 1891 –– The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray –– Oscar WildeOscar Wilde1897 1897 –– Dracula Dracula –– Bram StokerBram Stoker1908 1908 –– The House on the Borderland The House on the Borderland –– W. H. HodgsonW. H. Hodgson
Topics and Themes• Ghosts & Haunted
Houses• Mythological Evil• Demonic
Possession• Witches & Warlocks
& Black Magic• Vampires• Werewolves• Mummies, zombies,
and golems
• Scientific & Medical Horror
• Psychological Horror
• Mind Control• Small Town Horror• Dark Fantasy• Splatterpunk• Detective Horror• Comic Horror• Classics
Ghosts and Haunted Houses• Most often involves tales of buried guilt.• Ghost or haunted house is usually a portent
to the guilty party or even to someone innocent.
• Examples: The Turn of the ScrewThe Haunting of Hill HouseThe ShiningNazareth HillMammoth Book of Haunted
House Stories
Mythological Evil
• Often based on monsters from religion or mythology.
• “Monster” derives from the Latin monstere, to show.
• Often involves divine warnings about consequences of human action.
• This type of evil often threatens entire populations.
• Examples: The Shadow Out of Time – LovecraftThe Servant of the Bones – RiceThe Descent – Jeff LongPhantoms – KoontzThe Oath – Frank Peretti
Possession, Witches, Black Magic• Innocents possessed by demons or even Satan.• Witches and Warlocks may or may not be evil.• Pacts made with Dark Powers.• Modern examples often involve Catholics in faith
crisis.• Examples: The Exorcist – William Blatty
Rosemary’s Baby – Ira LevinThe Omen – David SeltzerDark Fall – Dean KoontzThe Bible – Gospel of MarkA Ship Possessed – Alton Gansky
Scientific & Medical Horror
• The fear of technology.• The perils of scientific investigation.• Close parallels with real life concerns.• Examples: The Invisible Man – H. G. Wells
Toxin – Robin CookDemon Seed – Dean KoontzFloating Dragon – Peter Straub
Psychological Horror• Horror with an explicable cause.• Torment from mental illness, child abuse, etc.• Questions the very nature of our world.• Examples: Silence of the Lambs
Psycho – Robert Bloch Misery – Stephen KingChurch of Dead Girls – Stephen
DobynsBeasts – Joyce Carol OatesA Graveyard for Lunatics – Ray
Bradbury
Mind Control
• Brainwashing, hypnosis, telekinesis.• Based on our fears of being controlled by
others.• Often has outcasts with gifts going “postal”.• Examples: Carrie – Stephen King
Firestarter – Stephen KingThe Lecturer’s Tale – James HynesDragon Tears – Dean Koontz
Small Town Horror
• Isolated settings.• Untouched by our civilized values.• Where no one can hear you scream.• Reminds us of our powerlessness and dependence
on others.• Examples: The Stepford Wives – Ira Levin
Desperation – Stephen KingThe Hungry Moon – Ramsey CampbellUnhallowed Ground – Gillian White
Splatterpunk• More a style of writing than a theme.• Characterized by a grotesque decadence.• Graphic sex and violence for their own sake.• No reluctant monsters or anti-heroes.• No taboos.• Examples: Every Dead Thing – John Connelly
Ghoul – Michael SladeAmerican Psycho – Brett Ellis
Detective HorrorDetective HorrorA detective investigating the supernaturalA detective investigating the supernaturalPlot often secondary to the eerie backgroundPlot often secondary to the eerie backgroundExamples: Legion Examples: Legion –– William Peter BlattyWilliam Peter Blatty
Mystery Mystery –– Peter StraubPeter StraubChildren of the End Children of the End –– Mark ClementsMark ClementsPrimal Scream Primal Scream –– Michael SladeMichael SladeWhispers Whispers –– Dean KoontzDean Koontz
Comic Horror• Laughing at our fears• Comic characters• Off-the-wall situations• Ridiculous monsters• Examples: Lunatic Café – Laura Hamilton
American Gods – Neil GaimanTicktock – Dean Koontz
Short Story Collections
Annual Anthologies – The Year’s Best Horror Stories; Best New Horror: 10th Anniversary ed.General Anthologies – Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural; A Touch of Chill: Tales for Sleepless NightsTheme Anthologies – Penguin Book of Vampire Stories; Stories of the Walking Dead; Werewolf!Individual Authors – The Darkest Part of the Woods by Ramsey Campbell; Duel: Terror Stories by Richard Matheson
Printed Resources
• Hooked on Horror: A Guide to Reading Interests in Horror Fiction. Libraries Unlimited, 2003.
• Horror Reader’s Advisory: The Librarian’s Guide to Vampires, Killer Tomatoes, and Haunted Houses. ALA, 2004
• Horror: The 100 Best Books. Carroll & Graf, 1998. 2nd ed. (new edition forthcoming)
• Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
Online Resources
• HCPL homepage – Books Lists• Novelist• Harriet – adult services – Reader’s Advisory
Tools For Adults• Bram Stoker Awards. Horror Writers of
America/Horror Writers Association (includes a link for librarians). www.horror.org
• International Horror Guild Award. www.ihg.org• August Derleth Award (best novel).
www.bristishfantasysociety.org.uk
Personal PicksPersonal Picks
An early effort of Siddons and her only venture into horror. A Stephen King favorite.
A post-apocalyptic battle between good and evil by a modern master
Matheson’s 1954 novella about a lone man’s last stand against a plague of vampires.
For the YA’s
Gaiman opens the door into a creepy alternate reality.