Peters 4-6 Library

What is the Horror Genre?

Stories written for the horror are designed to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the reader. Horror has its roots in religion, folklore, and history and feeds on the audience's deepest terror by putting the most frightening and perplexing things such as death, evil, supernatural powers and creatures, the afterlife, and witchcraft at the center of attention. Another genre that is deeply connected to horror is the thriller. A thriller's primary feature is that it induces strong feelings of excitement, anxiety, suspense, fear, and other emotions in the reader. Both horror and thrillers push for similar reactions from their audiences, however, that does not mean they are the same. Essentially, all horrors are thrillers because horrors also center on getting the same feelings out of readers that thrillers do, yet not all thrillers are horrors because thrillers do not have to include elements of the supernatural or focus on death or evil to be effective.

Types of Horror

Gothic Horror: This is a dark style of fiction that combines horror with romanticism. Romanticism is a style of art, music, and literature from the late 1700's to the early 1800's that said feelings, imagination, nature, and old folk traditions (like legends and fairy tales) were important. In gothic horror, evil is predominate and usually takes the form of a great villain. A maiden (a young woman) is the opposing force to the villain and she is usually both attracted to evil and repulsed by it at the same time. In some cases, the virtue of the young woman conquers evil and in others the evil is so strong that it destroys all the good in its path before destroying itself. Well known books in this genre include Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson (1886), and Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897). Gothic fiction is also a popular genre, but the elements of horror have less of an emphasis. Gothic fiction can also be mysteries or thrillers. A popular gothic fiction author was Edgar Allen Poe. While his stories are scary, like "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839), they don't fall into the same category as the novels listed above. Gothic literature gets its name because much of its inspiration was drawn from medieval buildings and ruins, many of which are Gothic in architectural style. It commonly featured castles and monasteries equipped with subterranean passages, hidden panels, chambers of torture, and dark towers. Gothic literature is not confined to the 19th century, contemporary authors like Ann Rice (wait to read her until you're older) write in this style.

Supernatural Horror: This relies heavily on supernatural or paranormal elements to drive the story, featuring things like ghosts, monsters, demons, aliens, witchcraft, and zombies. The main source of terror in supernatural horrors is the human reaction to being faced with the unknown, usually in the midst of a serious conflict, such as a haunting, a possession, an invasion, a curse or an omen. Stephen King (you really shouldn't read him until you're older) write in this style. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, books by Mary Downing Hahn, and the Goosebumps series may be more kid friendly examples.

Non-supernatural Horror: This is a work of fiction that does not include supernatural elements. The terror of non-supernatural horror comes from the idea that what is happening in the story could plausibly occur in real life—usually involving the possibility of death—making it the ideal style for frightening crime or mystery stories. This can also be psychological horror because the evil is messing with the main character's mind. Edgar Allen Poe (yes, him again) was a master at this with his poem "The Raven" and his short story "The Tell Tale Heart". Not many non-supernatural horror books are written for kids. This is more of an adult genre.

What Makes Horror so Scary?

Instinctive Fears: There are many common elements that horror authors try to incorporate into their books. The first is that they all try to tap into instinctive fears. Darkness, heights, snakes, and spiders — all these are extremely common phobias rooted in instinct. As a result, they tend to be very effective at frightening readers. Authors can trap their characters in a small room with no lights, hang them over the edge of a tall building, or cover them in snakes and spiders.

Monsters and Supernatural Beings: We all know that vampires, werewolves, zombies, and ghosts aren't real, but that doesn't mean the reader can't be shaken to their core. It's the possibility that they can be real that scares us. Are monsters really out there and we have just never seen them? This is one of the most common themes in the genre. Instinctive fears and supernatural beings can often be combined into what is known as the uncanny valley. Authors may create their monsters to be not quite human. They're not quite monsters either. They exist somewhere in-between in appearance and are usually metaphors or symbolism to represent something the main character fears. For example, the monster may represent grief to the main character who lost somebody close to them. Grief haunts the main character until he or she can find a way to conquer it. Think of the boggarts in the Harry Potter series. The boggart took the form of whatever the character who had its attention feared the most. For Ron, it was spiders. For Hermione, it was bad grades. It was different for everyone. Even the dementors meant to symbolize depression. Their presence alone sucked all the happiness of those who were near. The dementors kiss signified the loss of all hope. That was Harry's greatest fear.

What are the stakes?: The main problem or motivation for the main character must be defined the author. What will the character lose if they fail? One popular option is survival. This is the most basic option in any horror story. Sometimes the goal is not only to live, but to defeat the enemy while doing it. Protecting loved ones is another option authors use to raise the stakes. The more people the main character has to keep safe, the higher the stakes are. Many horrific tales peak with a threat of death not to the main character, but to one or several of their loved ones. Cracking unsolved mysteries is another plot the author uses to create danger for the main character because some horror stories aren’t about escaping peril in the present, but rather about uncovering the terrors of the past.

Why Should you Read a Horror book?

Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Graveyard Book) once said "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten". Substitute fairy tales for scary books and dragons for monsters and the theory still holds true. Horror books (and even movies) for kids can teach you how to accept and conquer your fears. They will help you understand that all emotions are healthy and they all deserve to be felt and processed. Reading a scary story allows you to examine what you're afraid of, talk about it, and shine a light on negative emotions rather than burry them deep inside. If you find a book is too scary, it's ok to put the book aside and come back to it when you're ready. Author Cavan Scott (Warhammer Adventures) explains "scary stories are the literary version of a roller coaster. You strap yourself in and are sent on a thrilling ride that quickens your pulse. Your stomach lurches and your fingers tingle. Then when it’s over, nine-times-out-of-ten, you laugh. You’ve just pushed yourself to the edge of your comfort zone, all without being in actual danger". An added bonus to all that exhilaration is that it can reach reluctant readers. The thrill of the unknown and the constant suspense can really hook you. It hooked me. The first books I picked up and couldn't put down were written by RL Stine, who you know from his Goosebumps series, but I know him from his first series for teens, Fear Street.

Popular Horror Books and Series

Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
The Night Gardner by Jonathan Auxier
Doll Bones by Holly Black
The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
Lockwood & Co Series by Jonathan Stroud
Nightbooks by J.A. White
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Time for Andrew, The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall, The Doll in the Garden, Took, The Old Willis Place, Closed for the Season, All the Lovely Bad Ones, Wait Til Helen Comes, Guest, The Girl in the Locked Room, and One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn
The Collector by K.R. Alexander
The Fear Zone by K.R. Alexander
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Dare to be Scared by Robert D. San Souci
Nightmares! Series by Jason Segel
Something Upstairs by AVI
School of the Dead by AVI
The Doll Graveyard by Lois Ruby
Grave Images by Jenny Goebel
Always October by Bruce Coville
The Haunting of Derek Stone Series by Tony Abbot
Eerie Elementary Series by Jack Chabert
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
Bunnicula Series by James and Deborah Howe

How to Write a Spooky Story

Jack Black, who played R.L. Stine in the 2015 Goosebumps movie, explains what is needed to write a spooky story. He even gets you started with a couple of scenarios that you get to finish.