A problem with... horror

[Scarlette]

I really loved being scared by novels as a child. I devoured any creepy looking thing I could find in the library. These days, though, I very rarely find a good, scary story. In fact the only two novels that come to mind that frightened me as an adult, giving me that oh-so-good chills down the spine feeling, was Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and Susan Hill's The Woman in Black. Especially good ghost stories seem to be a minority these days, anyway. I wish someone would have a go at that specific genre and give me something that will make me afraid to walk down my own corridor at night. I suppose no one gets a kick out of being scared of things that go bump in the night anymore.

[Pablo]

I've got to agree with you Univerze. There are so many 'by the numbers' horror books out there. Luckily I've managed to avoid them so far by simply putting back anything that says 'vampire' in the blurb or 'haunted'.

 

That's not to say that I'm a fan of neither, but generally speaking they are targeted as cash-in genres for authors, and to my mind offer nothing new to the world of fantasy/sci-fi/horror.

[BookJumper]

There are so many 'by the numbers' horror books out there. Luckily I've managed to avoid them so far by simply putting back anything that says 'vampire' in the blurb or 'haunted'.

While I understand where you're coming from as far as wanting to avoid books-by-numbers, I think that putting back titles in such an a priori way might entail a risk of missing out on actually good books which happen to contain vampires or haunted locations. No ?

[Pablo]

Normally I would agree with you one hundred percent BookJumper, but the simple fact is that I've never really understood the public's fascination with vampirism or hauntings.

 

I also think the fact that I'm tired of hearing about twiglit has some bearing.

 

Either way, I just don't feel that spooks or vamps have anything new to add to the genre, although I am open to any suggestions that may prove me wrong.

 

I can already hear cries of Let The Right One In, but having seen the movie (and loved it) I have no intention of reading the book.

 

As an additional point, you're not alone in enjoying being afraid, Scarlette. I'm like-minded, but as you may have discovered yourself, you become desensitised to fear like anything else, so after a while it becomes difficult to find the same thrill.

 

With the exception of The Terror by Dan Simmons, I can't remember being truly scared whilst reading a book.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Pablo

[Univerze]

Normally I would agree with you one hundred percent BookJumper, but the simple fact is that I've never really understood the public's fascination with vampirism or hauntings.

I agree with you on hauntings, that's more my mom's thing.. however I have loved anything vampiry since I can remember.. for longer than 15 years now that has to be, and I think I can remember me reading some vamp stuff in junior school, so that's like.. 20 years ago. Loved it then. So I am kinda fed up with all the popular vampire books out there, also cause every author seems to have his or her own take on vampires, what they're like, what they can stand, how they become vampires. Pff.

[Nollaig]

And I adore hauntings. Good old fashioned haunted houses. Vampires are good when done well, but I've yet to actually read a book where I thoroughly loved the vampires.

[vodkafan]

Anyway, I just wondered if there was any aspect of horror that anyone else had a problem with. Or perhaps you're one of those anti-horror readers? Come on in and take a seat, I want to hear from you! And don't mind the children of the night howling outside the window - they won't bite - I promise!

 

 

Hi Kell, I read quickly through the other replies. I do have a problem with horror that I don't believe anybody has touched on yet.

It is the plot device of creating expendable characters just so they can be killed off in gory ways a couple of pages later on. You know, you get a couple of paragraphs of description at the start of a chapter and you know that person has got victim stamped all over them. I read a lot of horror stories like that when I was a teenager and eventually it just turned me off. I thought it was kind of cheap writing.

Having said that, Steven King doesn't do that very often. But as someone has already said, he is not just a horror writer.

There was one of his stories I couldn't finish reading: pet cemetary.

It just got too sick for me. I knew what was going to happen after the lorry incident (trying not to spoil for anyone who has not read it)

[Capture]

I haven't been a horror fan but I am becoming a fan of vampire myth and i'd love to read Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. But in any case, the problem i have with horror stories today is that everything is reduced to gore. The gore is the reason, not a result of a good and well developed storyline and rational action. It's pure unadulterated violence. That's my problem with horror.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Capture

[BookJumper]

... which is why I steer clear of most contemporary horror, Caption. You'll be happy to know that The Vampire Chronicles however (or, the first three at least, I can't vouch for the others) have sensible storylines, striking storytelling, compellingly complex characters, real relationships and believable behaviour.

[Vladd]

I haven't been a horror film fan but I am becoming a fan of vampire myth and i'd love to read Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. But in any case, the problem i have with horror stories today is that everything is reduced to gore. The gore is the reason, not a result of a good and well developed storyline and rational action. It's pure unadulterated violence. The violence is the ends, not the means. That's my problem with horror.

 

Perhaps you should try Lovecraft and the other Cthulu mythos authors in those stories the horror is of a more psychological nature rather than physical blood and gore.