Quote: "Horror is a genre of fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten or scare."
Horror often explores themes such as death, the unknown, fear, and the supernatural. These themes can be used to create a sense of terror or unease in the reader.
The history of horror literature: Tracing the origins of horror literature back to ancient folklore and mythologies.
The evolution of horror literature: Examining how horror literature has evolved over time, from the Gothic novels of the 18th and 19th centuries to modern horror fiction.
Horror subgenres: Exploring the different subgenres within horror, such as supernatural horror, psychological horror, and slasher horror.
Horror tropes: Identifying common tropes and themes found in horror literature, such as monsters, ghosts, and haunted houses.
Horror archetypes: Examining the archetypal characters found in horror literature, such as the final girl, the mad scientist, and the reluctant hero.
Horror themes: Exploring the underlying themes and messages in horror literature, such as fear, death, and isolation.
The role of fear in horror: Analyzing how fear plays a crucial role in horror literature and exploring the different techniques used by horror writers to elicit fear in their readers.
The cultural significance of horror: Exploring how horror literature reflects and shapes cultural attitudes towards topics such as death, sexuality, and violence.
The influence of horror on other genres: Examining how horror literature has influenced and been influenced by other genres, such as science fiction and fantasy.
The psychology of horror: Delving into the psychological aspects of horror literature, such as the attraction to fear and the relationship between horror and trauma.
Supernatural horror: A genre that involves supernatural phenomena like ghosts, demons, witches, or vampires. Examples include "The Exorcist" and "Hereditary".
Psychological horror: A genre that relies on the inner workings of the human mind and explores how people cope with trauma, guilt, and anxiety. Examples include "The Babadook" or "Black Swan".
Body horror: A genre that involves the grotesque and often shocking transformation of the human body. Examples include "The Fly" or "The Human Centipede".
Gothic horror: A genre that combines horror and romanticism by showcasing ancient buildings, unfamiliar landscapes, and supernatural elements like ghosts and vampires. Examples include "Dracula" and "Frankenstein".
Lovecraftian horror: A genre popularized by H.P. Lovecraft, which involves cosmic horror and emphasizes the insignificance of human beings within an uncaring, indifferent universe. Examples include "Call of Cthulhu" and "The Dunwich Horror".
Scream horror: A genre that subverts horror tropes by introducing self-aware characters and breaking the fourth wall to mock horror clichés. Examples include "Scream" and "Cabin in the Woods".
Creature horror: A genre that focuses on creatures such as monsters, aliens, or beasts that cause terror and destruction. Examples include "Jaws" and "Alien".
Splatter horror: A genre that features gory and graphic violence, blood, and gore, often in a grotesque or unrealistic way. Examples include "Hostel" and "Saw".
Found footage horror: A genre that employs the technique of using supposedly real footage to create a sense of authenticity and realism. Examples include "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity".
Religious horror: A genre that involves religious themes, like possession, cults, or exorcism, to create a sense of dread and terror. Examples include "The Omen" and "The Conjuring".
Quote: "Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror."
Quote: "Literary historian J. A. Cuddon [...] defined the horror story as 'a piece of fiction in prose of variable length... which shocks, or even frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing'."
Quote: "Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader."
Quote: "Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include ghosts, demons, vampires, monsters, zombies, werewolves, the Devil, extraterrestrial life, killer toys, evil clowns, cults, evil witches, and cannibalism."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include man-made or natural disasters."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include psychopaths, sexual deviancy, rape, gore, torture, and vicious animals."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include dystopia."
Quote: "Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include the Devil."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include serial killers."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include evil clowns."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include the apocalypse."
Quote: "Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include evil witches."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include monsters and zombies."
Quote: "Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror."
Quote: "Prevalent elements include cannibalism."
Quote: "Literary historian J. A. Cuddon [...] defined the horror story as 'a piece of fiction in prose of variable length... which shocks, or even frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing'."