Who (or What) is Death? Is Death a character, a concept, or a force of nature? Depending on how you look at it, we either live or die a little every day. Death walks alongside, close by. And we try our best to encounter her. Is Death a he or a she? In Spanish, she […]
Risky Literature for Modern Times How transgressive are science fiction and fantasy? Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for those stories that begin with a what-if proposition and explores its repercussions. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, dystopian, slipstream, alternate history, superhero fiction, and weird fiction are some of the genres encompassed by speculative fiction. Speculative fiction has […]
How Can We Survive? Horror fiction is full of tropes. The invincible or unkillable monster is one of them. Although in fairness, this is more prevalent in horror movies and video games. The characters reach the point of the final confrontation with the monster. They are frightened but toughen up from all the trauma from […]
Horror Stories Out of the Headlines A cult refers to a small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister. Doomsday cults, also called apocalyptic cults, believe the world will end soon. Doomsday cults also have unusual habits and rituals. How is this different than Christians preaching the […]
Rewarding Superior Achievement Halloween is approaching, so what better time to talk about horror fiction and the Stoker Award? The Bram Stoker Award is obviously named after the author of Dracula, the seminal Gothic horror novel. The award started in 1987. The Horror Writers Association members select the winners for superior achievement in horror and […]
The Self Versus the Other Otherness refers to the quality or fact of being different. Horror literature refers to fiction meant to provoke fear and disgust in the reader. Horror fiction is not just for cheap thrills. Indeed, it can be highly allegorical. And more often than not, the monster in horror is an allegory […]
About Horror and Temptation Temptation is defined as persuading someone into doing something bad, or morally questionable. An old trope of horror fiction is the misguided individuals who go out of their way to summon forces they do not understand and cannot control. But why? Shouldn’t people know better? Temptation is a big part of […]
About Insects and Horror Horror fiction seeks to provoke fear and disgust in the reader. Is there anything scarier than insects? Or more repulsive? Spiders and insects are part of Halloween decorations. Unsurprisingly, they feature in horror fiction and films too. An insect is a creature that has six legs and two antennae. They also […]
Haunted Mansions are Here to Stay But… There is something about haunted mansions in horror fiction. Perhaps the sense of opulence and grandiosity contrasts with the violence and decay to follow. Or perhaps it is reassuring to know ghosts and demons do not discriminate and equally haunt the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, this trope […]
Why is Horror so Morally Conservative? Films about slashers cutting killing people, monsters chasing teenagers, paranormal spirits battling humans for possession… Scary stuff, no? And upon closer view, so conservative. And yet, it makes sense. Most horror fiction is nothing but a modern reinterpretation of morality plays. Good versus evil, God versus the Devil, virtue […]
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