Horror is an interesting genre of fiction. All stories are meant to elicit a response from us, for our enjoyment or education. Comedies make us laugh, mysteries intrigue us, thrillers excite us, and sci-fi and fantasy compel us. A good story can entertain us, the best stories can change us. But none of them do to us what horror does to us. Horror purposely causes us to feel fear, to feel disgusted, disturbed, or unsettled. Horror can send chills down our spines or make us glance nervously over our shoulders. Horror can unnerve us, make us feel hunted, or give us that uneasy feeling that we are not as alone as we think we are…
Why do we do this to ourselves?
There are numerous answers, and they can be different for different people. One common answer is curiosity. People are generally curious – they want to know, and sometimes they need to know. Horror allows us to experience some of the more terrifying situations, feel the adrenaline spikes, witness the unusual, unnatural, or unique, all in relative safety. We know that we can put the book down at any moment, that the words on the page cannot actually hurt us. We are experiencing a variety of fears, possibly confronting them, in a secure environment. In this way, horror is similar to a roller coaster, or some other intense amusement park ride. We put ourselves in positions of danger; we intentionally seek out intense, adrenaline-pumping experiences that we can only truly enjoy because we know that realistically, we are not in any danger.
Horror also allows us to confront our metaphorical demons, both personal and social. Horror, in all of its mediums, has been a tool for allegory for about as long as the genre has existed. Dracula by Bram Stoker evokes the fear of disease and plague, and society’s inability to fully prevent it. Dawn of the Dead by George A. Romero is a direct and scathing commentary on consumerism. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explores the dangers of hubris and the ethical implications of unchecked scientific study. Get Out by Jordan Peele explores the realities of racism and the exploitation of the Black population.
Different people will have different reactions to Horror, and it certainly isn’t for everyone. But just in case this has piqued your interest, let’s go over a few of the many sub-genres of horror, and give some recommendations for books to start with. These will only be a small glimpse into the dark depths of Horror, so if something catches your eye, take the plunge and see where you end up.
Gothic Horror
Named after the gothic architecture that often evokes the feeling of darkness, loneliness, and dread, gothic horror is all about tone. More than any other sub-genre, gothic horror is a slow burn. These books will take the time to set the scene, establish characters, and give the reader a chance to understand the world before the plot fully gets into motion. Many early gothic horrors took place in literal gothic castles and mansions, but they can take place anywhere, and the term is more of a reference to the overall vibe of the story. Most gothic horrors tend to include aspects of the supernatural, but it is not a requirement.
Many of what we consider to be classic horror stories fall into this category: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Wuthering Heights. Many gothic novels tend to be on the shorter side, but there are plenty to keep you huddled under your blanket on a chilly night.
Here are some excellent places to start your gothic horror journey:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
“First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers–and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.”
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe
“Roderick Usher’s fate is inextricably intertwined with that of his sister, Madeline, and that of their estate. As one falls, so do they all. “The Fall of the House of Usher” is considered Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest work, and a masterpiece of Gothic horror.”
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
“A carnival rolls in sometime after the midnight hour on a chill Midwestern October eve, ushering in Halloween a week before its time. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two inquisitive boys standing precariously on the brink of adulthood will soon discover the secret of the satanic raree-show’s smoke, mazes, and mirrors, as they learn all too well the heavy cost of wishes — and the stuff of nightmare.”
Psychological Horror
Sometimes a story is intentionally trying to mess with your mind. These are the stories that are intended to make you paranoid, to doubt yourself, just as the protagonists begin to doubt themselves. They focus on the way activities and events affect a character’s mental state and emotions. Sometimes these books can be violent or gory, but often only in small bursts, to maximize the effect and to further generate the fear of what else could happen. Books that focus on isolation, trauma, and depression all fall under the psychological sub-genre.
Here are some titles to get you started on your mind-bending path:
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“Presented in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman whose physician husband has confined her to the upstairs bedroom of a house he has rented for the summer. She is forbidden from working and has to hide her journal from him, so she can recuperate from what he calls a “temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency,” a diagnosis common to women in that period.”
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
“Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods — until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp.”
“Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.”
Supernatural Horror
While many other sub-genres of horror may contain supernatural elements, there are some where the driving focus is the supernatural. Stories about haunted houses, vampires, werewolves, or other legendary creatures are all contained under this umbrella. These stories dare you to set aside your sense of reality and embrace the magical and the bizarre. This sub-genre can run the spectrum from intense to light, and many so-called ‘cozy horror’ novels will fall under this category.
Here are a few spine-chilling selections to get you started:
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
“Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked. Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver–and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else–something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance?”
“The SS Arcadia vanished during a routine voyage. A strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, but no trace of the ship, or of its crew, could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course. A small team are granted permission to dive to it. Their purpose is straightforward: explore the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished. But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and the submerged halls hold more than simple mysteries. Trapped hundreds of feet beneath the surface, the dive team must fight for their lives in a place where even the smallest mistake turns deadly.”
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
“A gripping, page-turning “masterpiece” (Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman) set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.Gracetown, Florida June 1950 Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory. Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late. The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.”
Body Horror
Not for the faint of heart, body horror is all about the frailty and decay of the human body. These stories explore our vulnerabilities and the ways the body can change and deform. Often mixed with violence and gore, body horror stories focus on extremely detailed descriptions of mutations, disfigurements, and transformations. Be aware that this sub-genre will not be for everyone, and may make you sick to the stomach, but if you are a fan of the more intensely violent stories, or stories to make you wince, then this is the sub-genre for you.
Here are a few stories to introduce you to the mangled, unnatural world of body horror:
“A masterful mix of horror and absurdity, Metamorphosis tells the story of travelling salesman Samsa, who wakes up one day to find out he has turned into a giant insect. Samsa has been a model of virtue for years, single-handedly supporting his parents and young sister. Suddenly he finds himself outcast in his own home, facing a world in which he no longer has a place. Simultaneously harrowing and humorous, Metamorphosis is a strange, subtle and moving novella which has become a classic of world literature.”
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
“The electrifying, award-winning, internationally bestselling novel about a dystopian world in which animals have been wiped out, humans are being harvested for food, and society has been divided into those who eat and those who are eaten.”
“In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The doctor’s replacement has a mystery to solve: discovering how the Institute lost track of one of its many bodies. For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed. In the frozen north, the Institute’s body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron’s castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again.”
Now what?
So there you have it, a small taste of some of the many different stories that await you in this complex and truly unique genre. I hope something here caught your eye and that you will be willing to take a chance on something new and try out horror. After all, what are you afraid of?
