Horror fiction

Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any media intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has necessarily been the intrusion of an evil, or occasionally misunderstood, supernatural element into everyday human experience. Since the 1960s, any work of fiction with a morbid, gruesome, surreal, exceptionally suspenseful or frightening theme has come to be called "horror". Horror fiction often overlaps with science fiction and/or fantasy, all of which have been placed under the umbrella category speculative fiction. See also supernatural fiction.

Contemporary horror fiction

Modern practitioners of the genre have often resorted to--or used-- progressively greater extremes of violence, often recalling grand guignol theatre. (See splatterpunk) This has given horror fiction a stigma as base entertainment devoid of literary merit. Other writers, such as Ramsey Campbell and Thomas Ligotti are cited as rejecting such violence in favor of more subtle writing.

Related Topics:
Grand guignol - Splatterpunk - Ramsey Campbell - Thomas Ligotti

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Nevertheless, contemporary writers such as Clive Barker in The Books of Blood and Stephen King in his more considered work, such as Misery, are capable of bringing off the horror effect without excessive violence which characterises much of the current mainstream of this genre.

Related Topics:
Clive Barker - The Books of Blood - Stephen King - Misery

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As well, in more recent years, the subgenre of erotic horror which combines both erotic and horrific imagery and subject matter has gained a substantial foothold. Originally thought to have been originated by the late Ed Wood of B movie fame during the mid 1960's, modern authors such as Alex Severin, Hertzan Chimera and others continue to use this shocking combination to scare a new generation of readers.

Related Topics:
Erotic horror - Ed Wood - Alex Severin - Hertzan Chimera

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The rise of the Internet has allowed horror authors and fans to create new subsets of the genre. Numerous web based fanzines have provided a market for both amateur and professional writers which is (for better or for worse) unfettered by the tastes and judgments of the professional publishing houses.

Related Topics:
Internet - Fanzine

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