What is the “horror”?
slices May 19th, 2007
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Today, I’ve decided I’ll try to think of something nice for a horror short story competition someone told me about. Consequently, I figured i would begin by reflecting on the concept of “horror”, instead of just trying to copy everyone else’s clichès right off the bat. I belive that words have a lot to teach us, if only we’re able to become aware of their meaning. For example, let’s consider the following definition I’ve found by using google as dictionary:
“The horror classification denotes works that traffic in the bizarre, awful, and scary in order to entertain as well as explicate the darkness at the heart of the reader’s soul. Horror sub-genres may be typified according to the appearance of were-creatures, vampires, human-induced monsters, or naturally occurring life forms and spirit entities - or absence thereof. Horror fiction traditionally makes imaginative literary use of paranormal phenomena, occult elements, and psychological motifs. “
This is a good definition because it catalogues all the clichés I shall mindfully try to avoid; the following definition (from wikipedia) is perhaps best, because it provides contrast between “horror” and “terror”:
“Horror is the feeling of dread and anticipation that occurs before something frightening is seen, heard, or otherwise experienced. (Terror is the feeling that follows after the experience has occurred.)
The difference between Terror and Horror is the difference between awful apprehension and sickening realization: between the smell of death and stumbling against a corpse. “
I’d like to make a story that happens on the borderline between terror and horror. I want to take people’s uttermost fears and excruciatingly, painstakingly explore them in lyrical fashion. I suppose I’ll need to inquire the most aggravating causes of fear, next. Stay tuned, and feel free to participate in this literary brainstorming of sorts.
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