Horror a very short introduction -
Horror fiction has its roots in ancient folklore and religious tales of caution. These tales would focus on death, the afterlife and demons. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon has 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."
The Shining by Stephen King
After the success of his first two novels Carrie and Salem's Lot Stephen
King wanted to write something different, inspired by a stay in a hotel and his own struggles with alcohol King set about writing The Shining the book which would thrust him into the public eye and make him a household name.
We
follow Danny a young boy with a very special gift and his mother and
father who all go to care take an empty hotel over a winter period.
Soon they are thrown in to a living nightmare as the father struggles
with his alcoholism and the ghastly history of the hotel comes back
to haunt them.
The
Shining is probably one of Stephen King's most recognised works. Made
into a major Hollywood movie by Stanley Kudbrick (which King does not
like), a TV movie which King produced, parodied by The Simpsons and
countless other TV shows and movies. The imagery from the story has
become part of pop-culture and interwoven within modern society.
In
2013 King wrote the follow up to The Shining called Doctor Sleep
which follows Danny as an adult who is still trying to cope with his
gift.
Let
the Right One In is the debut novel by Swedish writer John
Ajvide Lindqvist. Published
around the same time as the first Twilight book and featuring vampires this little gem was somewhat over looked.
There should be no mistake though this is not for the teen reader
Lindqvist takes the vampire legend and brings it to 1980's Sweden.
The story on the surface features very dark subject matter such as
paedophilia, bulling, abuse, broken families and isolation, but when
all the ghastly horror is stripped away the core of the story is
about simple innocent friendship and how we all need someone to rely
on.
Oskar is a 12-year old boy who lives with his mother. He is bulled at school and has no real friends. He befriend Eli who has just moved in next door. Eli lives with an older man named Håkan. Eli has a secret which will change Oskar's life forever.
Made into two movies and a stage production this book is a must read and even if you have seen both movies you are still missing out on a whole lot of horror.
I think its fare to
say no one would argue that Bram Stoker's Dracula is the genesis
of modern vampire fiction. Stoker did not invent the vampire but he
did define its modern form, creating a blue print that is still
used today. The story was first published in 1897 and although it
didn't become a bestseller it did meet with some professional praise. The story touches on themes such as the role of
women in Victorian culture, sexual conventions, immigration,
colonialism, and post-colonialism.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Let
the Right One In is the debut novel by Swedish writer John
Ajvide Lindqvist. Published
around the same time as the first Twilight book and featuring vampires this little gem was somewhat over looked.
There should be no mistake though this is not for the teen reader
Lindqvist takes the vampire legend and brings it to 1980's Sweden.
The story on the surface features very dark subject matter such as
paedophilia, bulling, abuse, broken families and isolation, but when
all the ghastly horror is stripped away the core of the story is
about simple innocent friendship and how we all need someone to rely
on.
Oskar is a 12-year old boy who lives with his mother. He is bulled at school and has no real friends. He befriend Eli who has just moved in next door. Eli lives with an older man named Håkan. Eli has a secret which will change Oskar's life forever.
Made into two movies and a stage production this book is a must read and even if you have seen both movies you are still missing out on a whole lot of horror.
Dracula by Bram
Stoker
I think its fare to
say no one would argue that Bram Stoker's Dracula is the genesis
of modern vampire fiction. Stoker did not invent the vampire but he
did define its modern form, creating a blue print that is still
used today. The story was first published in 1897 and although it
didn't become a bestseller it did meet with some professional praise. The story touches on themes such as the role of
women in Victorian culture, sexual conventions, immigration,
colonialism, and post-colonialism.
The
story starts with scholer Jonathan Harker
visiting Count Dracula
in the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Transylvania, Bukovina,
and Moldavia, to provide legal support for a real estate transaction
overseen by Harker's employer. It soon
becomes apparent
to Harker that he has become prisoner in the castle and is left there
as the Count journeys to England where he
begins tracking Harker's fiancée.
No
true horror/vampire fan should leave this one unread......if it is
the classic it is perceived as is a matter of opinion.
The Rats by James Herbert
A lot of modern horror writers start their
career’s with a
short sharp shock of a novel or short story many using the 'creature
feature' approach
and James Herbert was no different. His
'creature' of choice is the rat, being a British writer it made
perfect sense to set his first novel in London with its vast ancient
sprawling sewer network which is teaming with rats. The
first paperback edition sold out after three weeks. The
Rats received harsh criticism upon its
publication. It was deemed to be far too graphic in its portrayals of
death and mutilation and that the social commentary regarding the
neglect of London
Harris, a young, east London art teacher notices that some of his students have bite marks on them and after a little bit of investigation learns that the culprits for these bites are rats, but not normal rats these are far bigger then he has known before. The rat attacks become increasingly more daring and it become apparent that they must be stopped before the unthinkable happens.
This is a great little fast moving and sometimes nasty novel and even in these first few pages you can see the potential of Herbert's writing. The follow up books in the trilogy are Lair and Domain
The Rats by James Herbert
A lot of modern horror writers start their
career’s with a
short sharp shock of a novel or short story many using the 'creature
feature' approach
and James Herbert was no different. His
'creature' of choice is the rat, being a British writer it made
perfect sense to set his first novel in London with its vast ancient
sprawling sewer network which is teaming with rats. The
first paperback edition sold out after three weeks. The
Rats received harsh criticism upon its
publication. It was deemed to be far too graphic in its portrayals of
death and mutilation and that the social commentary regarding the
neglect of London
Harris, a young, east London art teacher notices that some of his students have bite marks on them and after a little bit of investigation learns that the culprits for these bites are rats, but not normal rats these are far bigger then he has known before. The rat attacks become increasingly more daring and it become apparent that they must be stopped before the unthinkable happens.
This is a great little fast moving and sometimes nasty novel and even in these first few pages you can see the potential of Herbert's writing. The follow up books in the trilogy are Lair and Domain
NOS4R2
by Joe Hill
Joe
Hill has been around for a few years now but is still seen as one of
the new kids. Hill comes with certain amount of pedigree behind him
as he is one of Stephen King's sons. Deciding not to carry the family
name as an influence Hill stepped out into the world of horror and
certainly stands on his own two feet. Hill blends horror with nods
towards fantasy and now the world knows he even references his
fathers work.
Victoria "Vic" McQueen has
a unique gift for finding things that are lost by using her Raleigh
Tuff Burner bicycle and riding it though
"Shorter Way Bridge." Charles
Talent Manx abducts children and takes them
to "Christmasland" using
his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith. Over
a number of years these two will clash as 'Vic' tries to stop Manx
and destroy the Wraith.
A great read that really shows
the imagination of Joe Hill, he has a talent for building bizarre
worlds that seem strangely familiar and the character of Manx is a
brilliantly crafted villain.
Books of Blood volumes 1-3 by Clive Barker
The Books of Blood are
collections of Barker's early work in short stories. Although
undoubtedly horror stories, like most of Barker's work they mix
fantasy themes in as well. Several of the stories have been adapted
into movies, "Rawhead Rex" (1986); "The Forbidden"
(filmed in 1992 as Candyman);
"The Last Illusion" (filmed in 1995 as Lord
of Illusions); "The Body Politic"
(filmed in 1997 as Quicksilver Highway);
"The Midnight Meat Train" (2008); "The Book of Blood"
and "On Jerusalem Street (a postscript)" (combined and
filmed in 2008 as Book of Blood),[1]
and "Dread" (2009). "The Yattering and Jack" was
adapted by Barker himself in 1986 for the US series Tales
from the Darkside.
Books of Blood volumes 1-3 by Clive Barker
The Books of Blood are
collections of Barker's early work in short stories. Although
undoubtedly horror stories, like most of Barker's work they mix
fantasy themes in as well. Several of the stories have been adapted
into movies, "Rawhead Rex" (1986); "The Forbidden"
(filmed in 1992 as Candyman);
"The Last Illusion" (filmed in 1995 as Lord
of Illusions); "The Body Politic"
(filmed in 1997 as Quicksilver Highway);
"The Midnight Meat Train" (2008); "The Book of Blood"
and "On Jerusalem Street (a postscript)" (combined and
filmed in 2008 as Book of Blood),[1]
and "Dread" (2009). "The Yattering and Jack" was
adapted by Barker himself in 1986 for the US series Tales
from the Darkside.
One
story in particular stands out, In the
Hills, the Cities a
very unique story that hailed
Barker
by
Stephen King as "the future of horror". A
fragment of this story, "stale incense, old sweat, and lies,"
appears in the song Sin
on the album Pretty Hate Machine
by the American industrial band Nine Inch Nails.
A brilliant introduction to
Barker's style of writing and great little horror stories if you
don't fancy a full length novel
I am Legend by Richard Matheson
I am Legend by Richard Matheson
I am Legend was first published
in 1954 and has been sited as one of the novels that has influenced
the development of zombie fiction through the use of a worldwide
apocalypse due to disease even though the
creatures within the story are more related to vampires. There have
been three movies based on I am Legend, the first was made in 1964
and was called The Last Man on Earth. The second was made in 1971
called Omega Man and the most resent was made in 2007 called I am
Legend. I think anyone who has read the novel and seen any of the
movies would agree that non of the film adaptions come close to the
book.
Robert
Neville is the apparent sole survivor of a pandemic whose symptoms
resemble vampirism. We follow Neville
through his day to day survival routine struggling with bouts
of depression and alcoholism, as he tries
to comprehend that he might well be the last
human on earth.
This
book is a must read due to its intimate betrayal of mankind and the
human desire to survive on such an epic stage.
Many consider The Haunting of
Hill House the best literary ghost stories
published during the twentieth century. It
is Shirley Jackson's most reconsigned work and certainly deserves a
place in the must read horror list. Jackson does not rely on cheap
shocks or gore here instead she uses terror to draw the reader into
the infamous Hill House.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Many consider The Haunting of
Hill House the best literary ghost stories
published during the twentieth century. It
is Shirley Jackson's most reconsigned work and certainly deserves a
place in the must read horror list. Jackson does not rely on cheap
shocks or gore here instead she uses terror to draw the reader into
the infamous Hill House.
Hill House is an
eighty-year-old mansion built by a man named Hugh Crain. The story
concerns four main characters: Dr. John Montague, an investigator
of the supernatural; Eleanor Vance, a shy young woman who resents
having lived as a recluse caring for her demanding invalid mother;
Theodora, a flamboyant, bohemian, possibly lesbian artist; and
Luke Sanderson, the young heir to Hill House, who is host to the
others.
The Haunting of Hill House is a
great read for the reader who wants a more traditional ghost story.
Made into two movies both called 'The Haunting.' this modern classic
is a must read.
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