The Horror

[clevermanka]

A new hobby!

I'm educating myself about Horror as a genre. I'd like to stick with literary stuff, although thanks to orrin's fantastic and humorously notated list of his favorite horror movies, I'll be giving the film aspect a little more attention.

Orrin was also kind enough to take the time to write up a nearly eight-page essay for me on different aspects and eras of the genre, with enough author suggestions and references to keep me reading through the winter.

I know we have a copy of Lovecraft's Supernatural Horror in Literature lying around somewhere, either in the shelves at home or tucked away in the CSSF library. I need to find it, along with some collections of his works.

On my list of other authors to explore (these are cherry-picked from Orrin's many suggestions):
Horace Walpole
M.R. James
William Hope Hodgson
Robert E. Howard
Manly Wade Wellman
Brian Lumley
Richard Matheson (besides what I've already read)

Please comment with anyone else that you think I must read, which novel(s) or story(ies) in particular, and why.

I also will re-read some of the classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a wide selection of Poe, etc. Hurray for online resources.

If anyone else has suggestions about ways I might go about learning more about the genre, I'd appreciate them. I know I enjoy reading horror (generally). I'd like to expand my horizons a bit and learn more about the history of it, as well.

I am, for the time being, putting off reading works by current horror authors. I'd like to focus on the history of the genre for now. After I feel I've gotten better exposure to it, I'd like to get into essays and analysis. Suggestions for that would be super awesome.

P.S. to Orrin--would you believe this icon was from Thursday's Get Fuzzy strip? I couldn't not make that into an LJ icon. Feel free to yoink it for your own use.

Comments

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

On a sub-genre, for some lighter reading, I have a couple of compilations of sex and horror that I adore:

I Shudder at Your Touch (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/906622.I_Shudder_at_Your_Touch target=_blank)
and
Love in Vein (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47580.Love_in_Vein).

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ha! I'll keep those in mind for when I need a break.

Seriously, though the erotic in horror is a huge topic. Sex and Fantasy or SF don't seem to have the same hand-in-glove relationship as sex and Horror. Perhaps that's just my bias, and it's certainly not the case in all examples, but it seems to be more common--in both literary and film aspects of the genre.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Or maybe it's just that we notice it more with our particular bent.

Sex and SF/Fantasy, IMO, tends to reside in the sword and sandal genre, and gets pretty cheesy.

Which could explain how I ended up collecting all John Norman's crap.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's our bent, but, as you say, the sword and sandal SF seems to exist as a means to deliver the sex. Kind of like you eat a baked potato to get the butter and bacon bits. You're not really eating it for the potato.

But sex in horror...there doesn't have to be any overt sex, but the tension is so similar. Does that make sense?

Of course, then there's Barker's sex scenes, which are explicit and exquisitely repulsive.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Yes yes YES.. ohgod yes.

*ahem* :smoothes skirt wrinkles:

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Shambleau!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Couldn't she have picked a word that didn't sound like a wine blend? Seriously. *sigh*

[bluetourmaline.livejournal.com]

No Shirley Jackson? I've only read two stories by her, I think, but her type of horror is very interestingly creepy.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I consider Ms. Jackson in the group of more modern writers. Most of the stuff I'm looking at first is pre-war, up to (and barely including) the pulps.

She'll definitely be on the list when I move to more contemporary writers.

Edit: Also, yes, reading The Lottery in high school (and loving it) is what started me reading horror. So you could say Jackson was my gateway drug.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

If you're already reading horror, you're probably already reading Clive Barker, but I'll toss the name out just in case. Later stuff, in particular long form stories, are not as good as his early Books of Blood short story collections.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I worship at the sick, sexy altar of Clive Barker. Hated Mr. B. Gone, but everything before that gets a thumbs up (except for Everville, which was amazing but so fucking depressing).

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

No H.P. Lovecraft? I recommend "Rats in the Walls."

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Doh! Then I see you have him there, after all. Oy. My eyes are lazy today.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, he's not in the list of names, so it would've been easy to miss. Orrin helpfully arranged his essay as pre-Lovecraft, contemporary Lovecraft, and post-Lovecraft. I'm tackling the pre- and some of the contemporaries of Lovecraft at the mo'.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

A must-read is Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons. I also really rather liked King's Carrie.

A lot of the Wellman is in magazines, but I do own one collection of his stuff. I was fond of his stuff -- and also fond of Poe. Some people think that Lovecraft is the most terrifying thing ever.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've read quite a bit of King and Simmons already. Right now, I'm focusing on the pre-WWII writers and a very few who bled into the 50s.

[nataliesee.livejournal.com]

Walpole! Walpole! Ra!Ra!Ra!

Oh, bestill my Gothic heart. <3 Let me know if you read CASTLE OF OTRANTO. It's one of my true loves.

I need a Gothic Heroine icon. :/

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Castle of Otranto is actually first on my list. Unfortunately, the only version available from the libray is a fucking audio book. Boo hiss. So I'm going to have to scout out the used bookstores.

[nataliesee.livejournal.com]

You can borrow our copy. It's in a collection of four Gothic Novels (including Vathek, The Monk, and Frankenstein), so it's slightly cumbersome, but not bad. I can bring it to campus with your DVD on Monday.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

That would be very much appreciated! Thank you!!!

[orrin.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm glad I was helpful!

And as I said, I own stuff by most of those guys that I would be happy to loan out. I also own most of the movies on that list, and would be happy to watch them with you.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You, darling, are the bomb. I appreciate your help. Thank you for the loan offers! If I can't find a copy of the Walpole used, I'll let you know.

[orrin.livejournal.com]

Try Half Price Books. They tend to carry copies of the Wordsworth series I mentioned that are actually new and only priced at $5 a pop. That's where I got all mine.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh, fantastic! I know where I'm headed after lunch!

Two horror novels I would recommend without reservation

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

"The Song of Kali" by Dan simmons and "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks. When I'm reading contemporary horror (maybe next year), I'll be checking out post-war authors and I'll keep those on my list.

Horror Games

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can really educate yourself about this genre without including horror games. Games take the best parts of story anf film and make you an active participant in a horror experience, not just a wittness.

Re: Horror Games

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can really educate yourself about this genre without including horror games

Hm. That's a pity. I suppose I'll have to remain not really educated, then. I very much dislike games of all sorts.