My Thoughts I need to preface this review by stating that from looking at the cover and reading the blurb, that I had expected this to be a spooky supernatural thriller with a serious tone. What the book delivered was far from that: campy Christmas horror and vengeful furniture. The set-up was pretty good, a …
Horror
Horror is a genre of fiction that is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon 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.” It creates an eerie and frightening atmosphere. Horror is frequently supernatural, though it might also be non-supernatural. Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for the larger fears of a society. Prevalent elements include ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, The Devil, witches, monsters, dystopian and apocalyptic worlds, serial killers, cannibalism, psychopaths, cults, dark magic, Satanism, the macabre, death, gore, and torture.
These Deathless Bones
My Thoughts Straight to the point and packs a punch, These Deathless Bones is a strong short story that unravels the evil stepmother trope from fairytale fiction. The Witch Bride is a vengeful femme fatale, the second wife of a king, a fearsome witch that scares the common people. She finds herself at odds with …
It Came from the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers
My Thoughts The 1980s were a golden age of American horror cinema, starting with a movement that began in the 1970s that defined the modern horror flick. The focus was shifted to films that were bolder, more aggressive, but artistic too. The horror genre also saw the rise of B movies that became cult favorites, …
Skinner Box
My Thoughts Skinner Box is a clever little story that blends psychological horror and hard science fiction seamlessly. Evie is a neuropsychologist aboard a shuttle with her husband, an abusive and terrifying man, and a young male engineer who is infatuated with her. The three are trapped in tight quarters with each other as they …
The Body Will Follow
My Thoughts Ghostly possession is one of those genres in horror that I feel doesn’t get enough appreciation compared to other more glamorous monsters and supernatural beings. The Body Will Follow showcases the horror of being possessed, and how a person’s carefully constructed life can be ripped to shreds in a short amount of time. …
The Wendigo
My Thoughts Wendigos are some of the most terrifying specters of Algonquin folklore, a malevolent spirit that is often associated with winter, starvation, cannibalism, and death. The Wendigo reads like a campfire ghost story told around hunting circles about the unexplainable phenomena that can only be experienced in the farthest reaches from civilization. “Men were …