LibGuides: English: Horror Fiction

Horror Fiction

horror

A subgenre of gothic fiction in which supernatural events, occult forces, macabre effects, and obsessive introspection are combined with chilling suspense to produce visceral sensations of fear and revulsion in the reader. Ghosts, hallucinations, monsters, mummies, nightmares, witches, werewolves, vampires, demons, and black magic are common themes. Rooted in the gothic novel of the 18th and 19th centuries, early literary examples include Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein (1818), Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839), and Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker. In motion pictures, the earliest examples are The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) directed by Robert Wiene and Nosferatu (1922) by F.W. Murnau, classics of German expressionism. More recent examples include Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Rod Serling's television series The Twilight Zone. The contemporary master of horror fiction is Stephen King. Extreme graphic horror has been dubbed splatterpunk. Synonymous with weird fantasy. Compare with thriller. See also: Horror Writers Association and slasher.

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Fantasy and Horror by Neil Barron
ISBN: 0810835967
Publication Date: 1999-06-17
More than 2,300 works of fiction and poetry are discussed, each cross-referenced to other works with similar or contrasting themes.
Gothic Writers by Douglass H. Thomson (Editor); Jack G. Voller (Editor); Frederick S. Frank (Editor)
ISBN: 0313305005
Publication Date: 2001-11-30
With its roots in Romanticism, antiquarianism, and the primacy of the imagination, the Gothic genre originated in the 18th century, flourished in the 19th, and continues to thrive today. This reference is designed to accommodate the critical and bibliographical needs of a broad spectrum of users, from scholars seeking critical assistance to general readers wanting an introduction to the Gothic, its abundant criticism, and the present state of Gothic Studies. The volume includes alphabetically arranged entries on more than 50 Gothic writers from Horace Walpole to Stephen King. Entries for Russian, Japanese, French, and German writers give an international scope to the book, while the focus on English and American literature shows the dynamic nature of Gothicism today. Each of the entries is devoted to a particular author or group of authors whose works exhibit Gothic elements.
Late Victorian Gothic Tales by Roger Luckhurst (Editor)
ISBN: 0192804804
Publication Date: 2005-08-18
This anthology collects together some of the most famous examples of the Gothic tale in the 1890s, with stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Vernon Lee, Henry James and Arthur Machen, as well assome lesser known yet superbly chilling tales from the era. The introduction explores the many reasons for the Gothic revival, and how it spoke to the anxieties of the moment.
Perils of the Night by Eugenia C. DeLamotte
ISBN: 0195056930
Publication Date: 1990-02-22
Examining the works of such writers as James, Mary Shelley, and the Bront#65533;s, this book argues that the source of Gothic terror is actually a double fear of separateness and unity that has had special significance for women writers and readers.
Supernatural Fiction Writers by Richard Bleiler
ISBN: 0684312506
Publication Date: 2002-11-01
In addition to addressing the lives and careers of important writers, the articles discuss the themes and a styles of major works and place them in pertinent historical, social and political concerns for today's readers.
The Horror Readers' Advisory by Becky Siegel Spratford; Tammy Hennigh Clausen
ISBN: 0838908713
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Horror classics have been scaring people for years. Nowadays, who doesn't know about Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Dean Koontz? Profiled in a special section, the Big Three have turned horror into best-sellers.
Supernatural Literature of the World by S. T. Joshi (Editor); Stefan Dziemianowicz (Editor)
ISBN: 0313327742
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Comprehensive in scope, this encyclopedia provides thorough coverage of literature of the supernatural. The most exhaustive work of its kind, it includes entries on authors, works, and numerous topics, including alien abduction, drama, ghouls, and Latin literature. Entries draw on current scholarship, with special attention to recent writers.
The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll
ISBN: 0415901456
Publication Date: 1990-01-01
How can we be genuinely frightened of vampires, even though we know they don't exist? How can people find pleasure in having the very wits scared out of them? Carroll presents the first philosophical and aesthetic analysis of horror.
The Film Encyclopedia by Ephraim Katz
ISBN: 0062730894
Publication Date: 1994-07-01