Modern Good Reads discussion

As a reader or writer, what is it about the horror genre that interests or compels you?

For me, it really comes down to the types of creatures you get in horror, the vampires and werewolves. I'm not necessarily one of those people who like to be scared, but I find myself drawn to the dark side of human nature and exploring that.

I love all those supernatural creatures or the subtly blended supernatural aspects of the story. Dean Koontz and Stephen King really sucked me into horror, and I have been in love with it ever since.

I have an extremely vivid imagination. This is great for my chosen profession but not so great for trying to sleep peacefully. I cannot do many scary ovies because the images got stuck in my head.

I love shlock horror and read a story or two in that genre, but it didn't really scare me. I liked Goosebumps as a child, too, but those and other creepy stories sometimes got stuck in my head too.

It all changed when I discovered Lovecraft. I'd read Stephen King before that but he didn't really scare me--Carrie and the Shining were excellent but not all that terrifying. (It's his rocky and awkward use of sex that usually kills the pacing for me.) When I discovered Lovecraft's chilling style and gothic descriptions...I was hooked. Add Chuck Palahniuk (I count him as horror) and you have a recipe for fascination.

Since then, I've sought out tales of madness and old gods and ancient forces--I can even watch monster movies! I like a good spooky story rather than a gorefest (comedies excepted) or (shudder) a tale of demonic possession. I can handle plenty of gore in books though. Give me some monsters and some insanity and twisted reality and you have one happy girl.

Michelle wrote: "I have an extremely vivid imagination. This is great for my chosen profession but not so great for trying to sleep peacefully. I cannot do many scary ovies because the images got stuck in my head. ..."

Nice! Thanks Michelle! I also have found that I have a much higher tolerance for what I can read about vs. what I can watch. I could read a book version of the Saw or Hostel series with no problems, but I can't watch them. Same thing with gore. Reading is not a problem, but watching a gross movie just makes eating difficult for a while.

I never got into Lovecraft the way a lot of people do. For me, it's got to be about character or a fascinating scenario or I don't care. Lovecraft for me is like Horror's Tolkien: all atmosphere and background with very little actually going on.

Along with horror, I also love good psychological thrillers like Thomas Harris (who could almost be called a horror novelist).

See, and it took a while to get into, but the creeping eeriness is what really gets me. I think horror is defined by what scares you most in ways you like. Stories about possession freak me out a bit too much, depending on context, but I like my monsters.

Horror novels make the real world less scary. Uh, sometimes.