Genre

Horror Fiction

Speculative and Fantastic Fiction

A genre of fiction intended to disturb, unsettle or frighten its reader. The literary historian J.A. Cuddon defined a horror story as prose fiction "which shocks, or even frightens the reader," and H.P. Lovecraft held that fear of the unknown is the oldest and strongest fear available to a writer. The modern genre grew out of eighteenth century Gothic fiction, beginning with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764), and its nineteenth century classics, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), the tales of Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) among them, still supply its most recognizable figures. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts

Place of Origin

England; grew out of eighteenth-century Gothic fiction, beginning with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764). 1

Notable Example

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818); Edgar Allan Poe's tales; Bram Stoker, Dracula (1897). 1

Defining Trait

Fiction intended to disturb, unsettle or frighten its reader; the literary historian J.A. Cuddon defined a horror story as prose fiction which shocks, or even frightens, the reader. 1

Horror Fiction

9 entries

Active Era

Nationality

FAQs

What makes a story horror rather than simply dark or violent?

Horror is fiction intended to disturb, frighten or scare its audience.

Horror is defined by the effect a work sets out to produce rather than by its subject matter. Reference sources describe it as fiction intended to disturb, frighten or scare its audience, and the literary historian J.A. Cuddon defined a horror story as prose fiction which shocks, or even frightens, the reader. The modern genre traces back to eighteenth century Gothic fiction, whose first work to be labelled Gothic was Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764).

Connections

Associated With

Edgar Allan Poe

Source Horror Fiction (Wikipedia)

Mary Shelley

Source Horror Fiction (Wikipedia)

Encompasses Form

Occult Detective Fiction

Features Author

Bram Stoker

Source Wikipedia: Bram Stoker

Carmilla

Source Carmilla (Wikipedia)

David Pringle

Source Wikipedia: David Pringle

Dracula

Source Wikipedia: Dracula

Frank Schätzing

Source Wikidata: Frank Schatzing

Additional Source Wikipedia: Frank SchätzingInfobox: genre

H. P. Lovecraft

Source H. P. Lovecraft (Wikipedia)

Jo Nesbø

Source Wikidata: Jo Nesbo

Additional Source Wikipedia: Jo NesbøInfobox: genre

Ray Bradbury

Source Wikipedia: Ray Bradbury

Shirley Jackson

Source Wikipedia: Shirley Jackson

Stephen King

Source Wikipedia: Stephen King

The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

Source The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (Wikipedia)

The Fall of the House of Usher

Source Wikipedia: The Fall of the House of Usher

The Shadow over Innsmouth

Source The Shadow over Innsmouth (Wikipedia)

The Snowman

Source Wikidata: The Snowman

Additional Source The Snowman (Nesbø novel) (Wikipedia)Infobox: genre

The Tell-Tale Heart

Source Wikipedia: The Tell-Tale Heart

The Turn of the Screw

Source The Turn of the Screw (Wikipedia)

The Whisperer in Darkness

Source The Whisperer in Darkness (Wikipedia)

The Woman in White

Source The Woman in White (novel) (Wikipedia)

Thomas Harris

Source Wikipedia: Thomas Harris

Viy

Source Viy (story) (Wikipedia)

Who Goes There?

Source Who Goes There? (Wikipedia)

Influenced By

Gothic Fiction

Source Gothic Fiction (Wikipedia)

In the Other Atlases

Originated In

United Kingdom

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source Gothic Fiction (Wikipedia)tier 2

Sources

1. Horror Fiction (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)

lead, Definition and Origins sections
Lead section
Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience.
Associated With: Mary Shelley, 19th-century classics
Associated With: Edgar Allan Poe, 19th-century classics