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 OriginEngland; grew out of eighteenth-century Gothic fiction, beginning with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764). 1 Notable ExampleMary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818); Edgar Allan Poe's tales; Bram Stoker, Dracula (1897). 1 Defining TraitFiction 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 Connections
Associated With
Source Horror Fiction (Wikipedia)
Source Horror Fiction (Wikipedia)
Encompasses Form
Influenced By
Source Gothic Fiction (Wikipedia)
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
View the Source Gothic Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)on Otranto as the first Gothic work
The first work to be labelled as Gothic was Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764).
- Influenced By: Gothic Fiction, lead section, on horror as a branch of Gothic
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
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).
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.