Horror Literature

Lesson 1: Introduction to Horror

A Brief Horror History

From the essay by Lovecraft it becomes clear that horror has always been part of the human mind. Indeed, when looking at history it is also clear that horror stories have existed long before the art of writing has emerged in human culture. In fact, all cultures have something to scare their children with. Dark Africa for example has a host of spirits and spooks to keep people in place. European Gypsies tell decidedly spooky campfire stories of the “molo”, who seeks contact with human beings. The molo is the spirit of somebody who died and can appear in any shape, although it usually happens in the shape of an attractive woman or man. And of course England and particularly London is filled with a ghostly legacy from the past. It is even possible to take a spook and spirit tour while visiting this wonderful city.

So, long before the written word, the human need to be afraid has been alive. There is something primal in being afraid. And perhaps it is for this very reason that horror literature as a genre only emerged long after the invention of writing. Western culture during Victorian times have been extremely repressed in a psychological sense. Books were only read by the most refined section of society, who could afford the luxury both in terms of money and time. And they read only things that they felt were appropriate for the time. This is when The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole made its first appearance. This novel, although odious and long and obvious in its plot line, is nonetheless officially recognized as the first Gothic novel.

Gothic literature is the predecessor of horror literature as we know it today. The terms “Gothic” and “Horror” are in fact still used interchangably in some circles. Specific elements of Gothic literature include huge, dark mansions or castles, ghosts, and damp cellars. While this is a far cry from “mainstream” literature of the time, Gothic works still drew a very clear line between right and wrong. They also usually had happy endings and steered clear of things considered inappropriate.

Then came Edgar Allan Poe, pioneer in the horror genre. He was the first to advocate that the disgusting, disease and death were appropriate subject matter for literature. And of course this is exactly what he put into his work. This was a time during which psychology also made leaping advances. Its influence on the genre was considerable. The subconscious and its fears made a greater impact on horror than it had before and gave the genre an extremely poignant edge.

H.P. Lovecraft represents a pivotal point in the horror genre as we know it today. This author broke all barriers and boundaries between the accepted and the unacceptable. Many of today’s authors owe a large amount of their influence to Lovecraft. Stephen King for example found the first twinkling of inspiration when he appropriately discovered an ancient Lovecraft volume in a dusty attic.

Something to Think About:
Why do you think horror today differs so vastly from what it was when The Castle of Otranto was written?

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