The
Importance of Horror Fiction
“I think it's
relatively easy for people to accept something like telepathy or precognition
or teleplasm because their willingness to believe doesn't cost them anything.
It doesn't keep them awake nights. But the idea that the evil that men do lives
after them is unsettling.”
― Stephen King, 'Salem's Lot
― Stephen King, 'Salem's Lot
It is hard not to walk into a library or bookstore today
and not be confronted with vampires and werewolves. These creatures of myth and
fantasy have been capturing the imagination of readers for centuries. Zombies
and vampires have gained popularity over the past decade with the help from a
swarm of authors who write books designed to capture the interest of teenagers;
however, the horror genre has been around for hundreds of years. People have
been telling ghost stories for as long as people were willing to listen. Oral
traditions, such as telling fantastical stories around a campfire or to a
sleepless child, help captivate the imagination and offer an escape from the
normal routine.
Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic horror story Dracula and Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel The Count of Otranto are considered by
many to be the earliest and most influential writings in this genre that
reached mass audiences. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein; or, the modern Prometheus is another classic horror
story that questions man’s ability to play God. The impact of these classics is
profound and has been integral in the formation and popularity of many
contemporary horror writers. Fast forward to America, circa the 1970s and the
origins of contemporary horror fiction begin to surface.
