C.M.HUMPHRIES
  • Blog
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy
    • Excluded
  • Buy No-Injury Policy
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy
    • Excluded
  • Buy No-Injury Policy
  • Contact
  • Store
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Forbidden Blog

Fear, focus, and the future. Here, C.M. Humphries writes about whatever. ​

3/11/2012 0 Comments

Has Horror Lost It's Balls?

Picture
What is he, holding a fart?
Does this image scare you? No, of course not. Why would it?

Let's break it down: We've got some teenage Christian Bale staring at you with his over-dilated eyes, lipstick, and far to much powder. As a matter of fact, you probably like him.

There lies the problem.

Horror used to be one of the strongest genres in fiction, yet it has become the most laughable in many literary eyes. You probably know why. It's not scary.


Yes, horror fiction still exists - go see the YA section of any book showroom and you might find it. For some reason, though, it has nothing to do with the "stuff" that made horror horror in the first place.


Everyone wants to be "edgy" now by coming up with different ways to lure a reader into buying a book, and this is probably a good endeavor. No one wants to read the same material over and over. The problem is, people have gotten the wrong idea about horror over time.

With this search for constantly "unqiue" approaches to the grotesque, many writers have become gimmicky, rather than scary. There's a demand for likable characters, as seen in the Twilight saga and so on. This isn't a slam on Meyer's sexless erotica, but the saga proves a point.


Picture
Publishers and writers have fallen in love with this notion of likable characters, unseen in horror novels before. No shit they were never seen before, because no one thought them scary.

How is it, one of the most lucrative and well-watched genres in film - and once literature - has become completely abandoned in writing? Film is always pushing for a new kind of scary, while fiction wants you to . . . like horror?

Bram Stoker really didn't give a damn if people liked Dracula. Stephen King didn't want you to like the fear creature in It. The characters were meant to scare you. Why are all these people hugging vampires? Fucking run!

Many writers now avoid monsters out of the fear of being called cliche. Maybe I'm out of touch and alone on this one, but I don't really care what it is that scares me so long as I need a new pair of boxers when I'm done. 

There are countless horror writers out there who have be shunned for their unlikable protagonists or anti-heroes. Apparently only Batman can be an anti-hero, but that's because he is good on some pseudo-philosophical level. 

I mean, do we want to see Dr. Jerkll pursuing a more practical form of medicine? Does Dr. Frankenstein seem unethical even next to Dr. House? Maybe we should justify Hannibal Lecter while we're at it. You know, Freddy Krueger should wear a nice polo and only kill people who deserve it. Or what if we agreed with John Torrence that his wife was a real bitch in The Shining. 

Even better, maybe all killer sex in Endless Night by Richard Laymon should be strictly consensual. Whatever the publishing world is calling "scary" or "edgy" isn't working for me. What happens when we reach a point in which the murderer weapon was legitimately obtained by the killer and only used on people we want to see die? Hopefully the world doesn't see more of The Happening. 

I can't define horror, I'll admit that. But I know it's a genre that made me stay up night, turning each page with a nervous twitch, and then wishing for someone to cuddle with at then end. I need a book that convinces me I need a crucifix above my bed and one in my pocket at all times. Does horror genre must have it's balls painted in camouflage? 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About

    Fear, focus, and the future. C.M. Humphries talks about writing, horror, and whatever. 

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009

    Follow this blog

    SUBSCRIBE.
    WE'LL KEEP IN TOUCH.

SUBSCRIBE

GOODREADS 

BOOK COUNTRY

COWBIRD

© 2009-2018 C.M. Humphries. Any unauthorized use and/or duplication of the content without expressed and written permission from the site and content author/owner is prohibited by law. ​ Not intended for audiences under the age of 13 years old.
Photos used under Creative Commons from moedermens, hans s, gidovd, Federico Limonta, Marcin Wichary, heather aitken, Caren Mack Photography, Guilherme Yagui, Latente 囧 www.latente.it, miss_rogue, quinn.anya, Javier Kohen, sampitech, Gerald Gabernig, the_black_room, jamalfanaian, andrewrennie, Elizabeth/Table4Five, quirin.thalhammer, swruler9284, Kryziz Bonny, Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho, chuck4x5, Mountain/\Ash, Jonathan Kos-Read, Niels_Olson, h.koppdelaney, Matthew Paul Argall, DidWee, Sweet One, osseous, Tony Webster, maf04, Gustavo Minas, poptech, r.nial.bradshaw, emilianohorcada, porschelinn, markbyzewski, dannywebs, amanessinger, declanandrews, Artotem, M. Martin Vicente, davescaglione, glasseyes view, LukeDetwiler, ephotography, Luiz Fernando / Sonia Maria, Filter Collective, cdedbdme, mhx, Enokson, gagilas, Max Wolfe, Ted Van Pelt, Sigfrid Lundberg, Sean Loyless, Mr. T in DC, Key Foster, marimbajlamesa, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, Vectorportal, Alberto_Montoya, carianoff, luc.viatour, >>> Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids <<<, electricnerve, Nanagyei, crimfants, Editor B, gordontarpley, eleanor ryan, eviltomthai, shanon wise, dutchlad, Rick Moerloos, Poetprince, david_shankbone, Kurt and Sybilla, Abode of Chaos, grilled cheese, quinn.anya, Xoan Baltar, Marko Milošević, little blue hen, uzi978, SweetOnVeg, procsilas, Robin Hutton, Thruhike98, zaneology, Cameron Nordholm, CarbonNYC, Enderst07, dollen, LunaMoth116, swanksalot, aturkus, ElvertBarnes, Paul Jerry, Pip R. Lagenta, Joshua Kaufman, currybet, Oh-Barcelona.com, Joe Shlabotnik, Will Folsom, Helena Liu, David.R.Carroll, Robert Bejil Photography, Patrick Doheny, Hachi Gatsu, Justin Marty, Julie Lyn, Scott LePage, Daquella manera, Markusram, ginnerobot, Zach Linder, StevenW., denn, h.koppdelaney, TheeErin, aaron.michels, davidflanders, Dustin and Jenae, Mike "Dakinewavamon" Kline, mr_t_77, gordontarpley, brewbooks, coconut wireless, Håkan Dahlström, Mr. T in DC, urbanshoregirl, cathyse97, The Cleveland Kid, iamliam, andy jou, 666isMONEY ☮ ♥ & ☠, julesxt, MonkeySimon, Carlos Aguilera Espinosa, twentymindsomething, Xanetia, ♣♦♥♠, vonguard, sillygwailo, Geraint Warlow, Alyssa L. Miller, chadmagiera, how will i ever, Parker Knight, Unhindered by Talent, wwarby, teresawer, Lo & Behold >> Shrie L. Spangler, Larry Tomlinson, magnetbox, Very Quiet, prendio2, j_anet, timhettler, David Boyle, hang_in_there, krossbow, robertrice, Schmirn, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, an iconoclast, samlavi, Ron Bennetts, Jagz Mario, eugeneflores, LetTheCardsFall, Rochelle, just rochelle, JaseCurtis, Ivan Marianelli, Dave Catchpole, mike 23, ANSESGOB, Catalin Vrinceanu, kio, kevin dooley, Amanda M Hatfield, Smath., rick, Grace Hebert, auntjojo, Kryziz Bonny, jwillier2, Al Pavangkanan, anokarina, my camera and me, IntangibleArts, Pink Sherbet Photography, hodgers, arohasilhouettes, Neal., greenfaerietree, sidewalk flying, Miles B., Luxxian Flair, amelungc, romana klee, dcJohn, Mitchypop, simonsmith001, Bruna Schenkel, zayzayem, KJGarbutt, simonlesleyphoto, torbakhopper, Glutnix, Panegyrics of Granovetter, Karamellzucker, h.koppdelaney, Photos by Mavis, perpetualplum, FutUndBeidl, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, b0jangles, suburbandollar, UnnarYmir, ohdarling, amulonphotography, Zach Dischner, _Fidelio_, OakleyOriginals, andertoons, little blue hen, rococohobo, FutUndBeidl, Pop Culture Geek, ben.chaney, theilr, genvessel, mariachily, Seth Mazow, Looking Glass, jslee_, lindsayloveshermac, Brett Jordan, AndYaDontStop, danperry.com, functoruser, gcfairch, Mikamatto, Thomas Claveirole, goodnight_photography, cometstarmoon, Ack Ook, Don Hankins, celesteh, Pip R. Lagenta, Cpt<HUN>, stvcr, Andreas.
✕