Brandon Cornett's Blog, page 17

Sci-Fi Horror Thriller Books to Put on Your 2020 Reading List

When I published my novel Purgatory through Amazon, they made me choose a fiction category. Easier said than done, in this case. Purgatory clearly incorporates elements of horror. In fact, the book is based on a reality TV show built around horror in several forms. It has slashers, demons, and mindless quasi-zombies that crave human flesh.

But it also works like a thriller.

Plus, it incorporates science fiction components like advanced genetic modification, accelerated aging, and cryosleep.

...

What Makes a Good Horror Story or Novel: 5 Key Components

Exorcist, first edition

What makes a good horror story or novel?

Ask a dozen horror writers that question, and you’ll probably get twelve different responses.

But I’m willing to be there would be some overlap as well. That’s where the wisdom lies.

The genre has been around for so long, we have a pretty good idea as to what works and why. At its core, a good horror story or novel creates believable (and sometimes ordinary) characters and puts them into extreme situations. Situations where...

Zombie Apocalypse Horror Novel Ideas and Story Starters for Writers

Do you need some zombie apocalypse novel ideas to fuel your next writing project? Maybe some zombie horror story ideas for your next collection of short fiction?

You’ve come to the right place. This blog post is the first in a series that will offer fiction writing ideas and story “starters” for writers. In this post, we’ll zero in on the pre- and post-apocalyptic zombie horror genre in particular.

Story Starters for Horror Writers

So, what’s the big idea here? Why would one writer create a...

Exploring the Rage Virus from the Movie 28 Days Later

In 2002, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle introduced us to a terrifying new malady known as the rage virus.

Yes, I’m talking about 28 Days Later, the groundbreaking quasi-zombie movie that won multiple awards and earned a much-deserved 86% in Rotten Tomatoes.

Garland created something entirely new with his so-called rage virus. That virus was purely fictional. There’s nothing like it in the real world (thankfully). Still, there is some science behind the rage virus, and we’ll get...

Types of Horror Movie Genres from the 1970s and 1980s

A couple years back, I had to create a list of horror movie genres from the 1970s and 1980s for a book I was writing. That book never made it to completion. But I still like the concept.

Here’s the premise, in a nutshell:

Seventeen-year-old Stevie has a lot on her plate — an absent father, a pill-popping mother, and a pile of responsibilities that prevent her from having a life. But those problems pale in comparison to the nightmare coming her way. Stevie and her video store coworkers disturb...