Avoiding Ableism in Horror
The character above, Gunther, is the villain from the 1981 horror film The Funhouse. His features are explained in the movie as the result of birth defects.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines monsteras “an animal of strange or terrifying shape,” “a threatening force,” and “aperson of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty.”
Sinceour earliest days, probably long before we could be called human, we’vebeen afraid of monsters – a sabretooth tiger, a fierce lightning storm, aperson infected with a terrible disease . . . A terrifying animal, a threateningforce, a deformed person. All monsters to our ancestors.
Itmakes sense that our species was – and still is – afraid of physical and mentaldifferences. In nature, these differences could indicate the presence ofdisease or, in the case of injury, a danger that could befall us as well. And ourancestors likely viewed these differences as a sign of the gods’ disfavor, orperhaps an indication that the afflicted had been cursed by evil powers. Modernhumans know better (or at least we should), but subconsciously, these primitivereactions are still part of us. This is why physical and mental differences canbe so effective in creating villains and monsters for stories. But this alsomeans that if we portray physical and mental differences as dark and evil inand of themselves, we’re perpetuating ableism.
Notsure what ableism is? According to the Center for Disability Rights, Inc., “Ableismis a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against peoplewith physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on theassumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.”And in Horror stories, a monster can be fixed (for example, a werewolf can becured), but usually it’s defeated, which most often means it’s killed (but maycome back to life for a sequel).
I’mfocusing on ableism in Horror in this entry because it’s the most pervasive typeof Othering in the genre. Ableism in Horror goes back thousands of years inmyth and folklore, and because it is so pervasive, people have come toview it as normal for Horror. People don’t think twice when Jason Vorhees’ hockymask is knocked off and his deformed face is revealed. Jason is a monster, andmonsters are supposed to be ugly, right? But much of what I write about herecan be applied to any type of Othering in Horror: tropes based on sexism,racism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, etc. – as well.
Socialmedia has helped create awareness of so many harmful tropes in fiction – which isa good thing – but it’s also resulted in confusion and uncertainty for writers.If ableism in Horror is bad, then shouldn’t we avoid portraying anythreatening/villainous/monstrous force as physically or mentally different? Shouldn’tall disabled characters be portrayed positively? (The same questions apply toany type of Othering trope.) People want so much to do the right thing, andbecause of this, they want clear-cut rules to tell them exactly how to do it.But it’s easy to take the concept of avoiding “bad” in art to the point whereno negativity of any sort – including story conflict or physically oremotionally difficult things happening to characters – should be avoided. But ifwe make our stories too nice, too safe, they won’t be interesting for readers,and they won’t help readers engage with the darker aspects of existence that weall need to come to terms with in this life (something that Horror isespecially good at). I think Horror writers need to find a way to balancewriting about the monstrous with not being ableist as much as we can whilestill telling an interesting, impactful horror story. Each of us have to decidewhat that balance is for us, and often it may be different from one story to another.
Solet’s talk about ways to avoid ableism in Horror while still being able towrite stories about the monstrous.
Fearof the Unknown
Horrorrelies on fear of the Unknown. If something is known, even if it’s a threat, itcan be understood, dealt with, and conquered. But if something is unknown, it can’tbe understood, at least not easily. We don’t know what it is, what it can do,what it wants, or how to stop it. The Unknown equals uncontrollable, and lossof control is at the heart of Horror.
Fearof the Other, of Difference
Horroralso relies on fear of the Other. The Other is anyone or anything differentthan you are. Technically, anything living that’s NOT you can be classified asOther. The Other’s background, beliefs, motivations, moral code, and abilitiesare all unknown, and because of this, we don’t know how to regard or deal withthe Other.
InHorror fiction physical and mental distortion are regularly viewed as monstrousin and of themselves. As I said earlier, this attitude goes back to some of themost ancient beliefs of our species, when disabilities, injuries, and illnesseswere thought to be punishments inflicted by the gods, and people with mentalillness were viewed as possessed by demons. In children’s fairy tales, heroesare beautiful, villains and monsters ugly. In these outdated views, one’s outerform mirrors their inner nature.
Examplesof Ableism in Horror
They’reeverywhere: Frankenstein’s Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, burnvictim Freddy Krueger, the physical distortion of Jason from Friday the 13th,the zombie virus, the disease in Cabin Fever, many Disney villains, theurban legend of the maniac with the hook hand, and the thousands of violent,depraved mentally ill killers – who often have physical deformities as well –slashing their way through fiction and film.
MustHorror Inevitably be Ableist?
No.While fear of the Unknown and the Other might rise from our own prejudices anddiscomfort (or through observing those of others), how we present theseelements in our fiction to readers and viewers doesn’t have to perpetuateharmful stereotypes. But we don’t have to avoid the monstrous in our work. Thereis power in fear of distortion and fear of the Other. We don’t want to give upthis power, but we can try to find more responsible – and creative – ways touse it.
Howto Write the Monstrous Without Being Ableist
These sametechniques can apply to any harmful Horror trope based on fear of theother/fear of distortion, not just those related to ableism.
· Interrogate your own feelings about physical andmental differences.Don’t beat yourself up for having any ableist attitudes. You’re only human. Butdo your best to keep such attitudes from influencing your work in ways youmight not be aware of. Make a list of physical and mental differences thatbother you. Be honest. You don’t ever need to share this list with anything.And once you have a list . . .
· Reread some of your previous stories and look forsigns of ableism. Inmy story “Voices Like Barbed Wire,” I included a character who had a port winestain on her face. The skin was pulsing, an indication that something wasn’tright in the environment. I included this character because I saw someone likethis the day I was drafting that scene, and sometimes I toss random things I’veobserved into my fiction. Now I would change the description – and the color ofthe facial mark – to avoid naming it as an actual physical condition (which I didwhen including the story in my collection Dark and Distant Voices.)
· Ask yourself why a character needs to be physically ormentally different.Does it serve the story? Will it perpetuate harmful stereotypes? If so, can youthink of a different way to present that character that will still create theeffect you want without being ableist?
· Can you find a wayto subvert the trope of physical or mental distortion, subvert readerexpectation? Thesimplest way I do this, especially with mental illness, is to remind readersthat the vast majority of mentally ill people are no harm to anyone butthemselves. I also give mentally ill characters a specific, individual reasonfor their mental illness, such as a traumatic event they experienced earlier intheir lives. I don’t think of them as mentally ill at all, but rather dealingwith the aftereffects of an experience they had. You can also make a characterwho’s physically or mentally different the hero of your tale. In “The BackwardWalking Man,” which appeared in the anthology Heroes of Red Hook, my maincharacter is a young, high-functioning autistic man who’s a math savant. Hismathematic skill is what allows him to ultimately defeat the Backward WalkingMan, who’s attempted to unmake reality.
· Dial up themonstrousness. Exaggeratephysical and mental differences to the point where they’re no longer realistic.Slender Man isn’t just thin. He’s extremely thin, extremely tall, withextra-long arms, and a featureless face. I doubt anyone would regard SlenderMan as an ableist take on a human whose body is much thinner than average.
· Make themonstrousness unique. Instead of making your monstrous character overweightor wear a prosthesis or have an alternate personality, come up with somethingdifferent. What if the character’s skin, muscles, and organs disappear wheneverthey exhale, leaving only their skeleton visible, and their body becomes fullyvisible again when they inhale? It’s a cool, creepy, body horror effect, butwithout any analogue in real life.
· Can you find a way to balance the monstrous withrealism and empathy?Frankenstein’s Monster is the best example of this. Not of scientific realism,of course, but emotional realism. The Monster is a rejected, abandoned, neglectedchild, and while we don’t approve of the horrific revenge it takes on itsmaker, we understand why the monster does what he does, and we can empathize.
A Final Word
Wedon’t have to sanitize our Horror so it’s safe and inoffensive, but asresponsible artists, it’s important to avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypesin our work. By doing so, we can also avoid clichés and can make our work morepowerful and more interesting. You need to decide for yourself how to approach presentingthe monstrous in your fiction, of course, but I hope I’ve at least given yousome things to think about when it comes to dealing with ableism in Horror.
Resourcesfor Further Learning
“TheH Word: Mental Health, Ableism, and the Horror Genre” by Evan J. Peterson. https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/the-h-word-mental-health-ableism-and-the-horror-genre/
“TheMonster in the Mirror: On Horror, Disability, and Loving Both at Once” by EmilyFoster. https://www.tor.com/2016/03/15/the-monster-in-the-mirror-on-horror-disability-and-loving-both-at-once/
Writingthe Other: A Practical Approach by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward. https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Other-Conversation-Pieces-8/dp/193350000X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690992558&sr=8-1
DEPARTMENTOF SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION
NewBook on Writing: Let Me Tell You a Story
I’ve written a new volume in the Writingin the Dark series for the good folks at Raw Dog Screaming Press! It’scalled Let Me Tell You a Story, and it’s scheduled to come out sometimethis Fall. No cover to share yet, and preorder links aren’t available, but I’llbe sure to let you know when they are.
Here’s a description of the book fromRDSP’s website:
In Tell Me a Story Waggonerpresents stories from his own publishing career and uses them to illustratetechniques and point out ways to improve. “In both Writing in the Darkand Writing in the Dark: The Workbook, I included a short story of mineand critiqued it based on the principles outlined in those books. Readersresponded well to this feature, so I decided to focus a new book on critiquingstories drawn from throughout my career, discussing what worked, what didn’t,and what I might do differently if I had the chance to rewrite the stories. Ihope readers will find Let Me Tell You a Story to be as interesting –and most importantly as useful – as its predecessors.”
There are fourteen stories in thebook, five of which have never been reprinted after their initial appearances.
Lordof the Feast Cover Reveal
My next novel for Flame Tree, Lordof the Feast, will be out April 2024 and is available for preorder. Checkout that cover! I think it’s the best any of my Flame Tree books have gotten sofar!
Synopsis:
Twenty years ago, a cult attempted tocreate their own god: The Lord of the Feast. The god was a horrible,misbegotten thing, however, and the cultists killed the creature before itcould come into its full power. The cultists trapped the pieces of their godinside mystic nightstones then went their separate ways. Now Kate, one of thecultists’ children, seeks out her long-lost relatives, hoping to learn thetruth of what really happened on that fateful night. Unknown to Kate, hercousin Ethan is following her, hoping she’ll lead him to the nightstones sothat he might resurrect the Lord of the Feast – and this time, Ethan plans todo the job right.
Order Links
Flame Tree Press Paperback and eBook: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/lord-of-the-feast-isbn-9781787586369.html
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-the-feast-tim-waggoner/1143636012?ean=9781787586369
Barnes & Noble eBook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-the-feast-tim-waggoner/1143636012?ean=9781787586376
Short Story in the Current Vastarien
My story “Faithful Friend andCompanion” appears in Vastarien vol 6 issue 1, which is out now. This ismy second appearance in Vastarien, and I’m thrilled to be sharing atable of contents with such wonderful writers as Brian Evenson, Christi Nogle,S.P. Miskowski, and more. Shipping and handling for physical copies is freeworldwide and Kindle/ePub editions are pay-what-you-can.
Order Link: https://grimscribepress.com/issues/
Shakespeare Unleashed Out Now
My story “The Beggars’ Shadow” appearsin the anthology Shakespeare Unleashed from Monstrous Books. The story’sabout a very strange college lecture on Rosencratz and Guildenstern from Hamlet.The story was inspired by Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildensternare Dead and John Langan’s short story “Technicolor.”
Order Links:
AmazonPaperback: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Unleashed-Book-2/dp/1946346195/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690770272&sr=1-10
AmazonHardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Unleashed-Book-2/dp/1946346187/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690770272&sr=1-10
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shakespeare-unleashed-james-aquilone/1143565745?ean=9781946346193
Barnes & Noble Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shakespeare-unleashed-james-aquilone/1143565745?ean=9781946346186
Short Story in Unioverse: TheReconvergence
My story, “A Deeper Song,” appears inthe anthology Unioverse: The Reconvergence, which will be out August 15th.The Unioverse is a very cool science fiction game setting, and I had a blastwriting my contribution to the book! You can learn more about the Unioversehere: https://www.unioverse.com/
Synopsis
In the year 2145 AD, Malcolm Orion,destined to go down in history as the Brave Traveler, made his historic jumpthrough space, launching his consciousness across the universe. His arrival atan abandoned space station reawakened the Masson Zero—a vast system ofinstantaneous travelways connecting innumerable worlds, many inhabited bysentient life.
Now, centuries later, worlds longisolated from each other are once again connected. This anthology presentstales of this reconvergence. Set on richly imagined planets scattered acrossthe cosmos but linked once again by near-instantaneous travel, these storiesintroduce you to characters—human and otherwise—navigating love and loss,alliance and intrigue, violence and betrayal, and, most of all, the joys and perilsof exploration and scientific discovery. Accept the invitation. Step into atranspod of your own and slip through the Mass-O. You never know where you’llend up.
Order Links
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Unioverse-Stories-Reconvergence-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0CC3TJL6R/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1691007501&sr=8-1
Amazon Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Unioverse-Stories-Reconvergence-Linda-Addison/dp/B0CCC2SMK6/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1691007501&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unioverse-joshua-viola/1143743454?ean=9798986219400
Barnes & Noble Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unioverse-joshua-viola/1143743454?ean=9798988082774
ScheduledAppearances
Beyond the Book Festival. Sept. 30th.9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Starke County Public Library. Knox Indiana. For moreinfo: https://scpls.org/beyond-the-book
Butcher Cabin Bookfest. October 18th.5pm – 10pm. Pivot Brewing, 1400 Delaware Ave, Lexington, Kentucky.
Scarelastic Book Fair 2: March 2nd.12pm – 6pm. Scarlet Lane Brewing. 7724 Depot Street, McCordsville, Indiana.
StokerCon 2024. May 30th toJune 2nd. San Diego, California.
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