Why Horror?

[Scott]

Because there are no rules!

[Jon Recluse]

Except the rules of good grammar, we hope.

[Justin]

Its said everyone needs a little love in their life well who says the same can't be said about horror too?

[Angel]

Horror is everywhere, it so broad. In books you can find supernatural elements of horror that are (usually, I hope!) unrealistic and soley the product of the author's great imagination. But for me, the most disturbing horror is that which can actually happen--the kidnapping, murder, torture, etc. of loved ones--especially kids. What can be scarier? On any given day we encounter and escape so many horrors. We may not even be aware of them all. How many drunk drivers are out there on the road with us? In a split second, things can get very horrific and lives can be altered drastically. What about the spread of a new disease? That's incredibly frightening and it's just a matter of time before there's a catastrophic outbreak (depressing, isn't it?!?).
That's what I love about horror novels. You read them, they disturb you, then you appreciated your life a little more....

[Sarah Nicole]

Charlene wrote: "All of the above reasons.
And also because I get a little rush when I'm reading a good horror book. My heart beats a little faster, the pace of my reading speeds up- I may even have a bead of swea..."

Totally feel the same way. I love the rush of being afraid. It's the same reason people read drama books to cry, because they like the feeling of being sad or releasing that emotion out. I like to feel scared, I want to feel that emotion racing in my body. Crazy yes I am ;)

[Jason]

During my infancy to early childhood I was terrified of anything that wasn't within the norms of everyday life. The old television show The Incredible Hulk, for example, scared the crap out of me. Men aren't supposed to turn green and suddenly grow a ton of monstrous muscles.

Somewhere around the age of 10, I decided to attack this fear. I got my mom to rent me Friday the 13th part 4 (which took some doing) for my birthday. She finally submitted, seeing my reasoning behind it, and we popped it in the VCR with a bunch of my friends.

It was love at first sight. I didn't know why I was so afraid of this stuff. I even started watching The Incredible Hulk, but they cancelled it soon after. lol.

Anyways, I never looked back after Friday the 13th part 4. Horror has remained a big part of my life ever since. I can't say why I like it, but I know that that original fear I had of it is a strong reason why. In reality, I'm still afraid of it. If I were stuck in any of the situations I read or watch in horror, I'd curl up in the corner, cry, and pee my pants!

[Hudson]

I blame Creature Double Feature from the 1970's!

[Jackie]

I am involved in the Halloween industry and work in haunted houses, so it's personal for me to take a dive into the horror genre. You could just say it inspired me to bring the live scares to the page. I love horror because it is creativity with no limits,and it creates the right build-up for tension in novels.

[Raymond]

Hudson wrote: "I blame Creature Double Feature from the 1970's!"

I miss that show! That and CHILLER...the hand with six fingers LOL

And in answer to the question: I am fascinated by human behavior. There is no better place to understand a person and his or her character than when examined under the worst of situations...Horror creates those situations.

[Mollydee]

Why Horror? What a great question. My mother was a horro book reader and when I hit 11, she started letting me read Steven King. I loved it! It was like nothing I had ever read. I found a lot of, especially in his early works, the horror to be something that could be real. A rabid dog, secret societies, a girl bullied at school, etc. The books are always page turners and you wonder how bad is it going to get. Of course this translates to my love of horror movies. It is amazing what they are able to do now. I am still a fan of old black and white horror films. But I always have a much more terrifying world going on in my head when I read a horror book. There is no other genre like it.

[Carl]

I just recently had this blog post for HWA's Halloween Haunts on Why I Write Horror. This pretty much says it all for me at http://www.horror.org/blog/halloween-...