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| Shivers down the spine An introduction by Evelyn Adama October 2002 |
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Horror, evil, dark deeds, things that go bump in the night, the undead. A fascination with evil, that most of us pretend to ignore. The attraction of all things macabre is part of the human psyche. We claim to loathe evil, creepy crawlies, slime and slippery creatures, but the shivers down the spine do have an element of delight. When we were young, we watched the scary bits of films and tv with one eye, or behind a cushion. Somehow that lessened the evil. Reading about evil and horror is a bit like watching with one eye. You can dilute the horror to suit you. The Hammer Horror Films were hugely successful, perhaps because the acting and storyline were at times so ridiculous, that each film was funny, funny nasty, funny creepy, but funny. 40 years after it was made, Psycho still keeps people out of the shower, and Jaws still keeps people out of the sea, some 30 years after its first showing. Now the horror movies are far to real, and the technology too sophisticated to allow for any element of humour. The soundtrack so loud and terrifying, it would be impossible not to feel really frightened, even with both eyes shut and a pillow over your head. Nothing is left to the imagination now And everyone complains that there is just too much violence, horror and evil portrayed in graphic detail on the big and small screens. You don’t have to use your imagination, its all there. Our capacity for all things Horrendous, is unbounded. Even to the incredible success of the tv hospital dramas, which now show accidents, operations and people in pain, in more realistic detail than ever. Anyone who saw Aliens The Exorcist, and then Aliens 2 when huge, evil creatures, escaped from bodies as they were being operated on, or just crept out from their mouths, will never forget that terror. I believe that’s why Horror fiction is so successful. Horror, evil and supernatural terrors can be vividly detailed by words, and that huge sales of books in the Horror genre prove the never-ending fascination that we have with the weird and wonderful. My son, and most of his friends, would never read anything else during their teenaged years except for Horror Fiction. They certainly weren’t into the classics, romantic literature, historical novels, but anything with a nasty, evil theme, they were read avidly. And I don’t that Horror Fiction only appeals to teenagers, but imagine that’s the biggest market. Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Graham Masterton and James Herbert, are the names that I immediately recollected when thinking of Horror writers. I hadn’t heard of the writer, M R James. When I mentioned to a friend that I was researching some Horror Stories, he said he would never forget the evil he read in his books some 40 years ago and he still feels creepy at the recollection of his tales. This is a extract from the M R James biography. Please forgive me if I mention one or two of the Horror Movies, and especially Hammer Horror. The Whicker Man, I thought a really, really scary movie. And of course, Silence of the Lambs…….. Book better than film, but it is still rated as one of the best of its kinds, with the sequel Hannibal not getting such a good critical response, but The Red Dragon, the Prequel, which is to be released next week is very highly rated….. Of course, Stephen King and Horror Fiction are mentioned in the same breath: One of the reasons we decided on discussing Horror this evening, is that Stephen King has also written On Writing – a memoir of the craft. For those of us who enjoy writing, this book is ……………… But back to Horror – Stephen Kings Danse Macabre is a unique combination of fantasy and autobiography. This writer has an amazing ability to discuss himself, his life and his delight in Horror stories in the same sentence. In most of his fiction, he is able to lull the reader into a total false sense of security, things can’t get any worse, so they only get better. And then the real horror pops up. Remember the hand that thrust itself out of the grave at the end of Carrie, just when the reader thought she was dead and buried for good……….. Stephen King’s books, Danse Macabre and Hansel & Gretel as he gives an explanation of the Horror genre as well as anyone. In conclusion, of my presentation, I think there are two types of Horror Fiction. Stories that contain the element of fantasy, ghosts, evil beings, the undead. And then there are the horror stories of events that could happen, and some even have…….. which do you prefer to read about!
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