Horror Genre Definition – What’s the best definition for the horror genre? Horror stories are designed to evoke fear, fascination, or revulsion in the reader. This is done either through supernatural elements or psychological circumstances. Sometimes horror is also considered dark fantasy because the laws of nature must be violated in some way, qualifying the story as fantastic.
Werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, and monsters are common in horror stories, as well as people who are considered crazy and are bent on the harm of others. Horror stories feed on basic human emotions, eliciting sympathy and dread whenever possible. The stories contain higher rates of death and torture than most other genres.
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Horror Genre Definition – Examples
Review this list of popular examples to help you get a better understanding of the horror fiction genre.
1. At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror by H.P. Lovecraft
2. Carrie by Stephen King
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
5. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
6. I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson
7. Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
8. It by Stephen King
9. Misery by Stephen King
10. Needful Things by Stephen King
11. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
12. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
13. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
14. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
15. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
16. Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
17. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
18. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
19. The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
20. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
21. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
22. The Mist by Stephen King
23. The Shining by Stephen King
24. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
25. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brook
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Horror Genre Definition – Related Book Genres
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MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 