Page Fright

For The Grimm Reader…

“The call’s coming from inside the house.” To this day the single most menacing horror movie line I have ever heard. Many of us have long held a curiosity of the macabre. What’s hiding under the bed or in the closet, what is looming in the shadows, who’s voice is hissing it’s whisper in our ear, who’s footsteps do we hear creeping up behind us. It’s both the question and the numerous horrifying potential answers that cause our adrenaline to spike, our stomach to plummet, our heart to stutter, our flesh to prickle, our eyes refuse to shut. Ironically, it’s at risk of nightmarish death that our bodies come fully to life.

It’s expected that at some point we are supposed to stop believing in the monsters that populate these stories. I would argue that to do so puts at risk our belief in the counterpoint.

It’s been quoted by Stephen King that “the great appeal of horror fiction is that it serves as a rehearsal for our own deaths.” So, when we explore scary stories is that allowing us to explore death at arm’s length so that we might come to understand it? Is the heightening of terror and anxiety when consuming these tales thru fictional realms providing us with peace of mind in real life? Are we exorcising control over our own fears and inner demons? I would say that last one is the reason for most admirers but I will leave you to ponder your own rationale.

Scary stories have existed in one form or another for centuries. Embodying everything from ghosts, to demons, to werewolves and vampires. Told by everyone from Shakespeare to the Brothers Grimm and of course to the long heralded master himself Stephen King. In recent years more otherworldly beings have emerged and we have seen the more frequent use of the serial killer or sociopath as the monster.

No other genre has as many consistent tropes as horror does. We all know them and can see them coming but in case you need a reminder…

Axe, or equivalent sharp object, wielding madman
Car trouble - dropping of keys, car won’t start, bad man popping up from the backseat
Disturbing dwelling - insane asylum, haunted house, cabin in the woods
Absurdly ineffective barricade, weapon, girly screech
Vengeful being - spirit, clown, animated dolly
Locked rooms - attic, basement
Possession, or as I like to think of it, the devil made him do it
Dark force rising - Ouija boards, seances, grave digging
Body snatchers - Mommy isn’t Mommy anymore

Getting a good solid fright out of a book is much harder than getting one from a movie and after many years indulging to my heart’s content in both, I believe it’s because of the music. The haunting score of a film can elevate all of those physiological responses mentioned earlier. I know for a fact I could win a game of name that tune in this genre! For this reason, I will share not only my top picks for best scare’s in books but for movies as well.

Sleep tight my friends…

13 Scariest Reads

1. Dracula – Bram Stoker

2. The Shining – Stephen King

3. A Good and Happy Child – Justin Evans

4. The Killing Circle – Andrew Pyper

5. Heart Shaped Box – Joe Hill

6. The Ruins – Scott Smith

7. Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier

8. A Head Full of Ghosts – Paul Tremblay

9. Burnt Offerings – Robert Marasco

10. Bird Box – Josh Malerman