Troy McCombs on the Different Kinds of #Horror @sonne3 #AmReading #GoodReads #Fiction

There are many different kinds of horror; they all come in different flavors. There’s “subjective horror” in which the horror doesn’t show itself until the very end, if at all. This is often light on gore, and usually uses the “what could be” element to scare the reader or movie watcher. I have to admit; this brand scares me the most. In Cinema, the film that has always scared me time after time was the original Amityville Horror. You never see anything, but you feel it’s there, and you don’t really want to know how diabolical it is, because it would ruin the mystery factor. In literature, Lovecraft is the king in this area. The way he weaves his stories is second to none. He paints the perfect monsters by giving just the right details and leaving what most writers put in, out. Lovecraft “suggests” horror instead of shoving it in your face. A lot of people don’t like this, but I’m one who does. What’s scary is not the monster or the looks of it; it’s what it’s capable of. It’s in the not knowing what you wants to do with you.

Movie Examples:

The Ring

Amityville

The Blair Witch Project

Paranormal Activity

Book examples:

Almost anything Lovecraft

Edgar Allen Poe

The Exorcist (the book may be more frightening than the film!)

The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene

Stephen King’s “The Mist” (this one’s not entirely subjective, but it’s kind of close)

A short story which was written by ?, entitled, “The Phantom Drug”

Phantoms by Dean Koontz (this also falls into the category below/it’s both)

Then there’s your action, “in your face” horror. Evil entities are revealed and become antagonists instead of mysterious, hidden-in-the-corner “things” that shouldn’t be. These scare me the least, but not always. In cinema, this brand is everywhere and has been done a thousand times before.

Movie examples:

Nightmare on Elm Street (this, in my opinion, falls in both categories—at least the original)

Friday the 13/sequels

Halloween and its sequels

Texas Chainsaw and it’s sequels…

Book Examples:

Lots of Stephen King stories (NOT all)

Almost anything “zombie”

Vampires, werewolves, psychopathic novels

—I really haven’t read a lot of action horror, even though I do write quite a bit of it. Reason? It’s easier to write, it’s easier to sell, and I think more people enjoy it.

This brand relies on excess blood, death, and mayhem to try and scare the watcher/reader. It’s a fast-paced style, and the antagonists are usually as black as night and the protagonists are as white as clouds. Not always. Never always. Different subcategories blend together a lot. Sometimes this works well; other times it fails miserably. And it depends a lot on the reader/readers. A thousand people may think one book is a piece of garbage, but one person may cherish it. Vice-versa. I’ll never read Twilight, because I don’t think a hunky teenager vampire is interesting.

There are several other subcategories of horror, ranging from comedy to post apocalyptic. Everyone has different taste buds, so choose what you will. There are more writers today than ever before. That means there really IS something for everyone.

I hope that you’ll check out my novel, Imaginary Friend. It falls into the second category, but it has a few elements of the first, and is largely based on suggestion (it was my intention). Below is a short blurb.

A little boy. A big imagination. A very rough life…

What if he could just believe… believe enough to make his pretend friend real? Then his father would stop abusing him. Teachers at school might hear him. Kids might be his friend.

Or, perhaps, his pretend friend might simply go on a killing spree and stop anyone from getting close.

Tulpas might just be real…. or, at least, for those willing to have enough faith.

The apostles said to Jesus, “Make our faith greater.” Jesus answered, “If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you.”

Tulpa: a materialized thought that has taken physical form.

Eight-year-old Nathan Stevenson is beat by his father, teased by his peers, and has zero friends—except Max, his imaginary friend. Max is a heroic creature he created years ago when the physical abuse became too much to bear. Strangely, every time Nathan imagines him, he becomes more lifelike, more substantial… but nobody could guess what soon happens when Nathan refuses to be a victim anymore.

The barriers of reality break down, and Max becomes real. Only Nathan can see him, but anyone can feel his violent wrath. The monster slays anyone who gets in his creator’s path, and eats the hearts of his casualties in order to obtain strength. There’s only one question: can Nathan learn to control his Tulpa? Or will it break free from his mental restraints to do whatever it desires? Either way, there will be a lot of dead bodies to clean up!

Author’s Note:
This paranormal/splatterpunk horror novel, Imaginary Friend, has been updated with a new cover and has been reedited for a more soothing read. It also contains elements of science fiction and fantasy, but the information about “Tulpas” are based on fact. For adults only!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Horror

Rating – R

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Connect with Troy McCombs on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://tmhorror.blogspot.com/

#Author Spotlight on William Knight @_William_Knight #Crime #Thriller

Why do you write?

I could say something to make you groan here, like: I write because I live. But that would be a crock of minced insects.  Honestly I think I write to show off. If nobody read it I wouldn't bother. That's not to say I don't love words, I do, but that probably wouldn't get me writing novels all by itself, that might get me writing the odd poem.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

I mostly don't enjoy it! I mostly suffer writing, and frankly I think it suffers me in return. On occasion, I write a few lines that come together like pieces in a jigsaw and I think – in hindsight – I enjoyed that. It's rare though, and that's odd because I've been writing since I was a teenager even though it's a chore. Crikey, think about that; a quarter of a century making yourself do something you don't really enjoy very much. I must be bloody stupid.

What motivates you to write?

I remember reading that rather than wanting to be a writer, most people want to have-been writers. I think that's what I want – I don't really want to spend the time writing, I want it all to be finished so I can point at my work and say, “Hey look, I did that,” and everybody can stare and say, “Wow, that's amazing!” Shallow, I know.

What writing are you most proud of?

As a technology journalist I wrote a few pieces for the UK's Guardian. It's a world-famous newspaper with an excellent reputation and I'm proud to have made it into its hallowed sheets.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?

No doubt here, my children. Frankly it's not much to do with me, but I still try to scrape some credit for them!

What books did you love growing up?

So many books... this question is just too hard. But if I have to name some then here goes: Watership Down was the longest book I'd ever read, and it wasn't long enough. I stared at the cover for hours after I'd finished longing for another chapter to magically appear. I read all the Asterix books dozens of times and never failed to titter at all the word plays and ridiculous character traits --- I know some of you are shouting that they aren't really books, and you're probably right – but luckily I'm the one answering the questions.

Who is your favorite author?

I really struggle to answer this one now. When I was younger I'd have shouted James Herbert back at you before you'd finished the question, but now I'm older, wiser (some say not), and believe you cannot compare apples with bingo halls. Herbert is just one of my lifetime favourites, in a list that includes Dickens, Iain Banks, Steinbeck, Azimov and Ian McEwan

What book should everybody read at least once?

Well this is easy. Everybody should read Generation by yours truly – at least once. Now I suppose I have to justify that brazen piece of self publicity. Err... Well, it's got something for everybody, science for nerds, thrills for chiler fans, medicine for hypochondriacs, a rich seam of irony and will make you think about your own mortality (that's if you need a dose of reality because your head is too big or because you are naturally introspective.)

Are there any books you really don’t enjoy?

This is really hard to admit, but I mostly struggle with anything that has won the Booker prize. I'd love to come across as intellectual, witty and literary but those books bore me. It's awful, isn't it. I'm supposed to be a writer and appreciate great prose as judged by incredibly clever people, but anything deemed to be worthy normally sends me to sleep.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?

Died suddenly aged 120 playing strip scrabble with beautiful women. (Which he was winning)

A man emerges from the sodden undergrowth, lost, lonely and starving he is mown down by a speeding car on the edge of a remote forest.

Rumours of ghostly apparitions haunt a rural Northumberland community.

A renowned forensic research establishment is troubled by impossible results and unprecedented interference from an influential drug company.

Hendrix 'Aitch' Harrison is a tech-phobic journalist who must link these events together.

Normally side-lined to investigate UFOs and big-beast myths, but thrust into world of cynical corporate motivations, Hendrix is aided by a determined and ambitious entomologist. Together they delve into a grisly world of clinical trials and a viral treatment beyond imagining.

 

In a chase of escalating dangers, Aitch must battle more than his fear of technology to expose the macabre fate of the drugged victims donated to scientific research.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Crime, Thriller, Horror

Rating – R-16

More details about the author

Connect with William Knight on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.williamknight.info