Plot in horror?

[iamafish]

I've mentioned in response to some of the recent Pseudopods that I hardly ever actually get scared when watching/reading/playing/listening to horror. Admittedly I'm not all that well read/ect in horror, so I might just not have found the right stuff yet, but somehow I don't think that's the problem - I tend to detach myself from a work of art and study it, rather than letting myself for too much of an emotional attachment (I rarely cry at art either).

This makes horror a fascinating genre for me because, while you can rationalise other genres and appreciate them with getting emotionally involved, the whole point of horror is to terrify, to disturb, to unsettle - to provoke an emotional response. These responses are based on fear, which is, by nature, irrational, so I find it difficult to really appreciate horror in the same way that I appreciate other genres. I keep thinking 'what makes this scary' and thinking that completely removed any sense of fear invoked by the work.

As a result of this I look for something more in horror stories. I find that many horror stories simply rely and focus on the 'scare factor' and this is, to me, really unsatisfactory. I think horror stories should be like any other story - they should have an interesting and engaging plot and characters with whom we can sympathise, as well as the element of horror. If they do I can appreciate them as stories in the same way as I would appreciate a fantasy or a sci fi.

So tangentially to the point of the thread. Do you think horror should be treated the same way as any other genre? We would not accept a fantasy that simply focused on the fantastical elements at the expense of plot, nor would we accept a Sci-Fi that focused on the futuristic technology at the expense of engaging characters (or would we?), why then should we accept a horror that simply tries to paint a scary picture without anything actually happening?

As you can probably guess, this thread is inspired by my reaction to The Poisoner, although this thought has been bubbling away for a while, listening to the most recent Pseudopod simply helped me crystallise it.

I guess we could even extend this to a discussion of whether plot and character are as important to short stories as they are to full length novels, or whether you can actually write a good short story with no characters and where nothing happens, but that might be too much for one thread, and I'd like to keep this to horror is possible.

[Scattercat]

"The Poisoner" isn't really going for a scare, though; it's fine not to like stories that skimp on plot, but I think that "The Poisoner" is a poor example of what you're trying to discuss.  I generally enjoy character sketches (assuming they're well done), though I, too, found "The Poisoner" unsatisfying.

I think the issue you're pointing out is not really a problem with the horror genre.  More than any other genre, horror is less about set pieces and motifs and more about a flavor.  You can have a horror fantasy, a horror science fiction, a horror crime story, etc.  It's all in the overtones, in whether the story is seeking an emotional gut reaction of fear, disgust, or despair (or a blend). 

For me, I have the same response to most things.  I'm rarely scared by a story I read (although I do get jumpy and panicky in the dark if I haven't had enough sleep).  However, I can appreciate the emotional reactions even if I don't really feel the brunt of them.  I can see a well-crafted scare and admire it for its beauty, just as I might admire a snake safely behind glass.  I don't need the boa constrictor to actually be throttling me to appreciate the power of its coils. 

I suspect you may be waiting for the horror stories to make you, personally, frightened, and when that doesn't happen you're wondering if it's you or the stories.  I'd say it's neither; few people are actually afraid of the horror stories themselves, and those that are tend to emphatically NOT be horror fans.  (My mother can't watch any movie predicated on suspense because she gets so worried for the characters.)  The issue here (if there is any) is a misguided expectation.  I think it's just that you're expecting something that really doesn't happen too often and isn't actually desirable when it does. 

Alternately, you might just not like horror as a genre.  It happens.  I don't really like mysteries, f'r instance.

[AliceNred]

Horror doesn't really scare me either. Sometimes something gets to me, but not often. Some of which is after 30 plus years of watching and reading the stuff, a lot of is pre. dic. table.

I think horror is really personal, like porn. What gets to me, may not get to you. And a lot of it is adolescent crap.

I too tend to look at the workings of stories. But you maybe on to something Lamafish. I think that is important more to go with flow than any other genre.

Your right of course, horror should and foremost have a cracking plot and sound characters. It needs more than most fiction IMHO.

I think most horror fans are not looking to be terrified. It's more of an interest and feeling of creepiness.

There has only been one book that has ever scared me, one. I had just had my first child and my hormones were still out of whack, plus no sleep. Plus the book was thought of as being true at at the time. I am sure these factors played a huge part in my fear. The book was Communion by Whitley Strieber. The thought of someone or something being able to do what they wanted to you or your child was creepy as hell to me. The book wouldn't work for me the same way today. At the time I thought there might be Greys, and I do believe there is life out there, I just don't buy into that kind of thing.

Horror is apart of my everyday life. Thankful it is the fiction kind. But it's a release and goes back to all those things as I kid I found interesting, ghost, witchcraft, etc.

I use to try and keep my love for the stuff a secret. I knew no other girl who was into horror and the one guy I did know in high school who was -odd. It's not something I have in common with folks I know in real life, but, I am fine with it. After all, how many brought their kids to watch war, and hanging or beheadings. I've got be more adjusted than them.

So horror fiction is difficult if you are lookin for a real scare. But it does happen from time to time, kind of like love.

 

[iamafish]

who the hell is Lamefish?

thanks for your comments though