For me, the darker side of things has always been a way to help me deal with grief. Losing several family members early on in life left an impact on me, and in some ways I never really came back from it. Dark fiction, and a healthy interest in the macabre in general, kind of lets me make peace with it.
Living as an expat, scouring bookstores in Mexico, opened up my reading world. Thrift store books, mostly discarded for being in English—I gobbled up on the cheap. It’s like having an English speaking friend when there aren’t many around.
What I appreciate about dark fiction writers are the occasional non-fiction offerings, including blogs, and newsletters. ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King is brilliant. Reveals multi-dimensionality, and a look into the creative process. Much like you mentioned with your YouTube viewing—it opens up a lot of unexplored corridors as a reader.
I heartily agree with you that the dark side of fiction has a positive effect on individuals and the community. Without a sense of danger or trusting your gut in a new circumstance, a person can be exploited or harmed by someone who likely gave them the creeps. So much of today’s media is “la-la-la, I’m okay you’re okay” that I am concerned the youth and adults alike are conditioned away from acknowledging that feeling of apprehension around a potentially dangerous situation or person. I believe folklore traditionally served an important function in this capacity. This point struck me while I was watching the movie “Finding Nemo” with my children. The giant sharks are presented as truly terrifying, but the little fish willingly go along only to find out that the sharks have taken a vow not to eat their friends the fishes. I’m concerned that this type of presentation would be conditioning children away from believing their own two eyes when around “sharks” and to assume that everyone can be trusted. On a separate note, I think it would be great to have a collection of audiobook links you think are good for books as I’m sure many like to listen to them on their drive. Some horror audio renditions are distracting with silly effects or voice modifiers. Personally, though, I found this presentation of Salem’s Lot fantastic: https://youtu.be/HT46xYcGAkY?feature=shared
When I was a kid, I was scared of everything. The dark, spiders, monsters under the bed, disobeying my parents - everything. I read to escape into worlds where I didn’t have to be afraid, so mostly happy endings. As an adult, I challenged myself to be brave and try horror and dark fiction. I expected to hate them. To my surprise, they helped me understand that there’s more to life than fear. Whatever fears I face, those characters always have something worse. I guess you could say they helped me become a stronger person that way.
My upbringing also has a lot to do with my fascination with horror and the darker side of life. My childhood made me want to understand why people make the rules they make and live the way the live. And like you said, so much of that comes down to fear. I always feel like fear is the most honest emotion. You can understand so much of what motivates people if you dissect their fears.
I very much appreciate your personal perspective essay here. It has brought out an interesting array of perspectives and observations as a bonus. I like the unusual and weird, the suspense and high risk, without a requirement for a happy ending. Bloody or vicious horror I don't usually take well to.
I went through a phase in college reading dark lit. Like that's allllll I read. 😜
While I tend to gravitate towards sci-fi and fantasy, working at Barnes and Noble (EVIL EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT) for a few years helped expand my reading horizons.
Have you read any Brian Hodge? If you haven’t, he’s in most best of horror anthologies, so if you have any of those, he’s probably already in your library. I started as a Chuck Palahniuk fan, after being a Fight Club the movie fan, which led me to his fan site, which at the time also had a spin-off site celebrating Stephen Graham Jones, Craig Clevenger, and Will Christopher Baer - Will Christopher Baer’s Kiss Me, Judas had been bleakest novel I’d ever read up to that point, not sure if still is, that was a long time ago - and SGJ hooked me with his style and I began reading everything of his I could, buying anthologies he had a story in when they were on sale. Ellen Datlow’s a fan, so a lot of anthologies she’s edited, and she’s also a fan of Brian Hodge, so after buying these anthologies and reading the two of their stories if nothing else, led me to pick up his old collections, he’s great! I think he’s moved from horror to fantasy now, and I never read his crime novels, but his short horror collections I absolutely adore. Check one out if you can, I think you’d dig it a lot.
Oh yeah, I got into horror because 1) I got into SGJ, and 2) when I lived in Bulgaria, my language tutor was a big Supernatural fan, and those early monster of the week seasons were also America road trip episodes, so I fell in love with horror through that show, too.
"I have a high threshold for the macabre and sinister" I'm the same, too. My curiosity sometimes lead me down the rabbit hole where most of my friends don't want to follow, lol.
I've always been drawn to darker works of fiction or those that challenge you, the reader, into thinking about a subject differently or in depth or really making you feel the plight of the protagonists. I don't think I stick to one particular genre, but (and this is the same with TV and film) if the subject is on the bleaker side then I generally feel more pulled toward it.
Enjoyed your thoughts here Shaina, but you needn't justify anything to us. I'm just happy to see whatever recommendation or review or breakdown you post as there's (often, it seems) the chance that it's a book I don't know or haven't yet read and it's a fantastic way to populate my TBR list and have your notes to return to 😊
I love your explanation of how you came to love darker stories. The shadow gives meaning to the light. I've loved Stephen King's writing since I was a child too. While I don't write horror, he's been a huge influence on my work. I've always marveled at his character development and pacing.
For me, the darker side of things has always been a way to help me deal with grief. Losing several family members early on in life left an impact on me, and in some ways I never really came back from it. Dark fiction, and a healthy interest in the macabre in general, kind of lets me make peace with it.
Living as an expat, scouring bookstores in Mexico, opened up my reading world. Thrift store books, mostly discarded for being in English—I gobbled up on the cheap. It’s like having an English speaking friend when there aren’t many around.
What I appreciate about dark fiction writers are the occasional non-fiction offerings, including blogs, and newsletters. ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King is brilliant. Reveals multi-dimensionality, and a look into the creative process. Much like you mentioned with your YouTube viewing—it opens up a lot of unexplored corridors as a reader.
Cheers!
-William
I heartily agree with you that the dark side of fiction has a positive effect on individuals and the community. Without a sense of danger or trusting your gut in a new circumstance, a person can be exploited or harmed by someone who likely gave them the creeps. So much of today’s media is “la-la-la, I’m okay you’re okay” that I am concerned the youth and adults alike are conditioned away from acknowledging that feeling of apprehension around a potentially dangerous situation or person. I believe folklore traditionally served an important function in this capacity. This point struck me while I was watching the movie “Finding Nemo” with my children. The giant sharks are presented as truly terrifying, but the little fish willingly go along only to find out that the sharks have taken a vow not to eat their friends the fishes. I’m concerned that this type of presentation would be conditioning children away from believing their own two eyes when around “sharks” and to assume that everyone can be trusted. On a separate note, I think it would be great to have a collection of audiobook links you think are good for books as I’m sure many like to listen to them on their drive. Some horror audio renditions are distracting with silly effects or voice modifiers. Personally, though, I found this presentation of Salem’s Lot fantastic: https://youtu.be/HT46xYcGAkY?feature=shared
I so appreciate your insights
When I was a kid, I was scared of everything. The dark, spiders, monsters under the bed, disobeying my parents - everything. I read to escape into worlds where I didn’t have to be afraid, so mostly happy endings. As an adult, I challenged myself to be brave and try horror and dark fiction. I expected to hate them. To my surprise, they helped me understand that there’s more to life than fear. Whatever fears I face, those characters always have something worse. I guess you could say they helped me become a stronger person that way.
My upbringing also has a lot to do with my fascination with horror and the darker side of life. My childhood made me want to understand why people make the rules they make and live the way the live. And like you said, so much of that comes down to fear. I always feel like fear is the most honest emotion. You can understand so much of what motivates people if you dissect their fears.
I very much appreciate your personal perspective essay here. It has brought out an interesting array of perspectives and observations as a bonus. I like the unusual and weird, the suspense and high risk, without a requirement for a happy ending. Bloody or vicious horror I don't usually take well to.
Brilliant article. We are of one mind. I struggle to make my stories 'dark' enough without being horror. www.dark-novels.com
I went through a phase in college reading dark lit. Like that's allllll I read. 😜
While I tend to gravitate towards sci-fi and fantasy, working at Barnes and Noble (EVIL EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT) for a few years helped expand my reading horizons.
Have you read any Brian Hodge? If you haven’t, he’s in most best of horror anthologies, so if you have any of those, he’s probably already in your library. I started as a Chuck Palahniuk fan, after being a Fight Club the movie fan, which led me to his fan site, which at the time also had a spin-off site celebrating Stephen Graham Jones, Craig Clevenger, and Will Christopher Baer - Will Christopher Baer’s Kiss Me, Judas had been bleakest novel I’d ever read up to that point, not sure if still is, that was a long time ago - and SGJ hooked me with his style and I began reading everything of his I could, buying anthologies he had a story in when they were on sale. Ellen Datlow’s a fan, so a lot of anthologies she’s edited, and she’s also a fan of Brian Hodge, so after buying these anthologies and reading the two of their stories if nothing else, led me to pick up his old collections, he’s great! I think he’s moved from horror to fantasy now, and I never read his crime novels, but his short horror collections I absolutely adore. Check one out if you can, I think you’d dig it a lot.
Oh yeah, I got into horror because 1) I got into SGJ, and 2) when I lived in Bulgaria, my language tutor was a big Supernatural fan, and those early monster of the week seasons were also America road trip episodes, so I fell in love with horror through that show, too.
Yes, I know Supernatural was mostly shot in Canada.
"I have a high threshold for the macabre and sinister" I'm the same, too. My curiosity sometimes lead me down the rabbit hole where most of my friends don't want to follow, lol.
I've always been drawn to darker works of fiction or those that challenge you, the reader, into thinking about a subject differently or in depth or really making you feel the plight of the protagonists. I don't think I stick to one particular genre, but (and this is the same with TV and film) if the subject is on the bleaker side then I generally feel more pulled toward it.
Enjoyed your thoughts here Shaina, but you needn't justify anything to us. I'm just happy to see whatever recommendation or review or breakdown you post as there's (often, it seems) the chance that it's a book I don't know or haven't yet read and it's a fantastic way to populate my TBR list and have your notes to return to 😊
I love your explanation of how you came to love darker stories. The shadow gives meaning to the light. I've loved Stephen King's writing since I was a child too. While I don't write horror, he's been a huge influence on my work. I've always marveled at his character development and pacing.
My most recent novel starts from the seed of a serious tragedy that changes the trajectory of a girl's life. You can check it out here: https://www.catchrelease.net/s/memory-of-my-shadow
Thanks for sharing your story and creating a space to explore the darker side of fiction.