Trends in Genre Series:Horror

Presented by:Becky Spratford

PLA Conference, 2012bspratford@hotmail.com

http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com

Horror Defined

“Horror is a story in which the author manipulates the readers’ emotions by introducing situations in which unexplainable phenomena and unearthly creature threaten the protagonist and provoke terror in the reader.” definition quoted from The Readers’

Advisory Guide to Horror, second edition (ALA Editions, 2012)

Trends in Horror Series

Series in traditional horror are on the rise

The best horror writing in general, series or not, is happening in the format of the graphic novel

The rise of “not quite horror”

The Jake Helman Files by Gregory Lamberson

Dead World Novels by Joe McKinney

David WellingtonHorror series Hall of Fame

Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

If you are sick of this?

Try…American Vampire by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque

No sparkle hereAnd she is one of the “good guys.”

Horror Series Across Formats

Not Quite Horror Series

Can be scary but provoking terror is not the main goal. Story comes before atmosphere Human monsters Thriller/investigative focus with

supernatural characters Dark Fantasy

It’s a porous line that is crossed frequently by readers AND authors; just be aware

Joe Ledger Novels by Jonathan Maberry Click here for a conversation I had

with Maberry about “not quite horror.”

Newsflesh by Mira Grant

Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Links

Handouts with many more series and presentation available on RA for All Including 10 classic horror and not quite

horror series suggestions and many more new series

Horror specific info and conversation over on RA for All: Horror

The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, second edition out April, 2012. Available for pre-order now.