Horror?

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

Exactly what classifies a book or movie as horror?

As a long time Steven King reader I came to the conclusion that a large percentage of what he writes is science fiction. Leaving most of the rest as fantasy, IMO: stories involving the supernatural.

So why is he considered a horror writer instead of a sci-fi/fantasy writer?

My thinking is because his stories don’t have a happy ending.  I can’t think of one off the top of my head. Would the same apply to movies? 
Of course a book or movie can have an unhappy ending without being considered horror! So whats the criteria?

Example: the movie Last American Virgin. My go to for an unhappy ending. Certainly not classified as horror! But maybe it is. Maybe because the ending is so horrible!! For the protagonist of the movie. 
Is that the definition of horror? When something horrible HAPPENS?

If so we’re gonna need to re define a lot of things!

[July Smith]

Maybe by today's standards most off King's books are more thrillers than horrors, but I read Pet Cemetery and as a parent it absolutely horrified me.

Edited January 14 by July Smith

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

In my opinion, (worth exactly what you pay for it), horror movies have a lot of people killed by the antagonist simply for his pleasure, like Freddie Kruger, Jason, etc.). Monster movies, (Frankenstein, The Blob, etc.) don't count, Sci Fi, (Alien) doesn't count. 

 

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, July Smith said:

Maybe by today's standards most off King's books are more thrillers than horrors, but I read Pet Cemetery and as a parent it absolutely horrified me.

I read Pet Cemetery, and then a few years later I married a woman with small children.

 

One of the very first things I learned those kids was that when I said stop they were supposed to stop and when I said come here they were supposed to come here. Because of that little boy that thought it was so much fun to run away when Daddy said come here, and ran out in front of the semi.

[Cypress Sun]

 

I don't think there is a "exact" definition of horror. Horror is contained within the mind of the reader or viewer, based upon their phobias or fears.

 

What scares the crap of one person doesn't bother another in the least.

 

Reading The Stand was scary, but attempting to read the Gunslinger series was boring. 

 

 Jaws and The Thing (Carpenter version) were scary. The Exorcist and Alien didn't scare me in the least, in fact they were comical to me.

 

Really depends on the presentation of the story and the viewer's mindset.

[Cypress Sun]

6 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I read Pet Cemetery, and then a few years later I married a woman with small children.

 

One of the very first things I learned those kids was that when I said stop they were supposed to stop and when I said come here they were supposed to come here. Because of that little boy that thought it was so much fun to run away when Daddy said come here, and ran out in front of the semi.

 

I still think of that part of the book and the scene from the movie from time to time when I see kids near a rural highway with semi haulers of rocks, limestone or oranges. Used to see it a lot on Hwy 50 on the way home from a match in Eustis.

[July Smith]

24 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I read Pet Cemetery, and then a few years later I married a woman with small children.

 

One of the very first things I learned those kids was that when I said stop they were supposed to stop and when I said come here they were supposed to come here. Because of that little boy that thought it was so much fun to run away when Daddy said come here, and ran out in front of the semi.

 

13 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

I still think of that part of the book and the scene from the movie from time to time when I see kids near a rural highway with semi haulers of rocks, limestone or oranges. Used to see it a lot on Hwy 50 on the way home from a match in Eustis.

My sister and I read/listen to a lot of the same books.  When we first visited her and my brother in law at their new house I made the dark humor comment about how their long downhill drive onto a busy street is crazy similar to the one described in Pet Cemetery.  All our kids and dogs have a very good recall because of that book. 

Edited January 14 by July Smith

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

I don't think there is a "exact" definition of horror. Horror is contained within the mind of the reader or viewer, based upon their phobias or fears.

 

What scares the crap of one person doesn't bother another in the least.

 

Reading The Stand was scary, but attempting to read the Gunslinger series was boring. 

 

 Jaws and The Thing (Carpenter version) were scary. The Exorcist and Alien didn't scare me in the least, in fact they were comical to me.

 

Really depends on the presentation of the story and the viewer's mindset.

I never did figure out what was the big deal about The Exorcist!!

I kept waiting for a “scare”!😄

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

2 hours ago, Tell Sackett SASS 18436 said:

I never did figure out what was the big deal about The Exorcist!!

I kept waiting for a “scare”!😄

I think that the big thing there were the special effects, (turning her head around and such), and having her swear at the priest like she did. 

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

I was thinking NO bacon to add to the taters and onions 

 

   

[DeaconKC]

Hmm, I still find the scariest book I ever read was Tom Clancy's "Without Remorse" about a Navy SEAL who's girlfriend was murdered by some drug dealers. He goes hunting. It has been my honor to have worked with several SF men over the decades, some of the finest men I have ever known. The book showed how easily a man like that could cross that line. 

[Eyesa Horg]

For good reason.

[watab kid]

8 hours ago, DeaconKC said:

Hmm, I still find the scariest book I ever read was Tom Clancy's "Without Remorse" about a Navy SEAL who's girlfriend was murdered by some drug dealers. He goes hunting. It has been my honor to have worked with several SF men over the decades, some of the finest men I have ever known. The book showed how easily a man like that could cross that line. 

sounds like good cause to me but then we are talking a book of fiction and there are a lot of us that have had experiences in our lives that made us think along those lines 

[Rye Miles #13621]

As a kid these movies scared the crap out of me, Tarantula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy. 

[Chantry]

15 hours ago, DeaconKC said:

Hmm, I still find the scariest book I ever read was Tom Clancy's "Without Remorse" about a Navy SEAL who's girlfriend was murdered by some drug dealers. He goes hunting. It has been my honor to have worked with several SF men over the decades, some of the finest men I have ever known. The book showed how easily a man like that could cross that line. 

 

Wasn't legal, but it was justice.   And certainly the idea of someone with that skill set wanting you dead should scare you.

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

As a kid these movies scared the crap out of me, Tarantula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy. 

Fourth grade. Frankenstein was on the Saturday afternoon movie. Igor brings over a petri dish with a couple of eyes in it, and I had to get up and go outside. That movie was scaring me plumb to death.