Psycho by Robert Bloch. ➢ The October Country by Ray Bradbury. ➢ Darkfall by
Dean R. Koontz. ➢ The Power by James Mills. ➢ Shadows by John Saul.
The Horror Genre Popular Horror Writers:
Clive Barker Elizabeth Bowen V.C. Andrews Robert McCammon Garfield Reeves-Stevens H.P. Lovecraft
Robert Bloch John Coyne John Farris Dan Simmons Peter Straub Stephen King
James Herbert Dean R. Koontz John Saul Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Anne Rice
Common Sub-Genres: Short Story Collections:
Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman Out of the mouths of graves by Robert Bloch Seven Gothic Tales by Asak Dinesen Echoes from the Macabre: selected stories by Daphne Du Maurier Night-side by Joyce Carol Oates Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
Ghost Stories:
50 Great Ghost Stories by John Canning High Spirits by Robertson Davies Norton Book of Ghost Stories Ammie, come home by Barbara Michaels
The Occult and Supernatural: Stories of the unseen and malevolent, the macabre and ghostly. Poltergeists, and minds being stolen. Many of the stories being published currently center around psychological horror. The occult deals with mysteries beyond human understanding. The supernatural encompasses all things exiting or occurring outside humanity’s normal experience.
V.C. Andrews Shade of the Tree by Piers Anthony Psycho by Robert Bloch The October Country by Ray Bradbury Darkfall by Dean R. Koontz The Power by James Mills Shadows by John Saul Under the Lake by Stuart Woods
Cosmic Paranoia: Mythological component.
Strange Eons by Robert Bloch Phantoms by Dean Koontz At the mountains of madness, The Dunwich horror by H.P. Lovecraft The Stand by Stephen King Conspiracies by F. Paul Wilson
The Horror Genre con’t Demonic Possession and Exorcism: The taking over of innocent mind by demon or ghost.
The Exorcist by William Blatty Lori by Robert Bloch The Searing by John Coyne The Sending by Geoffrey Household Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Satanism, Demonology, and Black Magic: Worshipping the devil, pacts with the devil, hauntings by demons, magicians and black magic.
Bless the Child by Cathy Cash Spellman Lupe by Gene Thompson The devil rides out, Gateway to Hell by Dennis Wheatley Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston
Witches and Warlocks: In horror fiction witches and warlocks are persons of reality. They may be practitioners of either whit or black witchcraft. The laughing corpse by Laurell Hamilton Boy’s Life by Robert T. McCammon The Witching Hour by Anne Rice Monsters: Taking unnatural form from any of the elements of water, earth, air, plant or animal.
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell Hamilton Pet Semetary, Cugo, Stand by Stephen King Watchers by Dean Koontz Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Vampires:
Blood Lines, Blood Price by Tanya Huff Salem’s Lot by Stephen King Interview with a Vampire, Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice Dracula by Bram Stoker The Last Vampire by Whitley Strieber
Mind Control: The domination of another’s mind by the living or by the dead, by humans or demons.
Magic Cottage by James Herbert Burnt Offerings by Laurell Hamilton The Shining by Stephen King Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston
The Horror Genre con’t Medical Horror: Doctors and hospitals where unnatural medicine is practiced.
Brain, Coma, Fever, Harmful Intent, Vital Signs, Mutation by Robin Cook Gravity, Live Support by Tess Gerritsen Facemaker by William Katz Natural Causes, Fatal, Miracle Cure by Michael Palmer Mindscream by R.D. Zimmerman Nightkill, Deep as the marrow by F. Paul Wilson Rulers of Darkness, Daughter of darkness, My soul to take by Steven Spruill
Psychological Horror: Terrors in these novels often have explicable causes. Serial killers fall into this category.
Psycho by Robert Bloch Fury by John Coyne Twice Burned by Kit Craig Misery by Stephen King Animal Hour by Andrew Klaven Chiller by Blake Stirling
Splatterpunk: Graphic violence, gore, sex, and a dismal outlook are attributes of horror’s cutting edge. A sampling of authors who write in this sub-genre are:
Clive Barker Poppy Z. Brite Joe R. Lansdale David Schow John Shirley John Skipp and Craig Spector
**Descriptions of genres were borrowed from, “Genreflecting: a guide to reading interests in genre fiction” by Diana Tixier Herald.
