Category: H.J. Dutton’s Horrific Highlights
The Art of Horror ARGs
by H.J. Dutton On July 30 of 1999, The Blair Witch Project opened in theaters. The found footage folk horror film follows three student filmmakers as they record a documentary about a small-town legend. Despite its tiny budget of around $45 thousand, the film became a legendary box office success, grossing $250 million worldwide. While
Four Internet Horror Stories
by H.J. Dutton Internet horror took its first steps in the early 1990s through epistolary works such as the first of the stories I’ve listed below, “Pickman’s Modem,” and other tales of web correspondence gone awry. These stories often derive their dread from web characteristics like anonymity, breaches of privacy, e-celebrity culture, and the “Wild
Three Arctic Stories
by H.J. Dutton When writing her 1818 magnum opus Frankenstein, Mary Shelley used a framing narrative in which Dr. Victor F recites his tale to sailors trapped in the frigid Arctic wastes. This setting sets the tone for Victor’s background before his story even begins. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of
Five Vacation Stories
by H.J. Dutton A staple source of dread in horror stems from the invasion/corruption of a Status Quo or the removal of a character from the Status Quo where they feel comfortable. In vacation stories, the departure from the Status Quo is, more often than not, voluntary. The horrors of comfortable normality invaded and corrupted
Five Stories with Zoos, Aquariums, and Pet Stores
by H.J. Dutton Considering all the settings and topics the horror genre doesn’t explore as much as it should, I think zoos, aquariums, and pet stores sit at the top of my list. Stories that feature them exist, sure, but the search for them is often long and frustrating. I can count the number of
Five Sports Stories
by H.J. Dutton In 1989, St. Louis Blues member Steve Tuttle collided with rival team goaltender Clint Malarchuck. His skate slashed across Malarchuck’s jugular, severing his carotid artery. Widespread panic ensued among spectators. Despite the injury, Malarchuck survived (“Zednik’s Injury”). In 1993, tennis world champion Monica Seles was in a quarterfinal match in Hamburg, Germany.
Four Desert Stories
by H.J. Dutton Among the most inhospitable places on the planet is the desert. The desert’s unwelcoming attitude is something our pop culture depictions get (mostly) right. In T.E. Lawrence’s 1926 classic Seven Pillars of Wisdom (the basis for the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia), George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and Arizona-based author
Four Jungle Stories
by H.J. Dutton One of my favorite horror topics is underused settings. Like the jungle. Though not as rare as other neglected settings – zoos, prehistory, etc. – the jungle certainly isn’t a staple, either, which is odd, because by all means it should be. Anything could hide inside that mess of green, waiting to
Five Tales of Aquatic Creepy Crawlies
by H.J. Dutton This article builds on two previous articles, “Five Stories about Bugs and Creepy Crawlies” and “Four Stories Set Underwater.” Although reading those articles is not necessary for understanding this one, understandings of creep-factors and specific underwater frights are related… and you can also get similar thrills from those articles’ recommendations. So, like
Four Stories Set Underwater
by H.J. Dutton Thousands of years of experiences with unpredictable tides and unreliable ships have hammered in a deep fear of the world beneath the waves. Even if their plots don’t center around the sea, horror stories – especially those of the modern Gothic variety – often take place near the ocean. Less common, though,