Category: Posts by H.J. Dutton
Four Parasite Stories
by H.J. Dutton …with commentary by Michael Wehunt! The parasite’s invasion of the human body threatens our possession of what might be the only thing we can truly call our own. Parasites are thieves. Tapeworms rob us of the resources we gather. Screwworms and acanthamoebas feed on our tissue, eating us alive. Botfly larvae and
Five Seaside Stories
by H.J. Dutton …with commentary by Ramsey Campbell and Brian Hodge! I propose two reasons why so many horror stories have seaside settings. First, the edge of an island or continent functions as a liminal space between the known and the unknown. It is a threshold between human civilization and a realm that humans have
Three Bully Stories
by H.J. Dutton Bullies in horror are, in the majority of examples, the epitome of wasted potential. The issue isn’t as much authenticity – though that is a minor gripe in most cases – as it is focus. Even in a book or film with a plot that hinges on a conflict between bully and
Three Psychic Stories
by H.J. Dutton …with commentary from bestselling author Philip Fracassi! Psychics often appear in horror stories, but a limited number of those stories deliver horror about psychics. Many horror stories that feature psychics don’t derive their horror from them because the psychic characters are the protagonists and/or victims. For an example of horror about psychics,
More Internet Horror
by H.J. Dutton The internet democratizes access for artists, writers, and other creatives: anyone, regardless of experience or connections, can post a project on the web and gain a following. Kane Parsons, director of A24’s The Backrooms (2026), is a famous example of someone who took advantage of this access, having started his career in
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