Category: Posts by H.J. Dutton
Five Horror Stories About Spores, Lichens, and Fungi
by H.J. Dutton What is it about the horror genre and fungi? Fungal blooms and infestations pop up throughout horror history–fungal horror is perhaps prolific enough to be considered its own subgenre. A foundational work from the early 19th century is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839), in which fungus
Ten Classic Folk Horror Stories
by H.J. Dutton Folk horror, in general terms, centers around folklore. More specifically, “folk horror” includes any horror story that derives its unease from folk tales, mythology, superstitions, and rites/customs outside mainstream social norms. While the term “folk horror” is relatively new, its roots in modern horror reach into the early 19th century, with literature
After Chambers: Three Stories Featuring the Yellow King
by H.J. Dutton Clocking in at over 11 million viewers, season one of True Detective (2014) was HBO’s most successful show to date and a major turning point for television as a medium. Its ambitious plot, literary depth, and cinematic quality changed the gameboard, proving that high-brow, hard-to-sell concepts could become massive commercial successes in
Five Christmas Ghost Stories
by H.J. Dutton Merry Christmas, everyone! In preparation for the 25th, this week I’ll discuss a niche yet increasingly popular subgenre. Recent holiday horror films such as Krampus (2015), the second Black Christmas reboot (2019), and this year’s reboot of Silent Night, Deadly Night would have audiences assume that the subversion of holiday cheer in