Part of a (hopefully) ongoing series where I ask authors to define what makes a book a true work of horror. Here’s my definition.
Full disclosure, Mario Acevedo, author of, among other fine works, Werewolf Smackdown and The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, kindly endorsed my book, The Dark Servant (Samhain Publishing; Nov. 4, 2014). He’s been awesome enough to be the first author to offer his definition of the genre he loves.
Courtesy: Mario’s website!
“I once heard Tom Monteleone give a speech in which he defined ‘horror’ as the best and most honest genre in literature. Horror–good horror–must creep you out, it must make the hairs rise on your arms and get you to double-check the locks. Go too far with the tropes and it becomes camp. So horror is not about setting, period, or characters (i.e., supernatural monsters) but the ability to creep you out.”
Short and to the point! (Unlike my definition.)