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[COLOR="Cyan"]What truly makes a book or story horror? Is it simply because of who the character is? Such as, there's a vampire, or zombie, therefore it must be horror? I'm reading "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies." In my opinion, it is more of a romance novel, the zombies are a side note. (Not to mention ninjas. Yes, ninjas!) But, it got me to thinking that it being classified as a horror novel is a little bit of an oxymoron. A romantic/horror? Horror/romance?
So, does anyone else have an opinion?[/COLOR]
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Anything that makes you cringe at night, or makes you turn the night light on! lol
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No, just having a certain monster or element does not make it horror, the reason they are called "horror romance" or "horror comedy" is simply for convenience IMO, to indicate what sorts of elements are contained within. In a way it works because such elements much more often than not originate from horror.
âThe Fright Night remake is a film which taps into the audienceâs deepest rooted fears, such as those of vampires throwing motorcycles at them. I dread the thought of a vampire throwing a refrigerator or a deskjet printer or... Iâd better stop before I give myself nightmaresâ
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Mr. Briggs Inc. Wrote:No, just having a certain monster or element does not make it horror, the reason they are called "horror romance" or "horror comedy" is simply for convenience IMO, to indicate what sorts of elements are contained within. In a way it works because such elements much more often than not originate from horror.
I Agree! But like I said above - True Horror will make you scream, cry, cringe, laugh in a psycho way, or make you turn on your night light! 
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I just get a little frustrated when I'm trying to find a book in a store & they have it completely mis-identified. Anita Blake started off as horror/mystery, in the end, they're straight porn. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, in the horror section. Way off. Some "romance" writers that I've read have more mystery & supernatural than the mystery writers. It just seems very gratuitous.
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Rosemary's Baby Wrote:I just get a little frustrated when I'm trying to find a book in a store & they have it completely mis-identified. Anita Blake started off as horror/mystery, in the end, they're straight porn. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, in the horror section. Way off. Some "romance" writers that I've read have more mystery & supernatural than the mystery writers. It just seems very gratuitous.
Yea.... I know!
I have this one book that was supposed to be scary!
I mean it was about this guy trying to rape and kidnap this girl, but she got away to soon... Well she went to the hospital for some reason and she met this cop who was hired to help. Long story short she started banging the cop... :reddisgust: I mean it was in TOTAL details lol!
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romantic is one of those words I've come to understand also means "completly unrealistic but driven by fantasy"
not to meantion forgeeting about reality long enough to survive when coming down
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but isn't that part of the fun?
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I have to say, I've never had a horror book keep me up at night. Must be a side effect of my grandmother telling me scary stories when I was really young. Especially, the family based, "You're great-grandmother..." When I lay down to sleep, the brain goes off.
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I love to hear Scary Stories... 
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Horror is one of the great ways to feel alive - I'd mention more but there might be "innocent minds" around and I don't want to currupt them.
But they are all so fun!
Anyone get sunburned yet this summer?
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I think a lot of times it's the "tone." Now, I'm not trying to make this all about me, but here's a good example . . . .
My first (and only, to date) mass-market novel, published in 2004, was MIDNIGHT RAIN. Ultimately, MIDNIGHT RAIN is *not* a horror story -- in fact, I'd describe it more as a dark coming-of-age/suspense tale (think STAND BY ME meets DISTURBIA, I guess). It's about a boy who witnesses a brutal murder committed by his hometown sheriff, and he doesn't know where to turn with this information. Things get worse and worse, until eventually he knows he has to do the right thing . . . .
Not horror, right? But a lot of horror readers loved this one, called it their favorite book of 2004. No kidding.
I think it's all about the dark tone. The "mood." Because, like I said yesterday in a thread on this forum about THE MIST, I think that the things *people* are capable of are so much scarier than any atrocities fictional characters might suffer at the hands of zombies, werewolves, etc.
Just my $.02.
J.N.
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I agree the tone can set some things
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