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Horror Readers’ Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons

Horror Readers’ Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons. Presented by Becky Spratford For ARRT @ Downers Grove Public Library September 21, 2010 1:30-3:30 bspratford@hotmail.com raforallhorror.blogspot.com r aforall.blogspot.com. Enter If You Dare….

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Horror Readers’ Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons

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  1. Horror Readers’ Advisory:How to Help Your Scariest Patrons Presented by Becky Spratford For ARRT @ Downers Grove Public Library September 21, 2010 1:30-3:30 bspratford@hotmail.com raforallhorror.blogspot.com raforall.blogspot.com

  2. Enter If You Dare… • “Horror is not a genre like mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries and book stores. Horror is an emotion.” • Douglas E. Winters in his introduction to Prime Evil (1988)

  3. Today’s Fright Fest • After today you will no longer be afraid of your horror patrons: • State of Horror Today • Appeal of Horror • Need to Know Authors with Read Alike Options • Genre and subgenre distinctions, including “Becky’s Picks” • Links to Resources • Lists and Display Ideas • Horror Collection Development Advice

  4. Evolution of Horror in Print • Slow to gain legitimacy but now a best selling phenomenon • Birth of horror genre- Castle of Otranto (1765) by Horace Walpole • 19th Century, rise of science, fears of technology. Frankenstein (1818) • Early 20th Century, golden age of the ghost story- M.R. James, Poe and Lovecraft(Cthulhu)

  5. Evolution of Horror in Print • Modern horror fiction, influence by movies. Night of the Living Dead (1968) • Ira Levin, William Peter Blatty • 1970s brought Stephen King, Anne Rice and Dean Koontz • New millennium blurs the genre’s line: supernatural thrillers and paranormal romances

  6. What is Horror Today • What is Horror? • Definition from the Horror Writers Association • Bare minimum • Must create a sense of dread in the reader. • This is completely personal and alters over time • Must be speculative (some will not be happy if sf is involved though) • The speculative, scary thing must be the thing causing the dread, fear, and chills

  7. What Is NOT Horror Today • Paranormal: sympathizing with the supernatural is not horror (click here ) • Serial killer books: scary, yes…evil, yes…speculative, no! • Most vampire books: vampires as love interest, fun but not scary • Most series with supernatural creatures: (click here for a list)

  8. Zombies = Horror? Not Always… Horror Not Horror

  9. The Lure of the Dark Side • Best defined by Stephen King in Danse Macabre (1981) • Don’t be scared. Horror readers are not monsters, they just like to read about them. • Do not underestimate how much people LOVE being scared. • Horror is an emotion

  10. Appeal Factors • Tone and Mood: provokes terror, gives voice to our fears, uneasy atmosphere • Characters we care about • Pacing: steady build to frantic conclusion • Style and Language • Lots of adjectives but still frank and colloquial • Can be quirky to build unease • Flashbacks common

  11. Appeal Continued • Storyline: Common themes and issues • Speculative • Coming-of-Age • Safe exploration of the dark side of humanity • Place where readers can face own fears • Provides escape from life’s real horrors • Validates a belief on the supernatural • Frame and Setting: Vary

  12. Possible Horror Limiters • Populated by supernatural monsters or elements • Graphic Violence, strong language, and explicit sex are possible • Especially with more recent titles- no character is safe. • Open but generally resolved ending

  13. Two Ends of the Horror Spectrum Becky’s Review of The Unseen Becky’s Review of Castaways

  14. The New Heads of Horror • Joe Hill • Novels, graphic novels, short stories, tv development • Start with: Heart-Shaped Box • Jonathan Maberry • Novels, speculative thrillers series, zombie YA series, comics, movie-tie ins, and nonfiction • Start with: Patient Zero

  15. Pulp Kings • Brian Keene (The Rising) • Nate Kenyon (Sparrow Rock) • John Everson (Covenant) • Gary Braunbeck (Coffin County) • Robert Dunbar (The Pines) • Jeff Strand (Dweller)

  16. Old Guard • Stephen King (The Shining) • Peter Straub (Ghost Story) • Ramsey Campbell (Nazareth Hill) • Dean Koontz (Watchers) • F. Paul Wilson (The Tomb) • Dan Simmons (The Terror)

  17. Ladies of the Night • Sarah Langan (The Missing) • Alexandra Sokoloff (The Harrowing) • Lisa Morton (The Castle of Los Angeles) • Deborah LeBlanc (A House Divided) • Sarah Pinborough (The Taken)

  18. Small Town Horror Ghosts and Haunted Houses Shape Shifters/ and Animals of Terror Zombies Vampires Monsters and Ancient Evil Witches and the Occult Demonic Possession Comic Horror Horror Subgenre Distinctions

  19. Small Town Horror • Isolated settings • Monsters both human and supernatural • Coming-of-age story arc • Titles to know: • Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry • Bentley Little (exploits the isolated setting) • The Shore by Robert Dunbar

  20. Ghosts and Haunted Houses • Most common intro to genre • Affirm belief in life after death • Fear of “things that go bump in the night” • Titles to know: • Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill • The Shining by Stephen King • The Unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff • The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

  21. Shape Shifters and Animals of Terror • Animals have always been part of human lore and storytelling • Threatening animals play at primal fears • Titles to Know: • Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow • Feeding Ground by Sarah Pinborough • Jaws by Peter Benchley (more info)

  22. Zombies • Earliest zombie tales are from West Indies and involve voodoo • Today’s versions in print come from the big screen, think Night of the Living Dead • 2010…TheYearoftheZombie • Titles to know: • Breathers by S. G. Browne • The Rising by Brian Keene • World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

  23. Vampires • By far most popular subgenre and most pervasive • Can be more erotic than horrific • Vampire Romance • Titles to know (beyond Dracula): • Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice • The Passage by Justin Cronin • Fangland by John Marks

  24. Monsters and Ancient Evil • Bloody, violent, no character is safe • Ancient myths, lost civilization • Fear of different and the unknown • Titles to know: • The Ruins by Scott Smith • The Terror by Dan Simmons • Dweller by Jeff Strand • Castaways by Brian Keene

  25. Witches and the Occult • Curses, potions, and charms to wreck havoc • Today’s witches are more complex • Dominance of Christianity brought witch’s association with Satanism • Titles to Know: • Sacrifice by John Everson • Black Creek Crossing by John Saul • The 5th Witch by Graham Masterton

  26. Demonic Possession • Devil is a universal symbol of evil in West • 4 basic plots: demonic possession, satanic ritual, curse or cursed object, selling soul • Religious undertones a big appeal factor • Titles to Know: • The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty • Fires Rising by Michael Laimo • Horns by Joe Hill

  27. Comic Horror • Makes fun of itself • Scary and funny • Mash-ups? (click here for a new one) • Thought provoking satire • Authors and Titles to Know: • Max Brooks (World War Z) • Christopher Moore (Dirty Job) • Blood Lite anthology

  28. Whole Collection Considerations • Whole collection RA • Best resource: Fantastic Fiction • Classic Scary Tales • Psychological Suspense • Dark Fantasy • Supernatural Thrillers • Nonfiction • Formats: GN, SS, Audio, Movies

  29. The Classics • Established masters are still read • Appeal to wide readership and new readers • Less sex and violence • Also consider “Horror For the Squeamish” • Titles to know: • Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier • The Turn of the Screw by Henry James • Poe and Lovecraft

  30. Psychological Suspense • Horror without the supernatural • Character and mood are foremost • Obsession and stalking • More literary style than most horror • Unsettling and unresolved endings

  31. Psychological Suspense Resources • Not a recognized genre • NoveList: boolean search for “psychological and suspense” or Recommended Reads/Thrillers/Mind Games and Horror/Psychological Horror • Becky’s Picks • Mini genre study by Becky for the BPL • Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon • The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

  32. Dark Fantasy • Dark fantasy builds from our nightmares. • Mixes elements of horror with fantasy • Authors and Titles to Know: • Raymond Feist’sFaerie Tale • Neil Gaiman • Stephen King’s Dark Towerseries • Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt series

  33. Dark Fantasy Resources • Natural language searches in large databases that are constantly updating: • Amazon.com • LibraryThing books tagged “dark fantasy” • NoveListRecommended Reads for Urban and Dark Fantasy • Wikipedia article with author suggestions • Paranormal Romance can fall here, but not a good option for horror readers

  34. Supernatural Thrillers • Evil scientists, monsters created by science, problems with supernatural • Read like thrillers: more action less emotion • Combines obsession with technology and fear of Pandora’s box • Key Authors and Titles: • Dean Koontz, Preston and Child, F. Paul Wilson, David Morrell, Daniel Hecht, Jonathan Maberry • The Strain Trilogy by Guillermo del Torro • Feed by Mira Grant

  35. Nonfiction • True ghost stories: haunted (insert your town here) • Encyclopedias, research guides, and true accounts of creatures from horror fiction: Use this link for a sampling • Survival Guides (tongue in cheek) • Max Brooks just hit 1million in sales • Other survival guides

  36. Formats • Graphic novels are in two categories • True horror : Locke and Key by Hill and Rodriguez • Supernatural and Superheroes: Marvel Zombies • Short Stories are alive and kicking • Audio: both books and old radio shows • Becky’s Pick-Ghost Radio by Leopoldo Gout • Horror Movies...their own lecture needed

  37. Horror Resources • One Stop Shopping at RA for All Horror • Find a site you like and follow it • Becky’s Favorites for Librarians: • Monster Librarian • Dark Scribe Magazine • Horror Writers Association • io9 • Genreville

  38. Collection Development • Keep checking and replacing popular titles • Use resources to update with new authors • Check my yearly horror lists • Check award winners and special issue of Booklist (October) each year • Talk to fans/readers • Follow the trends at your library • WEED

  39. Marketing Tips and Displays • Halloween and Beyond • Example Lists • While you wait lists/bookmarks for big authors, highlights larger offerings • Annotate, Annotate, Annotate!! (with readalikes) • Put it online and mix it up with other genres

  40. Final Fears • Current trends: • Horror elements in all fiction • Zombies vs. Vampires • Horrorish series, especially apocalyptic thrillers and paranormal • No one is safe • Comic Horror and Mash-Ups • Demise of the Horror Paperback? • Movies all year long

  41. Why We Need Horror “Readers love fantasy, but we need horror. Smart horror. Truthful horror. Horror that helps us make sense of a cruelly senseless world.” --Author Brian K. Vaughan in the introduction to Locke and Key Volume 3 (2010) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

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