I’ve always loved scary stories. I remember reading Stephen King books when I was probably way too young, starting with “Pet Sematary” when I was about eleven. My parents bought me the box set of VC Andrews’ Flowers in Attic and Heaven series when I was twelve (it’s sort of remarkable I ended up as normal as I am, thanks parents). The first romance novel I ever read was a gothic romance in the vein of Victoria Holt, featuring a woman on the cover running away from a castle in the background…and whatever dark, ominous forces were menacing her within it. I was hooked, and I devoured gothic romances by the dozen thanks to my local library. That of course led me to historicals and eventually contemporary romance, and the rest is history.
While 90% of the books I read are romance, probably 90% of what I watch (that isn’t, you know, hockey) is horror. Some of my favorite movies (“Let us Prey”, “Spring”) have romantic elements, and one of my favorite horror novels, “Heart Shaped Box”, has a beautifully written romance along with the spine-tingling chills. The thing that I love the most about both horror and romance is how character-driven the stories tend to be. In romance, you have two people dealing with their own issues, insecurities, personality quirks, etc, coming together and trying to form meaningful personal relationships and overcome external conflict. Horror – good horror – is about more than scary monsters, creepy ghosts or psycho killers with knives. It’s about the characters who are facing these things and how they cope, and eventually overcome, these fantastical and terrifying situations.
Becoming invested in characters mean you’re rooting for them throughout the story – either for them to get together and find their happily-ever-after, or to defeat the monster and live another day. Without that investment, the connection is gone and the stakes don’t seem quite as high. Nothing kills a horror story more than two-dimensional characters. I don’t mind genre conceits and character archetypes – in fact, I love them passionately – but they’re not enough on their own to create a compelling tale. I see a lot of the same criticisms of horror and romance both as genres; all the stories are the same, all the characters and plots are similar, everything is trite and overdone. When the characters have no life, neither does the story.
Romance writers, in my (totally unbiased) opinion, know this better than anyone. We write love stories with happy endings in a million different ways, and our stories are fresh and original because of the characters. When horror is done right, it’s the exact same way. Modern horror – especially modern Hollywood horror—is often weak because people involved don’t understand the fundamental thing horror fans want. Not good CG, not jump scares galore…a good story! With fully developed characters! You can always tell when someone is a fan of the genre, as opposed to someone who wants to make a buck off its popularity. It’s a main reason I watch a lot of Indie horror. The budgets aren’t the highest, but the love for the genre comes through so much more than in studio-produced horror.
There’s also an element in both romance and horror of hope. If these two (or more) people with all their faults and issues and challenges can find a meaningful, positive and happy relationship…so can I. If these four friends in the woods can outlast the masked madman menacing them, well, then, I can get over my own fears and confront them with similar success. Even those horror stories without happy endings serve a cathartic purpose – you suffered with these characters, you experienced the same things they did and you survived. I think one reason I love horror romance so much is that you get your happy ending along with your chills.
After all, the girl on the cover of my gothic novels always went back inside. Or the castle burned down along with the evil twin brother who was At Fault For The Mysterious Things All Along. But you know what I mean.
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All in Fear | Out 12/1/16
Want something a bit different for the holidays? Horror has never looked this enticing! New release, All in Fear, is a gorgeous collection of horror tales from some of the hottest names in queer fiction. Be prepared to be titillated…and terrified.
All in Fear
By KJ Charles, Roan Parrish, J.A. Rock,
Steve Berman, Avon Gale, and Kris Ripper
Horror wears many faces, and its masks can be tantalizing. Some of the top names in queer fiction come together to spin their own versions of horror. Worlds rife with dark beauty and mystery, the familiar becoming terrible, creatures ethereal and alluring—and all bearing the gleam of love. Does hope lie along these grim passages or only doom? It will become clear. All in time—and all in fear.
