Horror: the best thing you’ve never read

I was invited by the State Library of New South Wales to say a few words about the horror genre.

I hope I did it justice – read on to find out!

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When people hear the words “horror fiction”, usually, unless they’re fans of the genre, you can almost see the repulsion form on their face.

Regrettably, horror fiction is a much maligned genre in the literary world; it’s primarily associated with blood and gore, and while that is certainly one aspect of what comprises horror fiction, there is a lot more beneath the surface.

As an author, the appeal of writing horror fiction is perfect for exploring drama, emotion and psychology at a visceral level. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the horror genre allows the writer and the reader to delve much deeper into what it means to be human more than any other genre.

Horror is also one of those genres which blends easily with other genres. You can have a science fiction horror story, erotic horror, supernatural crime, paranormal romance (though that one’s a…

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About darkscrybe

Two-time international Bram Stoker Award-nominee®*, Greg Chapman is a horror author and artist based in Queensland, Australia. Greg is the author of several novels, novellas and short stories, including his award-nominated debut novel, Hollow House (Omnium Gatherum) and collections, Vaudeville and Other Nightmares (Specul8 Publishing) and This Sublime Darkness and Other Dark Stories (Things in the Well Publications). He is also a horror artist and his first graphic novel Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times, (McFarland & Company) written by authors Rocky Wood and Lisa Morton, won the Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel category at the Bram Stoker Awards® in 2013. He is also the current President of the Australasian Horror Writers Association. Greg lives in Rockhampton with his wife and their two daughters. * Superior Achievement in a First Novel for Hollow House (2016) and Superior Achievement in Short Fiction, for “The Book of Last Words” (2019)

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