Why we love horror stories

(nautil.us)

13 points | by dnetesn 5 days ago ago

10 comments

  • strogonoff an hour ago ago

    It is often under-appreciated how many of the stories that trace back to oral tradition—including those that we refer to as fairy tales—are actually horror stories.

    (I actually wonder if all of them were, to an extent, and whether the completely horror-free story experience is a relatively modern development.)

    Have a thought experiment: take plot of a modern horror film (such as one of my recent favourites Nope) and imagine simplifying it and retelling it in a fairy tale style, preserving all the horrific events. What you end up with is much more like an original fairy tale, before the modern adaptations that made them “safe for children”.

    • deafpolygon 42 minutes ago ago

      Or the inverse... a horror story version of Peter Pan or Tinkerbell...

  • throwaway2046 3 hours ago ago
  • deafpolygon an hour ago ago

    I like horror stories because you can never truly predict the story. I am an avid reader, and well written horror stories (both paper and film variants) scratch that itch of novelty and "anything can happen". Most other fiction stories are often overly predictable, or heavily foreshadowed that I can kind of feel what's going to happen next.

    Some people thrive on routine and familiarity, and I'm the opposite (neophilia).

  • jp57 3 hours ago ago

    [flagged]

    • katzenversteher 3 hours ago ago

      I love them because they make reality seem nicer (in contrast).

    • throwup238 3 hours ago ago

      Wish fulfillment.

    • throwaway290 3 hours ago ago

      RTFA and find out?

      • kristenfrench an hour ago ago

        they're psychologically adaptive, an evolutionary gift, says Coltan Scrivener. He was fun to chat with.

        • throwaway290 an hour ago ago

          What kind of lesson is that, encouraging people not to read the actual post!:)

          Did you chat face to face?