Horror – The Divine Comedy
By David Pyle
A few nights ago, I had a conversation with a very clear-minded, newly adopted child of mine about horror fiction. Not about plots and scenarios or themes, but about the validity of creative horror fiction.
Our collaborative conclusions focused on the absolute comedic absurdity of horror in the context of horror fiction.
My interpretation of horror in fiction stems from the belief that the basest element of horror is merely a scalpel that exposes the internal workings on today’s society and morality. Horror in itself is nothing less than a satirical allegory that has the ability to scrape the rust from the bottom of the kettle of our souls, displaying a glimpse of the tragedies lurking inside.
Ignoring the contents inside would be the true tragedy.
I often hear comments from Writers and Readers’ and yes even the Religiosity alike, blasting horror fiction as heinous and destructive, as if in itself Fiction contains some supernatural power to incite…, no…, conjure fear to arise.
(Admittedly it is a powerful catalyst!)
Laughingly, those same people ineptly scan the ingredients of every box and container on the grocery shelf in an attempt to filter or understand the emulsifiers and sulfides they are about to ingest.
Horror fiction is merely the content label that exposes what already exists in the heart and mind, hidden in the darkness, even from ourselves. In muting that fear, we end up unable to communicate with our own hearts.
I suppose that could be the reason that the majority of all fiction today in both the cinema and literature is concentrically attached to horror in more or less degrees. At the local movie outlet, the shelves are profuse with horror-related genre – From Abattoirs to Zombies!
Why?
The fact that our audience waits on the edge of their seats for the next event or its sequel is the best conclusion to be drawn.
Happily, some of those same aforementioned critics return week after week and year after year to the theater to peer around the corner into the darkness, then run screaming back to the safety of their own theatre of life and flip on the evening news!
Ha! What fun….
As in Dante’s Inferno, Horror Fiction truly is the Divine Comedy.
“There is nothing to fear, but fear of fear.”
D. Pyle
