tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2550157220540446805.post1988083832466241982..comments2024-03-01T18:47:44.890-05:00Comments on Fangtastic Books: What Kind of Sicko Reads Horror? by John MulhallRoxanne Rhoadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08727784602361446818noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2550157220540446805.post-63609055652004557112013-08-28T19:12:29.376-04:002013-08-28T19:12:29.376-04:00Just a note - it is also available as a NOOK book ...Just a note - it is also available as a NOOK book at Barnes & Noble.<br /><br />A long time fan of Koontz, I find well-written horror stories fascinating. The characters often face situations that take them dramatically out of their 'normal' world - how would you act in such a situation...what would you do...fascinatingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2550157220540446805.post-82434160395215985962013-08-28T14:26:01.444-04:002013-08-28T14:26:01.444-04:00I love that about Edmund Burke, the idea that horr...I love that about Edmund Burke, the idea that horror produces a euphoric sensation, much in the same way a roller-coaster or sky-diving might. It's something I've long identified with.John Mulhallhttp://www.johnmulhall.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2550157220540446805.post-82835494342322501132013-08-28T13:52:49.815-04:002013-08-28T13:52:49.815-04:00Great post!Great post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2550157220540446805.post-5482424576705172022013-08-28T13:50:27.061-04:002013-08-28T13:50:27.061-04:00The great theorist, Edmund Burke ties in the conce...The great theorist, Edmund Burke ties in the concept of terror with that of experiencing the "sublime." Here's what he says:<br /><br />"Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain, and danger … whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime; that is, it is productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling." His point is that experiencing terror from a distance (i.e. by reading a book about zombies, and not necessarily having to face an actual zombie), heightens our emotions to the state of experiencing the "sublime," which is an unparalleled, almost euphoric sensory experience.<br /><br />So there you go. That's why real "horror" (one that is nuanced, and not just getting off on cheap and gratuitous violence and gore) is appealing. <br /><br />To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the commercialized horror genre (and definitely not a fan of sparkling vampires), but am learning to give in to the emotional upheaval that a really good horror story can bring. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com