Cruising Through Horrortown

At the Corner of Fear and Dread

When I meet someone for the first time, and they ask me what I do, I tell them I’m a writer. The typical response is:

“Are you published? What do you write?”

I grin. “Mostly supernatural thriller and horror.”

“Oh, I don’t read that stuff. Too scary.”

The language of horror is Fear of the unknown and Dread of what lurks in the shadows. The Threat of the unexplained.

To fight or flee. How to survive… or not.

Horror is one of the oldest forms of story-telling, going back through thousands of years of folklore and myth. Tales of the supernatural, filled with ghosts and monsters and demons, were a way for early humans to explain the unknown in the world around them. The stories also taught tribal rules and expected behavior in uncertain situations.

Survival was the challenge for the characters in these stories, as it was for those ancient people. That challenge continues in horror stories to the present.

When we get scared, our body triggers a survival mechanism known as the fight-or-flight response, sent by the brain to activate the nervous system, flooding the body with stress hormones. This primitive reaction instantly prioritizes physical defense and triggers raw physical reaction. The heart rate increases, airways widen, and energy is directed to the muscles.  Pupils get bigger to focus on the danger. Non-essential functions slow. Sweating increases to cool the body down at the same time that blood flows away from the skin, causing a cold, clammy feeling.

When you read a horror story, the threat may feel real, but it isn’t. Yet, feeling frightened can have a positive effect. A sense of euphoria floods over you as soon as you realize that you’re safe. Once your brain learns there is no immediate danger, it triggers a different chemical reaction, a rush of high arousal like positive excitement, without the overwhelming stress of threat.

Adrenaline is widely acknowledged as a driver of our enjoyment of fear. Other scientific studies have determined that dopamine also has a role, as it triggers feelings of pleasure as a reward for surviving a frightening experience.

Feeling scared without being in true physical danger has several benefits. There is the chance to express extreme emotions in a socially acceptable context, leaving you with a positive feeling of catharsis. Our culture expects us to maintain a normally acceptable response to various aspects of our day-to-day lives, such as in a professional work environment. Activities like walking through a haunted house or riding a rollercoaster or reading a scary book allow you a socially acceptable opportunity to scream and let out stress. A release that has a positive effect on your well-being and elevates your mood. 

Surviving something scary can also provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment. You successfully faced one of your fears and made it out unharmed. This achievement is a learning behavior. Much like the earliest humans, knowing how to survive and overcome your fear reinforces these positive responses to the horrors of life around us. The unexplained and the unknown.

Characters in a horror tale are not super-heroes. They’re not action-adventure champions. Most often, they are just scared. Like us as we read the story. They make the worst possible choices. Their actions often put them in greater danger. Sometimes they’re so afraid of the unknown, they take no action at all. And, they never listen to us as the reader screaming at them, trying to tell them, try to help them, trying to save them.

In these stories, the characters are not safe. They lose the fight. They don’t flee fast enough. They are harmed. They die. Yet, through their ordeal, they give us more insight  and knowledge about how to live and survive in a dangerous, scary world.

So, the next time you’re looking for a book to read, consider a tale of horror. You may be scared, but you’ll be safe. You’ll survive. And guess what? You’ll learn a thing or two.

What’s Next?

A new book, and a new publishing journey, on the horizon.

For a listing of all my books and published short stories, visit my website at www.susanerogers.com. There are links to stories and podcasts online for free, and to purchase any of my books or anthologies. You can also get to each book from my Amazon page. If you’d like a signed copy, my email is sneirish@gmail.com.