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Horror stories

28 Apr 2019 06:54 #63822 by Thefirstone
Horror stories was created by Thefirstone
There aren’t many of them in this genre.  I mean there’s that Brightburn movie that’s coming out, but what do you think Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, or whoever would be like in that kind of story?  Or in general, what would a horror story be like around here?  I have this idea, not really sure how I would write it, or end it, so anybody else who wants to try it is welcome: A superwoman (probably a heroine, but I guess a villainess could work too) who doesn’t know how her powers work or where she came from (She was, of course, raised by foster parents who found her under mysterious circumstances) inexplicably starts developing new powers, and goes to see a scientist or mystic of some kind that she’s worked with before in search of information.  This person discovers she’s actually a larvae of a species of Cosmic Lovecraftian Horrors that spend their early lives on an inhabited planet before consuming all life on it as part of reaching adulthood.  Obviously a heroine would do her best to prevent this from happening.  A villainess might be fine with destroying the world in exchange for godlike power, or might try to fight it too, either out of enlightened self-interest or because she still has things and people she cares about.

So, any thoughts?

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28 Apr 2019 09:27 #63823 by Woodclaw
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Horror stories
It sounds a lot like the plot of Bloodborne.

Horror is a bit of an interesting beast. On one hand it's the polar opposite of our genre, since it requires the heroes to be very vulnerable, on the other it opens up a lot of possibilities. 

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29 Apr 2019 02:59 #63829 by Jabbrwock
Replied by Jabbrwock on topic Horror stories
I can think of two stories that are at least arguably both superwoman stories and horror movies.

First is the movie (movie series, in fact) Species. Sil is at least somewhat superhuman, the degree depends on what the plot requires, and is certainly a horror movie monster when she's not busy being a gorgeous blond woman.

Second is a Conceptfan story, Beautiful Monster. Most Conceptfan stories are more classically bad girl than horror, but Beautiful Monster is more into the horror genre, although the line can blur quite a bit. Here is the  link  .
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29 Apr 2019 03:05 #63830 by Random321
Replied by Random321 on topic Horror stories
While I've not planned on "horror" per se I've been putting together some things to do some gore/splatstick as a test here in the nearfuture.

I was re-inspired by shardars little vignette about a super burning down a man with her heat vision.  I had a video early on with Randy as a villian where she rips an arm off. I've also done kryptonite shared with blood in SuperMichaela and a bullet wound in her hand. I'm looking to expand on that.

I agree it opens up some fun possibilities.
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29 Apr 2019 19:21 #63834 by lfan
Replied by lfan on topic Horror stories
While some purists will say its not horror, "A Haunting and A Haunting II" are two chapters from Deep Down Inside that definitely have a horroresque or Brightburn quality to them.

Haunting:  www.superwomenmania.com/index.php?option...-haunting&Itemid=231

Haunting II:  www.superwomenmania.com/index.php?option...unting-ii&Itemid=231

Njoy
ElF

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29 Apr 2019 23:14 #63835 by willow
Replied by willow on topic Horror stories
I think the real horror would be having to live on the same planet as a young adult who has the powers of Superman and does whatever he or she pleases with. The idea that this person has the power of a god and there is nothing on the planet to stop them. They cannot be harmed. No aliens are coming to save us from this person. We are just stuck with some teenager who cannot be stopped, punished, and can happily indulge any and every whim that comes to mind.

From a psychological standpoint, it is a miracle that Superman comes out as kindhearted and well-adjusted as he does in the comics. Brightburn is probably a little closer to how such a kid might easily turn into if he discovered that kind of power.
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01 May 2019 02:37 - 03 May 2019 03:07 #63841 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Horror stories
I [used to] consider just about every story I've ever written in the genre to be horror. There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too. When I first saw Brightburn I felt [incorrectly] it confirmed my belief that there is a horror element to my stories. It was the second thought I had after "Damn...WHY did they have to go with a little boy?!?"

Roz and the Goddess are [un]questionably horror stories more than anything else. And The Pinnacle Reaction, which I fair dinkum thought you guys would enjoy a lot more than I think anybody actually ever did, I [used to] think could be best described as a horror story. 

I [stupidly] think there's a LOT of horror stories in the library here.

And don't forget...Stephen King's Carrie was superhuman horror. One of his best.

[EDIT: Nevermind any of this...turns out my stories are not horror. Just horrible.)
Last edit: 03 May 2019 03:07 by Dru1076.

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01 May 2019 06:51 #63842 by circes_cup
Replied by circes_cup on topic Horror stories
Try The Sanctuary by Draight.  The only place I can find it is on Saradas.  

Come and See by Draight also has a horror element, but it’s subtle until the end.

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01 May 2019 09:43 #63844 by conceptfan
Replied by conceptfan on topic Horror stories

willow wrote: I think the real horror would be having to live on the same planet as a young adult who has the powers of Superman and does whatever he or she pleases with. The idea that this person has the power of a god and there is nothing on the planet to stop them. They cannot be harmed. No aliens are coming to save us from this person. We are just stuck with some teenager who cannot be stopped, punished, and can happily indulge any and every whim that comes to mind.

This ^

Dru1076 wrote: There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too

3 total classics of the genre right there.
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01 May 2019 16:56 #63848 by Woodclaw
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Horror stories

conceptfan wrote:

Dru1076 wrote: There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too

3 total classics of the genre right there.


Very true and I enjoyed Pinnacle as well, although I don't see too much of a horror element.

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01 May 2019 21:40 #63851 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Horror stories

Woodclaw wrote:

conceptfan wrote:

Dru1076 wrote: There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too

3 total classics of the genre right there.


Very true and I enjoyed Pinnacle as well, although I don't see too much of a horror element.


If there's no horror in what Vicki does, and what she becomes at the end of the story....much more a doom than a saviour...then I've really posted in this thread entirely in error.

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01 May 2019 21:45 #63852 by Woodclaw
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Horror stories

Dru1076 wrote:

Woodclaw wrote:

conceptfan wrote:

Dru1076 wrote: There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too

3 total classics of the genre right there.


Very true and I enjoyed Pinnacle as well, although I don't see too much of a horror element.


If there's no horror in what Vicki does, and what she becomes at the end of the story....much more a doom than a saviour...then I've really posted in this thread entirely in error.


There sure is, but I'm not sure if I would classify that as a horror tale (keep in mind that it took me a long time to file Alien as a horror movie). Thanks to some bad cinematography, in my mind, horror is often played for easy jumpscares or twist endings. The concept of the 'slow horror', where the monstrous elements trickle down in a slow fashion is something I have very little experience of.

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01 May 2019 22:39 #63853 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Horror stories

Woodclaw wrote:

Dru1076 wrote:

Woodclaw wrote:

conceptfan wrote:

Dru1076 wrote: There's certainly elements of horror in Mob Girl, Not the One, Constantines Portal, and all the others too

3 total classics of the genre right there.


Very true and I enjoyed Pinnacle as well, although I don't see too much of a horror element.


If there's no horror in what Vicki does, and what she becomes at the end of the story....much more a doom than a saviour...then I've really posted in this thread entirely in error.


There sure is, but I'm not sure if I would classify that as a horror tale (keep in mind that it took me a long time to file Alien as a horror movie). Thanks to some bad cinematography, in my mind, horror is often played for easy jumpscares or twist endings. The concept of the 'slow horror', where the monstrous elements trickle down in a slow fashion is something I have very little experience of.


I wish you'd just let me have this one. I dont even know why we're debating this, but I DO know every time I bring up Vicki I end up wishing I hadn't.

Okay...it isnt horror. Not sure about the others now either.

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01 May 2019 22:57 #63854 by Woodclaw
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Horror stories

Dru1076 wrote:

Woodclaw wrote: There sure is, but I'm not sure if I would classify that as a horror tale (keep in mind that it took me a long time to file Alien as a horror movie). Thanks to some bad cinematography, in my mind, horror is often played for easy jumpscares or twist endings. The concept of the 'slow horror', where the monstrous elements trickle down in a slow fashion is something I have very little experience of.


I wish you'd just let me have this one. I dont even know why we're debating this, but I DO know every time I bring up Vicki I end up wishing I hadn't.

Okay...it isnt horror. Not sure about the others now either.


Maybe it's a language thing, but I was actually giving up with my last post. Horror is a fairly new taste for me, I haven't experienced much of it due to some childhood issues, so my opinion matters less than zero.

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02 May 2019 00:16 #63857 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Horror stories

Woodclaw wrote:
Maybe it's a language thing, but I was actually giving up with my last post. Horror is a fairly new taste for me, I haven't experienced much of it due to some childhood issues, so my opinion matters less than zero.


I guess I'm still pretty raw when it comes to Vicki. But don't sell yourself short Woodclaw. I value your opinions greatly.

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02 May 2019 00:52 #63860 by conceptfan
Replied by conceptfan on topic Horror stories
I'm confused now.

What is the definition of a horror story?  What must a story do/contain to be classed as horror?   Which elements disqualify certain stories from counting as horror?

Genuine, open questions.

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02 May 2019 01:58 #63861 by slim36
Replied by slim36 on topic Horror stories
Its a joy to finally realze a difficult  or goal assumed impossible.   An off topic example would be the pet cassowary www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/201...ntent=RelatedStories   Another would be Prometheus  where man risks everything to visit the engineer hoping that they  will reveal the secret of extending life. But the Engineer has other ideas.

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02 May 2019 03:30 - 02 May 2019 03:30 #63864 by Jabbrwock
Replied by Jabbrwock on topic Horror stories

conceptfan wrote: I'm confused now.

What is the definition of a horror story?  What must a story do/contain to be classed as horror?   Which elements disqualify certain stories from counting as horror?

Genuine, open questions.


It's a very worthwhile question. 

To me, horror lies in the sense of dealing with something inhuman and other. It's the difference between dealing with an awful person and a monster. In many super bad girl stories, the other-ness begins and ends with whatever gives the character her power. After that, she's just a bad person with unstoppable power, which is horrible, but doesn't feel like horror. If the story doesn't have some focus on whatever strange power granted her those powers, and how unstoppable and incomprehensible it is, it doesn't feel like a horror story to me. On the other hand, in some stories - like your own Beautiful Monster - the superwoman doesn't act like a human given unstoppable power. Her actions are beyond rational analysis. She is the monster, and the story conveys it quite well.

That's just my take on it. Often, a horror story is resolved when the characters finally manage to understand their foe. At that point, they've won, or at least made the first step to winning, and the rest is just the wrap-up.
Last edit: 02 May 2019 03:30 by Jabbrwock.
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03 May 2019 00:24 #63875 by Agent00Soul
Replied by Agent00Soul on topic Horror stories
Even though it was at the end of the day a comedy, Buffy is an example of superwoman vs. horror

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03 May 2019 14:02 #63882 by Woodclaw
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Horror stories

Jabbrwock wrote:

conceptfan wrote: I'm confused now.

What is the definition of a horror story?  What must a story do/contain to be classed as horror?   Which elements disqualify certain stories from counting as horror?

Genuine, open questions.


It's a very worthwhile question. 

To me, horror lies in the sense of dealing with something inhuman and other. It's the difference between dealing with an awful person and a monster. In many super bad girl stories, the other-ness begins and ends with whatever gives the character her power. After that, she's just a bad person with unstoppable power, which is horrible, but doesn't feel like horror. If the story doesn't have some focus on whatever strange power granted her those powers, and how unstoppable and incomprehensible it is, it doesn't feel like a horror story to me. On the other hand, in some stories - like your own Beautiful Monster - the superwoman doesn't act like a human given unstoppable power. Her actions are beyond rational analysis. She is the monster, and the story conveys it quite well.

That's just my take on it. Often, a horror story is resolved when the characters finally manage to understand their foe. At that point, they've won, or at least made the first step to winning, and the rest is just the wrap-up.


I think this is a good assessment, but I think there's another kind of horror, which is the one where one character accepts his/hers own monstrosity as a fact.
For example, in Frankenstein the Creature, who is actually a highly intelligent and positive character accepts its own monstrosity because of how people react to it. From that moment on the Creature acts like a force of nature, rather than a human being.
Stoker's Dracula is very similar. The original story never dwells upon Dracula's motives or intentions, he's a monster from an ancient time, whose motivations are either purely animalistic or completely impossible to understand.

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03 May 2019 17:04 #63884 by stmercy2020
Replied by stmercy2020 on topic Horror stories
After reading through this thread, I'm left wondering what, precisely, people mean when they say or think horror.

Personally, I have a literary background and inclination, so I tend to think in terms of genre tropes. From that perspective, very little of what is published here falls into the category of horror- usually the protagonist is the monster, and, if she's not, she never faces any sort of significant threat. For that matter, even when she is the monster, the typical evil supergirl story has her as so completely overpowering that there's never any real question about her eventual and complete victory.

There are no relateable underdog, either, which, again, removes it from the horror genre in my mind. The underdogs are, for the most part, either cardboard or thoroughly unlikeable.

For a little more insight into my own standards for horror, I'd recommend a little outside reading:  storygrid.com/secrets-of-the-horror-genre/
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03 May 2019 17:54 #63885 by shadar
Replied by shadar on topic Horror stories

stmercy2020 wrote: After reading through this thread, I'm left wondering what, precisely, people mean when they say or think horror.

Personally, I have a literary background and inclination, so I tend to think in terms of genre tropes. From that perspective, very little of what is published here falls into the category of horror- usually the protagonist is the monster, and, if she's not, she never faces any sort of significant threat. For that matter, even when she is the monster, the typical evil supergirl story has her as so completely overpowering that there's never any real question about her eventual and complete victory.

There are no relateable underdog, either, which, again, removes it from the horror genre in my mind. The underdogs are, for the most part, either cardboard or thoroughly unlikeable.

For a little more insight into my own standards for horror, I'd recommend a little outside reading:  storygrid.com/secrets-of-the-horror-genre/


I was thinking along the same line. Seems to me that the horror genre tropes are pretty narrow and clearly defined, and different from anything I've read here. 

My introduction to horror was H.P. Lovecraft, specifically Mountains of Madness, which scared the crap out of me when I was young and living on the side of an ancient volcano in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (Terceira Island, Azores). Those of us on the midnight shift at a radio transmitter site were all reading Lovecraft and freaking ourselves out given the creapy, isolated surroundings up on the volcano. Some guys couldn't handle it. 

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04 May 2019 02:04 #63889 by ace191
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Out of curiosity Shadar, do you hold an amateur or commercial radio lic?

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04 May 2019 03:42 #63890 by Jabbrwock
Replied by Jabbrwock on topic Horror stories

Woodclaw wrote: I think this is a good assessment, but I think there's another kind of horror, which is the one where one character accepts his/hers own monstrosity as a fact.
For example, in Frankenstein the Creature, who is actually a highly intelligent and positive character accepts its own monstrosity because of how people react to it. From that moment on the Creature acts like a force of nature, rather than a human being.
Stoker's Dracula is very similar. The original story never dwells upon Dracula's motives or intentions, he's a monster from an ancient time, whose motivations are either purely animalistic or completely impossible to understand.


My definition does not really encompass psychological horror. There are a variety of stories that involve plainly human - at least internally - people being destroyed psychologically by the situations in which they find themselves. Edgar Allen Poe had quite a few such stories. Frankenstein is, as you pointed out, also one. It is a very different kind of horror, psychological and even existential.

I don't think Dracula qualifies. Dracula is a classical monster, unknown and unknowable. Even when the rules of his existence are stated and his weaknesses exploited, neither the rules nor the existence they define actually make sense. At least that's how it looks from my perspective. That said, I'm far from an expert. I'm just trying to state my not particularly clear understanding of what differentiates a story I perceive as horror from another story that to me is plainly horrible, but not horror. 

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04 May 2019 06:05 #63891 by shadar
Replied by shadar on topic Horror stories

ace191 wrote: Out of curiosity Shadar, do you hold an amateur or commercial radio lic?


I was a Ham a long time ago, but haven't messed around with amateur radio in many decades now. 

I was on the side of that volcano I mentioned (reading Lovecraft) back in the the very early 70's, but my role wasn't running Ops on the transmitter or a technician, but rather the cryptography side of things. Back in the days when only government/military encrypted stuff. 

As far as radio, we had several really powerful HF transmitters on site. Big enough that the tubes that made up the final stage of the transmitter emitted so much power that they'd immediately fry you if you stepped inside the Farraday cage they operated in. Big voltages too. We had a technician get zapped while I was there. He was dead and crispy in seconds. That kind of powerful.

Military HF was used for point-to-point ground communication on a global scale, as well as aircraft communication on a global scale.

The military in those days had access to a LOT of frequencies. Not like Hams with little slices here and there. 

Anyway, the cool part was living on the volcano with everyone reading Lovecraft in the middle of the night when on duty, scaring the hell out of ourselves. The usual Air Force-trained kids -- late teens, early twenties -- doing big jobs and just glad we weren't in Vietnam.  The entire site was often inside clouds so thick that they felt heavy. Visibility zero a lot of the time. Zero as in feeling our way from building to building, often unable to see the road well enough to drive at all.  Trapped up there, sometimes for days in the winter, because we couldn't see the road even when standing on it. That thick. Mid-Atlantic weather on top of the Mid-Atlantic ridge a few thousand feet up.  Freaky place in the winter. Mountain of Madness we called it. If the Cthulhi or Shoggoths ever came, we were all screwed. 

Still, techs had to climb towers and do whatever had to be done to stay on-line in that weather. Me, I was always nice and cozy given that my workstation was inside a vault room in the basement. What with codes and special equipment and all. 

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