Chosen Genre- Supernatural Horror

What is the Supernatural Horror Subgenre?

This subgenre is somewhat broad. It can contain anything creepy that isn't found in reality. Examples would be ghosts, demons, zombies, monsters, etc. Different combinations could be made to create a Supernatural horror story villain. A dark force haunts a house that possesses the resident or residents, turning them into zombies. So there is usually multiple factors in a Supernatural story. Sometimes it could just be a single monster like a werewolf. The protagonist usually becomes stranded.

All of the things that go bump in the night fall into this expansive subgenre. Ghosts, vampires, and zombies, all of whom have their own subgenres, fall into supernatural horror as well. This is because these creatures so sparked the imaginations of writers when they first appeared in supernatural and inspired more stories about them. This is the subgenre of monsters, and not of the human variety.

Though stories of monsters and the supernatural have persisted throughout history, supernatural horror can trace its roots all the way back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818. This was the birth of a genre called monster literature. Monster literature took themes and elements from gothic literature and literally created a monster. The antagonist became a supernatural being bent on terrorizing the protagonist. After World War II, monster literature began to change and tackle difficult questions about the monsters' origins and stories, rejecting supernatural explanations. While some of these stories, such as I Am Legend by Richard Matheson still fall under the realm of supernatural horror, the subgenre, as a whole, continues to terrify with no explanation necessary.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- The original monster tale told the story of a creature bent on revenge on his mad scientist creator.

Dracula by Bram Stoker- While this classic monster tale can fall into gothic horror, this first story of vampires was so frightening that it inspired its own subgenre.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty- While leading an archaeological did in Iraq, Father Merrin unearths a small statue of a demon that has huge consequences half a world away where a young girl starts displaying signs of being possessed.

It by Stephen King- The town of Derry is plagued by a monster that preys on children and their fears. A ragtag group of misfit kids have seen the monster and survived, and they may be the only ones who can stop It.