Intro to Horror

Defining the "horror genre" by its subject, such as monsters, is...

• Not always possible, since some horror stories don't have monsters.

• The most common way to define the horror genre.

• Useful in helping students know they are reading horror.

• Completely incorrect, since monsters are never in true horror stories.

Why is the suspense in a horror story greater than in other stories?

• Horror writers are better at creating suspense.

• Readers know from the start that something bad is going to happen.

• There is tension because the monsters always do unexpected things.

• Since you can never trust the narrator, this leads to suspense.

Which two are often typical of horror stories?

• They are scary

• They always come to a neat ending.

• They may be shocking.

• They typcially include jump scares.

Which of these would be the most unlikely setting for a horror story?

• An isolated road

• A dark basement

• A bright beautiful park

• An old attic

What does "intensify" mean?

• to lesson tension

• to show promise

• to stay inside

• to grow stronger

To tell in advance

• convention

• psychology

• predict

• summary

A study of the mind and human behaviors

• convention

• psychology

• predict

• summary

to prove something is right

• technique

• justify

• intensify

• summary

A category or type of story

• Genre

• Technique

• Horror

• Parallel

Match these characteristics of the horror genre with their definitions

• Makes you want to find out what happens

• Unreliable narrator

• The place or weather hints at trouble

• Suspense

• Readers know things the characters don't

• Spooky setting

• Person who is creepy, odd, or insane

• A twisted character

• Can't trust what the narrator says

• Dramatic Irony