Horror Type Tags: Proposed Changes (Take #1)

[thenostalgicmod]

Based on current community feedback as well as some discussion on discord, below are the first set of proposed changes to the initial 9 horror type tags.

While trying to pin down horror types definitively may not be feasible, I really do hope that these tags can function to help better matching between requests and offers in this exchange.

Overlap, as several have pointed out and I completely agree with, is most likely unavoidable. All the same, the intention of these tags is to provide a sort of emphasis on the type of horror that one would want to focus on.

For example, as was raised during a discussion on discord yesterday, zombies could potentially be included in various tags. If Requester A is interested in horror focused on surviving a zombie apocalypse, they may choose Survival Horror as a tag. On the other hand, if Requester B is interested in horror focused on someone's physical features morphing as they turn, they may choose Body Horror as a tag. (And so on.)

With that in mind, please see below for the first set of proposed changes. I hope this addresses some of the main concerns brought up thus far.

Feedback on these proposals is very welcome! I would like to know the community's stance before making any of the changes final.

Modifications to Initial Horror Types:

Monster Horror:

• Horror revolving around a non-human, non-spirit, non-AI creature
  
• Overpowered were-creature, supernatural or eldritch being
  
• Terror, victimization of main character
  
• Attempts to escape, futility of struggles
  
• Monster anatomy, grotesque or horrifying characteristics

Deletions of Initial Horror Types:

None proposed at the moment. But, if the community thinks there are some horror type tags that could be condensed for optimization, this may be implemented. I feel that there should be no more than 15 horror type tags for smoothest running.

Additions of New Horror Types:

Institutional Horror:

• Societal structures or hierarchy as source of horror
  
• Governments, corporations, prisons, military, police, academic institutions
  
• Power differential, abuse of power by entire institution or members
  
• Common-folk at mercy of, misinformed, manipulated by institutions
  
• Psychological elements of suspicion, paranoia, distrust
  

Paranormal Horror:

• Supernatural forces, paranormal beings or events
  
• Ghosts, spirits, possession, spells
  
• Haunted places or objects
  
• Supernatural agency that violates physical laws
  
• Maybe psychic, mystic, telepathy
  

Folk (Rural) Horror:

Several people have expressed interest in this. Despite reading the articles linked below, I feel that my own understanding is a bit muddled.


• TV Tropes: Folk Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FolkHorror
  
• The Genre of Horror p. 133 (courtesy of Gammarad)
  
• The Guardian: Devils And Debauchery (courtesy of gloss)

I couldn't quite come up with 5 bullet-points to serve as trope guidelines, and would appreciate suggestion from the community for this.
I would also like to know if folk horror and religious horror (one of the initial 9 horror type tags) could be condensed into the folk horror umbrella.

Killer Horror:

• Crime, criminal plot that is source of horror
  
• Solving killings, detectives, investigations
  
• One-on-one killer and victim interactions
  
• Slasher, serial killing, backwoods killing
  
• Focus of horror is on killing, crime, suspense, rather than gore
  

Violent Horror:

TV Topes: Splatter Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SplatterHorror

• Splatter horror, gore, graphic violence
  
• Blood, mutilation, dismemberment
  
• Cold-blooded, visceral torture
  
• Vulnerability of the human body
  
• Any deaths are over-the-top bloody, gory
  

Modifications to Character (Medium) Tags:

• Art (Medium) - Not Emphasizing Sexual Content
  
• Art (Medium) - Emphasizing Sexual Content
  
• Fic (Medium) - Not Emphasizing Sexual Content
  
• Fic (Medium) - Emphasizing Sexual Content

For example, if someone wants to request only ESC fic, but is willing to offer both ESC and NESC art, these tags could be used to indicate as such on the sign-up form. The sexual content, if any, would then tie into one of the requested/offered horror type tags.

Comments

[sirvalkyrie]

I love the new categories and the modifications to Monster Horror. I feel like I can give broad guidelines to what I want without it being overly specific.

[lailah_tov]

This is such a great list. Thank you!

folk horror

[fiachairecht]

Folk horror yessss!! (Uh I just previewed this comment and it's a novel, I'm sorry.)

For a quick(ish) definition, I like this one from Folk Horror Revival: "What separates ‘Folk Horror’ from the simply ‘folk’ is a certain sense of dislocation from the comfortable world, but it is a dislocation that does not necessarily have to be frightening; it is the difference between a dusty window in an old cottage and that same window framing an indistinct face, peering out". The unease of history, and how we tell stories about it, the eeriness of being watched by the past and asked to account for what you've done (and maybe being burnt up in a wicker man if a community does not find your accounting satisfactory).

For reading (examples/common elements) I am going to rec Andy Paciorek's 'From the Forests, Fields, Furrows and further: An Introduction' and Adam Scovell's 'The Folk Horror Chain', as well as Robert MacFarlane's 'The eeriness of the English countryside', for folk horror as contemporary political movement.

All of that being said, I am honestly not in love with the "Folk (Rural) Horror" tag - I'd prefer the (rural) qualifier be dropped, as there's a lot of really interesting stuff to be done with Urban Wyrd/less-pastoral folk horror stories.

For bullet points, you could probably do something based on Scovell's chain - landscape, isolation, skewed moral beliefs, and happening/summoning. It's not wholly comprehensive, it leaves out certain talk of fate & politics that I think of as p essential to a folk horror project, but it's a place to start! Off the top of my head (these are EXTREMELY long bullet points now I've typed them out, welp):

*Landscape: Horror that's concerned with psychogeography, the ways in which atmospheres, histories, actions, and characters combine to create and change environments

*Isolation: Isolation is caused by the landscape, an outsider is horrified by a community's isolation, the community bonds are too strong for the outsider to break, the person who seems most connected to the outside/to want out/to bond with the outsider is actually the one Most invested in communal isolation

*Skewed moral beliefs: The traditions of the isolated community are not what 'we' would consider 'normal' or 'moral' - this can be explicit Satanism, generalised paganism, secular human sacrifice on the theme of the ättestupa). The outsider is unable to adapt to these, or even begin to approach/want to understad them, and that's what often gets them killed.

*Happening/summoning: The manifestation of the moral beliefs that comes at the very end of the story, often something that everyone but the outsider knew was going to happen. The media can use the audience's awareness+helplessness to change what's going on to make them complicit - there's a not insignificant amount of 'nature is going to kill you and it's right to, the isolated community is just acting as its agent in a lot of folk horror (cf Midsommar and the way the tapestries + runes spell out the Entire plot). Sometimes it's human sacrifice, sometimes there's a real paranomal manifestation, but this is usually when it's made clear that the community is going to 'win' in some way, even if it's a way that's terrible for everyone the audience likes.

*Politics: (This is not part of the chain but imo inextricable from the purpose of a lot of contemporary folk horror! See above. I think this is necessary but ymmv & I am open to discussion.): Horror that derives from exposing the lie of the innocent pastoral, taking responsibility for the damage caused by industrialisation, the recording and detection that's fundamentally the same in MR James' binoculars filled with dead men and the British army's surveillance apparatus in the fields.

Finally, please don't merge folk horror & religious horror - while religion plays a large role in folk horror, the emphasis is more on the power/community of belief than on the specific beliefs/texts/trappings of a specific religion.

Re: folk horror

[thenostalgicmod]

Thank you so very much for this! It’s incredibly helpful, and a wonderful explanation. Really lovely, thank you for taking the time and care to write this. Much appreciated.

Re: folk horror

[fiachairecht]

You're super welcome! If you want more resources/explanations let me know, I have. A lot. And I'm usually around on discord if you want to chat about it less formally.

[fayharley]

This looks great. Categories are clear while still allowing room for different kinds of requests.

[(Anonymous)]

This sounds really fun. Can't wait for nominations.