multifandomhorrorexchange | Discussion: Horror Type Tags (Reply)

This is a post created to enable discussion about the horror type tags that are most likely going to be used in this exchange.

In the comments, please feel free to share agreements, disagreements, other proposals, or general discussion about the tags as they are presently described beneath the cuts.

Based on community discussion, the mod may change (expand or narrow) the suggested guidelines for each horror type; add or remove horror types, etc.
As changes are made throughout the nominations period, they will be updated here along with an edit that describes the latest date and time of change. No changes will be made once nominations have closed (May 14 8:30pm EDT).
Proposed Changes (Take #1): Apr 25 10:30pm EDT
Last Updated: Apr 29 11:00pm EDT
Proposed Changes (Take #2): May 7 4:00pm EDT
>Last Updated: May 9 5:30pm EDT

2021 Update:

At the moment, there are no plans on my end to change either the medium matching or the 15 horror type tags from last year's tagset. However, please still feel welcome to discuss or provide feedback about Horror Type tags here. New ideas or suggestions may be considered if there is sufficient agreement from the community.
This year, I am considering letting participants request "Opt-In" Horror Types in addition to the Horror Type tags that are in the tagset. These Opt-Ins could not be matched on. However, if named and described in optional details, a creator could choose to create based on the Opt-In instead of the tagset Horror Type. For example, if somebody opted-in to XYZ Horror by saying so and briefly describing their interpretation of XYZ Horror, then their assigned creator could create for XYZ Horror instead of the tagset Horror Type they matched on. My hope is that this would allow flexibility to accommodate niches that may not be adequately represented by the more general Horror Types in the tagset. Any thoughts on this, please feel welcome to share by commenting on this post.
No changes to Horror Type Tags will be made once nominations have closed.

Dark Fantasy

TV Tropes: Dark Fantasy: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarkFantasy

Dark, frightening or edgier themes of fantasy combined with elements of horror
Gloomy, dark, or a sense of horror and dread
Supernatural occurrences and a brooding tone
Less visceral than pure horror
May present a more sympathetic view of the supernatural compared to pure horror

Gothic Horror

TV Tropes: Gothic Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GothicHorror

Branched from the Romantic literary movement
Combines horror, death, and at times romance, mystery, or adventure
Tends to place emphasis on both emotion and a pleasurable kind of terror
Dream visions, macabre physical details, darkly romantic adventures
Atmospheric and often symbolic

Cosmic (Lovecraftian) Horror

TV Tropes: Cosmic Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosmicHorrorStory

Emphasizes horror of the unknown or unknowable over gore or other elements of shock
Cosmicism, idea that the reality underlying a veil of normality is frighteningly alien
Fear in the face of phenomena beyond comprehension
Horror springing from the discovery of an appalling truth
Helplessness of humans

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

Psychological Horror

TV Tropes: Psychological Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PsychologicalHorror

Uses emotional or psychological states to frighten, disturb, and unsettle the audience
Mystery elements, can overlap with psychological thrillers
Emotional vulnerabilities, fears, insanity
Darker parts of psyche that may be repressed and/or denied
Suspicion, paranoia, and distrust of the world and/or oneself

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

Body Horror

TV Tropes: Body Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BodyHorror

Graphic or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body
Aberrant sex, mutations, mutilations, unnatural configurations, disease, zombificaion
Distortions are uncontrollable but usually not a result of direct violence
Plays on anxieties of physical vulnerability
Primal fear of the Uncanny Valley

Medical Horror

TV Topes: Medical Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MedicalHorror

Horror derived from helplessness of patient in a medical, surgical setting
Lack of control over fate of one's body - strapped to a table, under anesthesia, at operator's whim
Fear of doctor, operator, hospital building, equipment being used, its effects
Medical tools, other equipment used on patient - needles, saws, lobotomy tools, drills, scalpels
May include elements of psychological and body horror

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

Survival Horror

TV Tropes: Survival Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SurvivalHorror

Trying to survive in a horror-filled world
Weak survivor character, at a disadvantage from the start
Oppressive atmosphere, lack of control
Surreal setting or situation
Horror elements such as mazes, unexpected ambushes or injuries

Science-fiction Horror

TV Tropes: Science-fiction Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SciFiHorror

Scientific advances or futuristic settings as a source of fear
New, dangerous lifeforms, robots, AI
Consequences of over-reliance on technology
May take place in space
Alien invasions, mad scientists, experiments gone wrong

Folk Horror

Please See: https://multifandomhorrorexchange.dreamwidth.org/1024.html?thread=4608#cmt4608

Landscape psychogeography - interaction of atmospheres, histories, actions, characters to affect environment
Isolation of community - caused by landscape, horrifying to outsider, can’t be broken due to community’s bonds
Skewed moral beliefs of community different from ones outside, outsider may/may not adapt, may cause outsider’s death
Happening/summoning - manifestation of skewed moral beliefs, maybe human sacrifice, maybe paranormal, etc.
Community itself as agent of horror, may include political exposure of pastoral lies, not necessarily traditional rural setting

Religious Horror

TV Tropes: Religious Horror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ReligiousHorror