1. Gothic Horror
A genre mini study

2. What is Gothic Horror?
Terrifying stories with twisted, dark plots, a touch of romance, and occasionally some supernatural action.

3. The History of Horror
Many events in history have influenced Gothic Horror literature and movies. Recognize any of these?

4. Vlad the Impaler to Dracula the Vampire

5. Burning at theStake to Bubbling Cauldrons

6. Historical to Hysterical

7. Way back in 1764… The first Gothic Horror book was published
The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole
A story of murder, mutiny, and mlove

8. Then in 1816… Anyway, they all made
Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, his wife,
Mary, and Dr. John Polidori
were vacationing by the lake.
Oh, the life of the literary types.
Anyway, they all made
bets on who could write
the best ghost story. .
In the end, Mary Shelley beat out her male counterparts and wrote the scariest story.

9. That weekend, Science Fiction and the Vampire Story were born.
Hers was called The Modern Prometheus.
You might know it as Frankenstein.
What a babe, huh? That’s Mary Shelley,
not Frankenstein.
That weekend, Science Fiction and the Vampire Story were born.
They’re like twins.

10. Not long after in the 1830s… Edgar Allan Poe started writing.
Heard of his stuff?
The Tell Tale Heart? The Raven?
Did you know he married his cousin?
And she was 13, he was 27? Double gross.
The Brothers Grimm thought up
some creepy stories.
You know, for back in the day,
Snow White and Hansel and Gretel
were pretty freaky ideas.
Witches eating people,
tiny small miners, and poisonous
apples are pretty freaky today, too.
Hans Christian Anderson
had some bizarre stuff too.
Disney gave The Little Mermaid a happy ending.
In the real story the prince marries somebody else,
and the Little Mermaid kills herself.

11. People were intrigued. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula.
By the late 1800s…
People were intrigued.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
and Bram Stoker wrote
the scariest vampire story yet,
Dracula.

12. And then the media happened…
1910: First Frankenstein movie
1930s: “First Decade” of
monster movies
1938: Invasion From Mars
on the radio causes hysteria

13. The 50’s were thrilling, too.
Besides stories of
beach parties
and
girls who surf…

14. …it was Monster Mania.

15. And in the 60’s,
besides these guys  there were these guys.

16. There was also this guy…

17. But by the 70’s we had this:

18. In the 80’s, horror was “slasher” turned “psycho.”

19. And in the 90’s, horror marketed itself to teens.

20. Now here we are in the 21st century,
making out with vampires… …and breaking werewolves hearts…

21. and killing zombies.

22. But since this is a reading class, let’s talk authors.

23. Ray Bradbury wrote: The Illustrated Man The Halloween Tree
The October Country
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Martian Chronicles

24. Richard Matheson wrote:
I am Legend
A Stir of Echoes
Hell House
What Dreams May Come
The Incredible Shrinking Man

25. Frightening Fact:
Richard Matheson is considered the grandpappy of modern horror. He was a major influence of Stephen King's work.

26. Anne Rice Wrote: Interview With a Vampire The Vampire Lestat
The Queen of the Damned
The Witching Hour
Servant of the Bones

27. Stephen King wrote:
The Shining
The Stand
Pet Cemetary It
Cujo

28. Some Elements of Horror:
SUSPENSE
Anticipation
Uncertainty
Dread
ENDING Shocking
Unexpected
PACE and PLOT
Quick
Twisted
Dark

29. Supernatural or Non-Supernatural
BALANCE
Realistic and Bizarre
Descriptive and Gory
CHARACTERS
Strong
Believable
Villian-Driven
Supernatural or Non-Supernatural

30. Stock Characters in Horror
Stupid servant
Fool, or Jester
Ruffians
Clergy
Setting
Innocent maiden
Old, foolish woman
Hero
Tyrant

31. Setting is really important in Horror.
Places
Castles/Mansions
Churches
Cemeteries
Abandoned Houses
Remote Locations
Mood Words
Gloomy
Decaying
Dark
Moonlit
Sinister

32. That’s about all, kids.
Hope you took notes. We’re having a quiz next.

33. Get out a sheet of paper.
Put your name, date, and class period at the top right corner of the page.
Title this: “Horror PP Quiz”

34. 1. What are three elements of. horror an author uses. 2
1. What are three elements of horror an author uses? 2. What are two stock characters in horror? 3. List two "mood" words used in the horror genre.

35. 4. List two settings horror. stories often take place. 5
4. List two settings horror stories often take place. 5. Why do you think mood and setting are so important in horror writing?

36. Pass your paper to the person behind you
Pass your paper to the person behind you. The last person on the row will pass their paper to the first person on the row.

37. Good job, y’all. Now let’s grade some papers and review some horrifying answers!