i have tried reading many different books within this genre and hated all of them. clearly they arent for me. However, that leads me to question how do people enjoy these books? I dont mean this in a bad way as in I don’t like you. I am just curious if it is that twisted nature and nauseating description that leads to the appeal.
Reading is subjective and regardless of what you read thats amazing for you.
I am simply curious to understand what the appeal is and an In no way shaming anyone.
dont cancel me guys 😭
by AdhesivenessFree207
25 Comments
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Experience fear in a safe way. There are biological reasons to be focused on dangerous situations, and this is away that manifests that.
Also, what is your definition of extreme horror?
There’s a certain magical delight to Chuck Palahnuik’s “Guts” that evokes a sinister playfulness of the human form that one rarely sees elsewhere.
To think that a simple arrangement of a few carefully chosen words could bring about such a visceral reaction! Truly, it is a testament to the power of writing.
The physical sensation of ick, combined with the all-too palpable sense of cringing away from a previously unimaginable act of pain, is staggering.
What’s the appeal?
Well, why do people eat ghost peppers or have more than six children? Because for some people, suffering is divine.
To fight my fears. It makes me feel like I wouldn’t get scared and murdered if I know what to expect? It probably sounds stupid but I also watch and hear crime movies & podcasts etc. I feel like I’ll be safer then. Definitely not canceling you because it makes more sense not wanting to read such books.
Only Horror I’ve read is Stephen King. Why do I read it? I read his novels for his amazing character work. His stories aren’t perfect but his characters come close. I read his short stories for the opposite reason. Creepy stories are fun.
I live a sedate & rather boring life. Horror allows me to experience, well, horrors, vicariously. I will say that I much prefer dread/psychological horror rather than gross out/blood & guts.
Same reason I play scary games. It’s a way to experience fear without really being in danger. Some of my favorites have been short story anthologies like *Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark* by Alvin Shwartz (though I do prefer the more supernatural stories in the series) and the *Skeleton Crew* by Stephen King. The short stories are more digestible than reading a whole long book so I don’t have to be in that feared mindset for a long time.
Like a lot of horror, it provides a safe place to emotionally explore some very fucked up things. It isn’t for everyone because of how, well, extreme it can be, but like any sub genre there is a lot of genuinely great stuff and a whole lot of trash
Why do some people like pickles?
What’s extreme horror?
To experience things in a controlled context that might or might not be unethical to experience in real life.
To vicariously experience danger, thrills, and mystery. But it’s not for everyone
I suppose it’s like Rollercoaster. Some people like them, and some dont.
I don’t know, really. I’ve always liked morbid subjects. I prefer art that doesn’t shy away from those things, and something I love about extreme horror is it’s self-aware of what it is. Many of my favorite books are extreme horror, or partially fall in the category, such as Brother and Tender is the Flesh.
Maybe I find a great catharsis in it.
Edit: I will say the well wrote extreme horror books I’ve read have made me cry and touched me emotionally unlike any other genre.
Easy: I want to be scared
I wrote my undergrad thesis on how the breaking down of morality in these novels allows you to make interesting commentary about the world (in the case of my thesis, by using cannibalism as a metaphor for capitalism). That being said, it’s not all good, like any genre. A lot is just subversive in an edgelord way.
I assume it is cathartic. Did you laugh all the way through Shawn of the Dead?
Ha, someone was just telling me how much they loved [A Certain Hunger](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44294655). That is NOT my kind of book 😛
For me, I work with kids in a bright, happy environment, which is fun but can be draining. Smiling all the time is not always easy. So when I leave, I go dark mode and return to enjoying horror and adult themes in media. It’s like an escape from being a ray of fucking sunshine all the time.
When I saw ‘Extreme Horror’ I immediately thought of The Deep by Nick Cutter, so I’m going to base my answer on that.
The reason I read those types of books is because of the fear that comes from it. It shows the deepest, darkest pits of the human mind and the type of horror that could never truly exist. But there’s always the thought when reading that stuff that it could all be real in some other world.
Also, the kinda fear you experience when reading really gorey horror is something you can’t experience otherwise. The descriptions just grow those roots of fear into something that can make a great experience for some, and a terrible one for others.
Anyway that’s my opinion. Everyone else can have their reasons, but that’s mine.
For me, I’m fine with horror that has disturbing or graphic content. Like, I love Chuck Palahnuik’s novel Haunted, which I’ve seen called “extreme horror.” (Though I would not call it that, personally.)
But, if a book gets advertised as extreme horror by its author, I am immediately turned off and braise myself for the book equivalent of someone going, “YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE SO FUCKED UP?” And just listing off a bunch of disturbing events with little to no meaning.
Sometimes extreme emotions require extreme methods of expression
I don’t know but it starts young so it must be essential to human nature. Hansel and Gretel are going to be baked in a witch’s oven, Little Red Riding Hood is going to be gobbled up by a wolf. We want to be frightened out of our skin. But only in fiction.
I’m a huge horror fan.
I enjoy books that make me feel extreme emotions. I think that good writing is required for that.
Being that I grew up most of my life with internet, I’m so desensitized to anything gross/fear related.
So I’m thinking that if anything can cause me extreme horror, it’s likely written super super well.
This kind of reminds me of the saw franchise. I like a good horror story, film etc but for some reason I can’t handle self harm very well. I’ve seen the films and the overall story is great but visually I have to look away at times.
I guess it has something to do with our different levels of stress and comfortability to push ourselves to go past our own comfort zones.
This is an interesting question. I can’t answer because I don’t enjoy horror, but it’s interesting to read what other people think.
I am on the autism spectrum and deal with chronic illness. I feel like real life holds enough horror for me, and fiction tends to feel very real to me, so scary fiction can activate my fight or flight instincts (which I definitely don’t need more of). I understand that it can be cathartic rather than traumatic for others, however.