  Horror/Scary
This week: The Human Abyss Edited by: Adriana Noir  
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Hi there! I'm Adriana Noir , and I will be your editor for the week. Yep, it's that time again!  Do you ever wonder what truly lies there in the darkness, peering back at us, if only we were brave enough to face it? Well, hold on because this week, we are going to gaze into that black abyss, my friends. |
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Darkness . . . it is one of our earliest childhood fears. I can remember many a night, laying there, covers clutched tight beneath my chin, fearful of what lurked in the shadows. It wasn't so much the fear of the unknown, or what could have been there in the room with me, but what was. Long, black masses stretched from floor to ceiling and inched across the walls, their limbs twisting like gnarled branches in a storm. These silent wraiths would visit nightly, and each time the light went out, I held my breath and shuddered with fearful anticipation.
There is a delicate balance in this world. Our time is measured with one part light and one part dark. The sun and moon engage in a graceful tango, their dance one that creates forces of great destruction like gravity. Falling stars may be beautiful, but what about the tidal waves that surge past the shores? Human nature is even less defined, for each of us holds the same capacity for good as we do evil . . . at least at birth. And, I think, to be truly honest, each of us has, at one time or another, had an ugly or cruel thought flitter through or mind, no matter how fleeting.
Sure I'm afraid of evil clowns, of aliens and spiders, of demons and vengeful spirits. Most of us are. But what exceeds that fear, what lingers at the top of my list evoking unease at all hours is the fear of humankind. We, as a species, possess the capacity to inflict the most harm. It is the people without conscience and morals who pose the most danger. The cold-blooded killers who walk among us, many of them undetected until it is far too late. Jack the Ripper, BTK, the Green River killer, Ted Bundy . . . the list goes on and on.
In today's society, in these brutal times we live in, horror writers need not depend on mythological creatures to scare. We need not create fictional monsters who are indestructible. The truth is: they walk among us, every day. Some walk the thin line between dark and light . . . some grasp that fragile rope between good and evil by only a single thread. Their lifeline is frayed and one never knows when it will snap.
But even they serve some purpose. They remind us life is uncertain. People are uncertain. Nothing should be taken for granted. Beyond inspiration and fear, they prove darkness and light can exist within each one of us as well. One cannot exist, nor be fully appreciated without the other. Our choices can and do impact others.
There is a Nietzsche quote that I think most of us have heard. ""He who fights monsters must take care lest he become a monster. When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes into you."
I, myself, am also fond of this one: "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."
I leave you to ponder these words with the hopes that they inspire. Take care, my friends . . . and be careful not to gaze into the abyss for too long!
Adriana Noir
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Sarah is haunted by a disquieting presence which takes away her entire life.
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writer_rob : Why is it that there have been any really great film versions of H.P. Lovecraft's or Poe's work? Now let me defend the AIP versions that Roger Corman did in the 1960s. While I love his Poe films, I have never seen a true adaptation of his work. The same goes for H.P. Lovecraft. The closest was the film "The Hound." Does anyone know why?
 I honestly don't have an answer to that. I've seen a third rate adaptation of The Tomb and recently saw a film based on The Telltale Heart in the new release section, though I admit, I didn't have the courage to rent it. Perhaps some of our readers have some input on this? Personally, I think the classics are just untouchable. Movies almost always, without fail, butcher books. 
LJPC - the tortoise : Hi Adriana! Thanks for sticking up for us poor maligned horror writers. The genre started as 'penny dreadfuls' and became 'pulp', and I'm proud of our shared pasttime. Truthfully, we owe a debt to S.K. and D.K. for making so much money on their best-sellers that they make the genre seem legit.
I've always felt that people love horror because it's so black and white. The monster is evil, the good guy is...well, good. At the end, good triumphs (usually). Don't we all wish real life was like that? In the outside world, the real monsters come in shades of gray and are far harder to catch. - Laura
You're welcome! The pleasure was all mine.  You make some good points. If only real life were as simple!
Nomar Knight : Awesome newsletter! You featured some excellent stories that epitomize good horror writing. Horror is the ability to take an everyday object and turn it into spine tingling, morbid possibility. And there lies its value: the possibility that horror can cross the line of dreams and become our reality. Well done Adriana!
 Thank you! I always appreciate your support.
Jeff  : Wonderful newsletter, Adriana. Long live the horror writers! 
Hear, hear! Thanks, SoCal!
Cassie Kat : Yes! Yes Adriana! Thank you! The stereotypes against us horror writers can be very frustrating! Your words of encouragement are just what I needed to hear!
 My pleasure! Glad I could help!
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Horror/Scary: June 23, 2010 Issue [#3816]
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