Fresh Fear: Contemporary Horrror

Appearing in cultures the world over and frequently corresponding with Jungian archetypes, horror images and narratives have roots in various mythical and spiritual belief systems. By depicting the horrific consequences of indulging in unproductive, tabooed behavior, such fiction is socially instructive; a mechanism for perpetuating the laws and values of the collective. Thus the young woman who becomes a bit too familiar with the men folk finds herself deceived by a demon in disguise. The man who attempts to play God deludes himself, his efforts resulting in abomination and ruin. Those who push too far beyond the boundary of that which is known come to pay a terrible price. If anything is absolutely certain about works of horror fiction, it’s that they touch us in a very personal way, and what we take away from that experience—whether positive or negative—is very much our own.