Horror: American As Apple Pie

I'm not sure if you know this, but horror is American. It's true. Horror has been a part of American culture and Americans have made significant contributions that have helped nourish it.

Let's go back over two hundred years ago. Around this time, America is a brand new country, seeking an identity of its own. Along comes men such as Charles Brockden Brown and Washington Irving. They were among the first Americans to make a living solely by their pens. Brown wrote not only some the earliest American novels, like Wieland, and they were gothics. Irving is famous for writing "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" but he also contributed other notable tales like "The Devil and Ton Walker" and "The Adventure of the German Student." The world would be deprived indeed without the Headless Horseman.

Let's fast forward a few decades. Edgar Allan Poe remains among the greatest short story writers of all time. I call him the patron saint of horror. Supernatural or psychological, he excelled in both forms. He is also the father of the modern detective story and pioneered science fiction. He was also a noted literary critic whose theories still God some water. Whether directly or indirectly, his efforts have influenced literally tens of thousands of writers, artists, and filmmakers. Poe's life was as interesting as his fiction and he died in poverty. This was in part due to his work being pirated, an injustice he fought to the end.

The world saw other noted American writers in the 19th century, including Ambrose Bierce but I'm fast forwarding again. In 1923, the American pulp magazine Weird Tales made its appearance in newsstands. The goal of the magazine was to find the new Poe. In the same year of its inception, the editor found H.P. Lovecraft, who would become the most influential horror writer of the 20th century. He became the nexus of the"Lovecraft Circle", a veritable who's who of notable Weird Tales contributors. The magazine, in general, brought out some of the best horror talent of the early 20th century, including Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E Howard, Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson, and Ray Bradbury.

During Weird Tales' heyday, Universal Studios began releasing some of the most iconic horror films of all time. The history of horror would be barren indeed without the films that brought Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney Jr to the public's attention.

Horror fans know most, if not all, of this stuff already but brought together it's an impressive catalogue in the history of horror fiction and it only scratches the surface. It would take a few books to adequately sum up what I've tried to point out and I didn't even discuss Stephen King. Horror is a big part of American culture. If it's not always in the spotlight, at least it's in the shadows.

Written by Nicholas Montelongo