Written Horror

Great Websites for Spooky Reading

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Obviously, I enjoy reading about creepy things on the internet.  Whether it’s real life scary stories, horror fiction or factlets about eerie things, I find myself spending hours looking for new ways to lose sleep.

The following websites are just a few suggestions for you horror fanatics out there. I find these to be bone-chillingly entertaining and if you haven’t already checked them out, I think you should.

CREEPYPASTA.COM

This is a great site for raw, user-submitted stories.  Recently in the news for its “connection” with a brutal stabbing, Creepypasta is probably most well known for one of its reoccurring creepy characters, Slenderman.

However, the site is home to tons of terrible tales, including parodies, traditional horror stories and stories based on true events.

This is a great site to check out on a rainy evening when you’re feeling like giving yourself a little anxiety, and if you have some stories of your own that you think would fit in, you can submit them and share your horror with the community.

AMERICANFOLKLORE.NET

This site is fantastic if you’re interested in urban legends and myths from around all of North America.

The site includes spooky campfire stories and ghost stories that you can remember for the next time you want to freak out your friends.

The best part about Americanfolklore is that it allows you to search for scary legends and stories from whichever state (or country) that you want in the North Americas.

Being from Missouri, and having a father who lives in the Ozarks, I was thrilled to see the legend of Raw Head and Bloody Bones posted on this site.  It’s an extremely spooky bit of folklore and if you haven’t read it yet, you should definitely click that link.

CRACKED.COM

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Cracked a comedy site?”  Well, yes, but it also has an entire section dedicated to horror!

While the lists and articles in Cracked‘s horror section still have a comedic slant to them, they are incredibly fun to waste your time with, and some of them are incredibly disturbing (which is awesome).

The horror section includes the sub-categories ZOMBIES, POP CULTURE, COSTUMES, and, the best part of all, REAL HORROR.

While it is entertaining to read about zombies and horror movies, and while I do love Halloween costumes, the REAL HORROR section is by far the most deliciously dreadful.

It contains lists about creepy things, places, murderers and a large collection of urban legends that are actually true!

LISTVERSE.COM

Another “list site,” Listverse tends to focus a little less on comedy and a lot more on interesting facts.  However, if you venture into the Creepy Archives, you’ll find lists on just about anything that a horror junkie could want to read about.

Whether you’re looking for ghost stories, real life horrible incidences, tales of horrible crimes, or accounts of creepy monster and/or demon sightings, this site has it all.

I would recommend checking out the “Top 10 Scariest Lists for Halloween” list in order to get a feel for the kind of horror you might find on Listverse.

Suggestions Please!

I am aware that there are many, many websites out there for horror, but I am always on the hunt for more.  If you have any suggestions for sites that are similar to these, or that will make my skin crawl in general, please comment and let me know.

Thanks for reading!

 

Why Horror Fans Should Learn Spanish

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There are many reasons to learn another language. It can help you find employment, make travelling easier, and help you to make new friends from far away places.

However, the greatest reason to learn another language, in my opinion, is that it allows you  to expand your knowledge of Horror literature and film.

Now, if I had the time, I would learn every language in the world for this reason.  But I chose to learn Spanish, and here is why I’m glad that I did:

Spanish Language Horror Writing

Julio Cortázar’s short story, La Noche Boca Arriba (The Night Face Up), is probably one of my favorite short stories of all time.  It tells the story of a young man who has horrible nightmares while he is recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident.  Or does it?

This story is full of psychological deception and primal fear, and is definitely worth a read.  If you are not a Spanish speaker, there are, of course, translated versions.

However, translations always take away from the style of any written work, so I would recommend learning the language or reading the original alongside the translation at the very least.

 

Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga’s, La Miel Silvestre (The Wild Honey), is another terrifying example of primal fear.  Horacio writes about a man who accidentally consumes some paralysis inducing, toxic honey while trekking through the jungle, and then the horror begins.

This tale serves as a perfect reminder that the world we live in can be just as  grotesque as the fictional places and monsters that mankind has written about for centuries.

La Miel Silvestre is beautifully written in its native tongue, but if you want to read it in English, you can use Google to translate.

WARNING: Using any translating websites or software can cause errors within the text of a story, for the best accuracy, try and find a Spanish speaker to help you translate.

 

Spooky Spanish Speaking Films

That freaky, masked child is brought to you by director J.A. Bayona and writer Sergio G. Sánchez in their 2007 Horror film, El Orfanato (The Orphanage).

According to a Spanish professor I had, this film wasn’t advertised as “horror” in many Spanish speaking countries.  However, it definitely has an eerie feel throughout, and a few good scares.

While I don’t want to ruin anything from this magnificent movie, I will say that the ending is not only a surprise, but is quite horrific.

After viewing this film, you will probably find yourself asking the following questions:  Were the ghosts real? Is this about mental illness brought on by grief? Would I be willing to play with spirits in order to find someone I care about?

 

This is probably the most popular Spanish horror film in the world.  I love “Found Footage,” and directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza really did the genre a solid when they brought the world this delightfully dreadful flick.

Most people already know that the 2008 film Quarantine was based directly off of this film, and according to the internet, most people tend to like the original better.  I agree with “most people” on this one.

REC follows, basically, the same story line that it’s remake did (in case you’ve only seen Quarantine).  A group of people are quarantined in a building after someone gets sick (and becomes somewhat of a zombie) and they try to survive while finding out what’s going on.

It has plenty of blood, scares and creepy moments, and never gets boring.

While this film is absolutely available with English subtitles, you tend to get a better feel of the characters’ fear when you can understand what they are saying, which is just another awesome reason why you should learn Spanish.

To Sum up…

There are literally thousands of other stories, books and films written in Spanish and horror fans that don’t speak the language are missing out on all of them.

I am extremely glad that I chose to put in the work to learn Spanish, because my newly-found-ability has allowed me to open a door on an entire new room of the haunted house that is my brain.  A room that is essentially a massive library full of unread books and unseen films.

I highly recommend learning to speak a second language if you also want to expand your knowledge of the world of horror, and Spanish seems to havebeen a wise place to start for me.

Thanks for reading!