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Writing true horror

Started by Ed, March 03, 2006, 05:18:23 AM

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Ed

Last night I was doing research for a story I'm writing for the next crit session, and what I found is more disturbing to me than anything I could write... and I think it's because it's true.  I'll post the link once the crit week is over, because I don't want to give too much away about the story before you see it.

But the point is, aren't all the most horrific stories true?  Are there any fictional horror stories that can match the depths of depravity that exist in the world around us?  This American doctor that I found, with a showman's flourish ruined thousands of people's lives - on one occasion 225 in one day!  Many hundreds, or perhaps thousands more people were ruined and even killed by those immitating his practices and following his example. 

What's worse is that he was apparently convinced that what he was doing was right, and he was allowed to carry on doing it right up until 1972.  Scary shit. :/
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

GrinReaper

I agree. And what's more, if you wrote some of the true stuff and tried to pass it off as fiction, people would say it's too far-fetched.

I don't know if you heard about it on your side of the planet, but we had a case here that the media tastefully tagged 'the bodies in barrels' murders.

These two guys kidnapped people, forced them to record various phrases so that the killers could imitate their victims over the phone, then murdered them to collect their social security payments. They put some of the bodies in barrels of acid, and hid the barrels in a disused bank vault.

When the trial was going on, the wife of one of the killers told of how her husband was digging a hole in the backyard (to get rid of bodies). When she questioned him about it, he told her firstly that he was going to build a wine cellar! And then later on he told her it was going to be a home cinema! And supposedly, she believed him.

Dan

It's quite funny you should say that - i was reading an article in some horror mag (Wicked Carnaval i think - not a bad mag, and you can download old editions for free: http://www.wickedkarnival.com/) - basically said that there has been a real shift from the 80's/supernatural/SK style horror to a more 'realistic' model. The guy hypothesises that there will be a big horror explosion soon based on man vs man rather than man vs monster...
www.HellInside.com - welcome to Hell!

Ed

Crazy, isn't it? :cheesy:

Grin - I haven't heard about the bodies in barrels case before :o  That's amazing.

Dan - funny you should mention Wicked Carnival - see the latest member at the top of the board 'freezenerve' - he's the editor of the mag.  Shame he hasn't posted yet.  I agree with the hypothesis, too.  Man vs Man is probably the ultimate encounter to prey on people's fears.
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]


Ed

Unreal :huh:  Thanks for the link, Grin.  Couldn't help thinking they might be in trouble 'counting the number of toes and then dividing' to ascertain how many bodies there were, after reading Sharon's latest story in the crit section :fugly:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

SharonBell

Yup, don't forget all those lovely pockets of inbreeding we can explore with our writing!  :dance: I have had people tell me my work is OTT, can't be true, then I pull out the references and they become green...not with envy! :lol:
"Be good and you'll be lonesome." Mark Twain

www.sharonbuchbinder.com

doolols

'Bodies in barrels' reminds me of an episode of CSI recently. They discovered bodies in some sort of container, but all that was left was the bones and a gloopy, squelchy horrible mess. The sound effects were enough to convey the true horror of that discovery, without any pictures.

Every so often, I think about Fred and Rose West, and what those two weirdos got up to. I remember people saying "How come she didn't know?" until they found out she DID know, and actually assisted in the abductions, murders and attempted cover-ups.

Mind you, go back in history into the last century, and even before, and there's always been sadistic bastards around with no concept about how precious life is.
My name is Gerald, and I am a writer (practicing for AA - Authors Anonymous)

Geoff_N

Hang on -- this is a site for writers of horror? What a cuddly band of  :hidin:  you are!  I am reminded of the link Ed gave us and all but me shuddered in horror at the thought of guns firing into a ravine at cars! OK so there was a child-rearing abhorrence factor and dearie me they enjoyed firing their weapons, but it was lumps of steel that were being shot up and none of you could watch it to the end! I relished it, but then I'm a cyclist. Death to automobiles!

One of my published short horrors, Video Nasty,  was set to include a challenge to write the most unusual ways to kill and dispose of the deceased. Barrels in gardens - pish. Where are your imaginations people?

Geoff

Ed

See, if it was a cyclist peddling hell for leather through that valley with them all shooting at him, it wouldn't have been a problem :fugly:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

doolols

 :yes: Now I can see an idea for a celebrity TV game show  :afro: Thanks, Blunt.

I'm getting excited now. Les Dennis, Vanessa Feltz, Michael Barrymore, and Patrick Kielty, all on mountain bikes, riding for their lives (literally) through an obstacle course. And the non-celeb contestants can play a joker at any time, and lob a grenade at the whole bloody lot of them. Whoo-hoo!  :dance:
My name is Gerald, and I am a writer (practicing for AA - Authors Anonymous)

Geoff_N

Quote from: doolols on March 03, 2006, 02:29:41 PM
on mountain bikes, riding for their lives (literally) through an obstacle course. And the non-celeb contestants can play a joker at any time, and lob a grenade at the whole bloody lot of them. Whoo-hoo!  :dance:

The exact description of my daily cycle ride to and from the school I taught at  :cool:   (the nearest emoticon I could find to a cyclist hah!)

Geoff

Ed

Course, that would be 'pedaling', rather than 'peddling' :scratch:  I wonder if anybody's ever tried selling hell for leather....
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]