Choosing Novels for a Horror Course

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by Syzygy

Hi Everyone!

Please can you recommend six horror novels that I can teach to undergraduate students?

As it is a course within popular culture, I have chosen to focus on vampires and zombies. It is an introduction to horror.

What do you think of the following selections? Please feel free to make suggestions / changes.

1) Richard Matheson - I am Legend
2) Stephen King - 'Salem's Lot
3) Anne Rice - Interview with the Vampire
4) Max Brooks - World War Z
5) Dean Koontz and Kevin J Anderson - Frankenstein: Prodigal Son
6) Robert Kirkman - The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

I would really appreciate your guidance.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Syzygy

If I attract very few students, then they will cut my stream. This is my only opportunity to teach horror.

I'm guessing that the students will choose books they know have television / film adaptations. They will choose the thinnest books, etc.

If they see my books on a list, then chances are they will know about Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice. They may not know who Richard Matheson is, but I am sure that they will say, "Hey! That's a Will Smith movie!"

Bottom Line: I need students before I can start prescribing Thomas Ligotti.

You might be surprised there are some student costumers who don't want read books of films they've ready scene, &/or didn't much like. Not only that, I bet you there will be students looking forward to reading some horror classics they haven't yet had a chance to read. (I would have been one of those.)

I'd recommend:
The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney
Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelly
Dracula, Bram Stoker

Some novellas & short stories:
Who Goes There?, 168 pages, John W. Campbell, Jr.
The Lottery, 30 pages, Shirley Jackson
The Tell-Tale Heart, 25 pages, Edgar Allan Poe (and take your pick of others The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, etc)

[Baron Von Marlon]

Originally Posted by horcrux2007

It stars Daniel Radcliffe, not Elijah Wood.

For some reason I always confuse those.

[Syzygy]

Originally Posted by ChronoGrl

I wonder if they're heard of Dracula... Hmmmmm...

Also, get rid of Koontz. Oy.

Introducing a graphic novel/series (Walking Dead) is an good choice; that will probably get them in seats.

And I second "Herbert West–Reanimator," choosing books that have been adapted to film will be a good pop culture tie-in. Maybe preface it with Frankenstein.

I hear you about Koontz, but he is extremely popular.

I would love to do The Walking Dead, but I am barred from including film or graphic novels in my stream.

[Syzygy]

Originally Posted by Sculpt

You might be surprised there are some student costumers who don't want read books of films they've ready scene, &/or didn't much like. Not only that, I bet you there will be students looking forward to reading some horror classics they haven't yet had a chance to read. (I would have been one of those.)

I'd recommend:
The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney
Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelly
Dracula, Bram Stoker

Some novellas & short stories:
Who Goes There?, 168 pages, John W. Campbell, Jr.
The Lottery, 30 pages, Shirley Jackson
The Tell-Tale Heart, 25 pages, Edgar Allan Poe (and take your pick of others The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, etc)

Thank you for posting an alternative perspective. Really excellent choices. I was thinking about including The Hellbound Heart.

What do you think?

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by Syzygy

Thank you for posting an alternative perspective. Really excellent choices. I was thinking about including The Hellbound Heart.

What do you think?

First off, I was laughing embarrassingly at my prior post, I'm freaked I wrote "ready scene" instead of "already seen".

Anyway, I never read Hellbound, so I can't speak to it's content. I'm also not a fan of the films or Barkers material. Objectively, I'm sure there's some interest, but it'd be more useful to look at the book's sales numbers and ratings (than to listen to me). Then you'd have to decide, as a teacher, if there's anything of value in the book.

I think the concept of the box leading into other dimensions is a great premise. But I personally don't have an appreciation of the nihilistic tone of Barker's work. I can understand hedonism easily, but nihilism is like a styrofoam screw... I don't see any use in it.

[Despare]

Out of that list?

I Am Legend

The guy with American Psycho picked a great book but getting people interested in it might be tough. Two of my friends that I suggested read it gave up on it after the pages and pages of satire about consumerism, I think they were bored the second they started reading about his VCR.

I don't hate any of the other authors but I don't love the choices there. If I were to pick something it would probably be Lovecraft, maybe Shadow Over Innsmouth, Herbert West: Re-Animator, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, or The Haunter of the Dark.

[horcrux2007]

A Clockwork Orange anyone?

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by horcrux2007

A Clockwork Orange anyone?

Excellent suggestion.