Psychological Horror
Explore books, themes, and recommendations in Psychological Horror.
What is the Psychological Horror Subgenre?
Psychological horror exposes the fears that lurk in the human psyche. These can range from common emotional and psychological weaknesses to the darkest depths of the most depraved minds. Psychological horror can be linked to the supernatural and haunting subgenres, as well, because the protagonist may be confusing the horrors plaguing their mind with something supernatural. Another subgenre closely related to psychological horror is crime and serial killer, as these deal with the depraved acts of a deranged mind.
A staple of psychological horror is the unreliable narrator. Often, the protagonist is in the grips of insanity, and as such, cannot be trusted to tell reality from fantasy. This drags the reader into the madness too, creating suspense and tension. There are exceptions to this, of course, Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs is not narrated by the serial killer Hannibal Lecter, but instead by FBI agent, Clarice Starling. Exceptions to the unreliable narrator in psychological horror tend to mix with the crime and serial killer subgenres.
Themes of psychological horror include reality and perception, which is why an unreliable narrator is vital to this subgenre. The protagonist often faces an internal battle that is more easily relatable than that of other horror subgenres. Using common fears to heighten the protagonist's innate emotion and psychological instability, this subgenre weaves a tightly gripping and emotionally tense journey for the reader.
Psychological Horror Characteristics
Level of Characterization: The level of characterization in psychological horror is very high, as the subgenre is, in essence, character driven. It is the protagonist who leads the reader into the depths of insanity. The protagonist must be relatable, though they are struggling with inner demons.
Level of Plot: The level of plot in psychological horror can vary quite a bit, depending on the characters' journey into madness. However, this genre is character driven rather than plot driven. So, expect moderate to low levels of plotting.
Level of Supernatural: The level of supernatural in psychological horror is relatively low, considering that the ghosts and demons in this type of horror are those that plague the characters' psyche.
Level of Scary: The level of scary in psychological horror can vary, generally, however, this is not an in-your-face kind of scare, but instead a creeping horror as the reader slowly realizes the depths of the characters' insanity.
Level of Violence: The level of violence in psychological horror is incredibly variable. There are gorefests such as American Psycho to much more sedate psychological horrors such as The Yellow Wallpaper.
Typical Setting: Unfortunately, there are no typical settings for psychological horror. This subgenre does not require a specific setting to set the mood as so much of the tension derived from the subgenre emerges from the psyche of the protagonist or other characters.
Related Horror Subgenres
Haunting and supernatural subgenres are related to psychological horror, as some of the best of these subgenre, it is difficult to tell whether the haunting is real or a product of the protagonist's imagination. Also related are the crime and serial killer subgenres as these tend to deal with monstrous acts committed by deviant minds.
Don't Read Psychological Horror If You Dislike…
Unreliable narrators. If you need to be sure of what is going on while you are reading, this genre may not be for you. Psychological horror treads the line between fantasy and reality in the protagonist's mind, which can sometimes make for a confusing and difficult read. This genre is best for those who are willing to muddle through the journey and don't necessarily need for things to be straightforward.