Quiet Horror
Explore books, themes, and recommendations in Quiet Horror.
What is the Quiet Horror Subgenre?
Quiet, or soft, horror is characterized by a creeping sense of dread. Much of the violence of this subgenre occurs off the page and is left to the reader's imagination. There is often a sense of mystery in this subgenre as well, as quiet horror relies on the element of uncertainty. The best quiet horror stimulates the intellect and emotion, bordering on the cerebral.
The term "quiet horror" was coined by the author Charles L. Grant to describe his own work, which was frequently mistaken for dark fantasy. The subgenre, however, existed well before Grant in the writings of M.R. James, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and W.W. Jacobs, all of whom wrote stories in which the true horror took place only in the imagination of the reader.
Quiet Horror Characteristics
Level of Characterization: The level of characterization in quiet horror is moderate to high as the character's unease is what makes these stories so appealing.
Level of Plot: The level of plot is also quiet high in quiet horror as the subgenre relies upon mystery to bring about the necessary tension and scares.
Level of Supernatural: The level of supernatural in a quiet/soft horror is low to moderate, but it does vary. Depending on the type of story, there may be supernatural elements, but they may not always be shown, as the goal of quiet horror is not to shown what is producing the fear, but instead allow the emotion and mystery to take center stage.
Level of Scary: Quiet horror will be a low to moderate level of scary. This is the type of scare that will creep up on you or haunt you when you've finished the story. This type of horror will not be the horror of constant terror as you turn the pages.
Level of Violence: The level of violence in quiet horror, again, will be very low. This is because this type of horror wants to leave the violence and the scary up to the reader's imagination. So, nothing truly explicit will appear on the page.
Typical Setting: Settings vary for quiet horror, though often, the setting will be a haunted house of some kind. The important part job of the setting in this type of horror is to produce the necessary atmosphere to elicit creeping dread. That is why haunted houses and small towns make for great settings, as they are claustrophobic enough to keep the terror close.
Related Horror Subgenres
Subgenres related to quiet horror are gothic horror, as many of the same elements employed in gothic horror are employed in quiet horror to great effect, such as mystery and atmosphere. Haunting horror is also a closely related subgenre to quiet horror. This is due to the feeling that both subgenres evoke. Psychological horror may also be linked to quiet horror because much of the horror in quiet horror takes place in the mind of the reader.