The Line Between Dark Fantasy and Horror – Guest Post by Jaq D Hawkins at TRSA

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Sue Vincent

Reblogged from TRSA:

The definition of Dark Fantasy is “Fantasy with elements of Horror in it.” So the question is, how much Horror is required to take the story out of the realm of Fantasy and into the realm of pure Horror?

This is something that hasn’t been clearly defined and it is not my intention to try to carve out a dividing line for the genres here, but only to stimulate some speculative conversation among readers of these genres.

Both of the genres, Horror and Fantasy, are typified by strongly imaginative elements. Much of what I’ve read in both genres might easily fit into the other. For example, I found a story set in Hell with some of the familiar landscape we expect from that location (thanks, Dante) in the Fantasy section. It was unquestionably dark and so easily classified as Dark Fantasy. But why not Horror?

Continue reading at The Story Reading Ape

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About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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6 Responses to The Line Between Dark Fantasy and Horror – Guest Post by Jaq D Hawkins at TRSA

  1. Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatar The Story Reading Ape says:
    June 15, 2018 at 12:05

    Thanks for sharing, Sue 😃 ❤️

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  3. Marilyn Armstrong's avatar Marilyn Armstrong says:
    June 16, 2018 at 00:31

    Having just spent a good many hours reading Stephen King’s “Outsider,” that’s a really good question and I don’t have an answer. It’s more like “I know it when I see it.”

    “Outsider” was more horror towards the end, but mostly cop-thriller for the first half. No idea where that fits into any genre.

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