by Tessa Mahurin
Photo by teleterapia.fi on Unsplash
We all know Stephen King to be one of the greatest horror writers of our time, creating stories and characters that horrify us to our core. The film adaptations of some of his stories put visuals to these iconic characters and create images that you can’t unsee. How then, does Stephen King manage to maintain his status as a renowned author when his subject matter is horror?
The horror genre is often faced with assumptions that the plot is weak, and the intention is solely to scare the audience. In film, we often see this subgenre titled “Slashers.” These are often gory, bloody films whose purpose is to incite horror; however, common criticisms of these films are that there are weak plot lines or little to no character development. What sets Stephen King apart in his approach to horror is his commitment to strong characters. This makes his horror so much more real, and therefore that much more frightening.
One of his earliest and more popular books, Carrie, follows the story of a misfit girl who gets bullied in school only to find out she has telekinetic powers. The story is no doubt horrifying, and this is due to Carrie’s actions at the end of the book, but it is also because Stephen King spent so much time building a world that his readers could identify and sympathize with.
This is not only key to being an effective storyteller, but also what creates longevity in his stories. Carrie was written in 1974, and still horrifies readers today. While the intention of scaring is most certainly achieved in the Slasher film trope, the retention of the plot and characters is far less than in a Stephen King story.
His characters and settings are written so perfectly that they will stay with you forever. Or haunt you forever.
Tessa Mahurin is a junior at FSU studying Art History and Business Management. She hopes to go into arts administration. She has a passion for the arts and understanding how they shape our daily lives. She is currently the Visual Arts editor for The Kudzu Review, and loves getting to engage with student-submitted artwork. Tessa loves running and reading and is currently trying to reach her Goodreads goal of 30 books this year!
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