"Dearest gentle reader..."

Thank you for your patience while I've taken a hiatus from my blog. I try to keep you updated with all the inner workings of my life via YouTube videos and social media posts, but with the current internet landscape being overrun with consumerism and capitalistic culture, there is something romantic and nostalgic about refocusing our attention on smaller websites and personal blogs. With this in mind, I'll be attempting to update my personal blog more regularly for the few of you that feel the same. If you're new here, hi! My name is Kassidy and I write scary stories. Welcome to my blog!

Today I wanted to tell you all about my experience as an author selling books at Third Coast Book & Author Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan. This free event was hosted and organized by The Book Cellar, a local second hand independent bookstore in town. I found out about this event from a Facebook ad (of all places) and signed up immediately. Even though this was the first year for this event, it was very well attended and I ended up selling thirteen books! I also handed out plenty of bookmarks with my personal information on them to interested parties, so hopefully this may generate future sales as well. All and all, there were about 150 authors in attendance, stationed in various local businesses throughout the main drag of Grand Haven, Michigan. I set up shop at Voyage Bowls, a smoothie and açaí store with a wonderful chai latte in hand. Next to me were Astrid Knight, a fantasy author whose books are inspired by Dungeon and Dragon campaigns, and Michael Asselin, a fellow dark fantasy/horror whose love of the forests of Michigan inspires his Lord-of-the-Rings-esque tales. I'll have links to the books of both of these authors down below:

• Astrid Knight

• Michael Asselin

Afterwards, there was a charity gala and silent auction benefiting Bluebird Cancer Retreats, where the attending authors could dress up and mingle with each other as well as the readers who had bought tickets to enter the event. Although the festivities during the day were free, readers needed to pay an entrance fee to attend the charity gala. I ended up getting business cards from fellow authors, podcasters, voice actors, and editors while also meeting readers from the Grand Haven area. Even though I am very afraid of crowds, I managed to push past my fear and socialize well, forming some great business relationships that I will carry with me into the future.

There were a couple of hours of free time in between the time allotted to sell our books and the beginning of the charity gala. Because I've never been to Grand Haven before, I used this time to explore the town with my husband and get some dinner before the gala. We stopped at a few small boutique stores along Main Street, namely Blueberry Haven, where I got the yummiest blueberry salad dressing and a blueberry print for my office (can you tell that I like blueberries?), and Tlaquepaque Art & Decor, where you can buy imported Mexican art, garden art, and thoughtful gifts. These were my two favorite stores, but there are plenty of other places to shop and go antiquing if that's your jam. Because the city of Grand Haven poured so much love into us visiting authors, I just wanted to give them some love in return.

Additionally, I was interviewed by and featured in the Grand Haven Tribune. A woman and her friend came up to my table and asked me, “What is the best thing about being an author?”. Feeling cheeky, I told her “I get to make up stories and lie for a living”. She smiled at me before pulling out a pen and notebook from her purse. Then she told me that she was going to interview me for the local newspaper. In that moment, all of my wit and clever remarks left my body, drifting off somewhere far beyond my reach. Luckily, I was able to answer all of her questions effectively and I left a good enough impression to be featured in the paper, but I should probably workshop better potential responses if I ever find myself in this situation again.

Read the full article here.

Final Thoughts

All and all, this was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. I made it a goal of mine to attend more book events in 2025, and the Third Coast Book & Author Festival did not disappoint as the first stop for what will hopefully be a busy year. Because of their success this year, they will be continuing this festival next year, so be on the lookout for more updates!

Later this April, I will be attending Slay the Lake, a horror themed book event in Kenosha, Wisconsin and The Final Girl bar. I'll be selling books alongside other queer authors, enjoying drag performances, and getting a tarot card reading from Ten Cups Tarot. This event will be fundraising for the LGBTQ center of Kenosha as well. If you're interested in Slay the Lake, feel free to come say hi on April 19th from 3pm - 8pm!

What is Analog Horror?

This sub - sub genre of horror started out as an internet fad in the 2010s, where amature filmmakers from all walks of life could create their own at home scary movies through non copyrighted images, royalty free sounds, and a couple of blending effects in any editing software. Taking inspiration from the "found footage genre", Analog Horror tells its stories through the lens of the late 20th century, employing certain effects to best match the limited technology of the time. Many have noted that most of these stories exist somewhere between the 1960s - 1990s because of "the genre's aesthetic incorporation of elements related to analog electronics, such as analog television and VHS (Video Home System), the latter being an analog method of recording video and audio¹." In this way, the viewer becomes the camera-man, the targeted audience for some sort of public announcement, or the one playing the haunted video game.

Key Elements:

Thanks to this first person perspective, Jordan Maison explains that "in Analog Horror, viewers aren't merely witnessing characters dealing with things. They are targets of the horrors and thrills themselves.²" There are other factors where Analog Horror differs from other more traditional horror genres. As Maison notes:

"There are obvious things, such as having shorter run times — average analog horror videos are under 10 minutes — and screening primarily online only. Though, what really makes analog horror unique — what sets it apart from the found footage genre it sprang from — is the fact these projects feature few, if any, characters.³"

Analog Horror tends to focus more on tension and worldbuilding than it does narrative and plot, leaving the latter to the active imaginations of their viewers. In this sense, the viewer becomes the protagonist, exploring this unfamiliar territory like any other character would. Jordan Maison with Videomaker has put together a comprehensive list of what makes a piece of media fall under Analog Horror. They are as follows:

• Progressive Horror

With this methodology, the videos start off as relatively tame and only get scarier over time. There is a gradual build up as the audience starts to piece the story together.

• Twisting the Mundane

Through the use of warping everyday elements and twisting them into something terrifying, Analog Horror creates an uncanny fear that something can be lurking around the corner of your otherwise normal life. This is often done through the use of light music and images being paired with horrific acts, achieving a truly unnerving contrast.

• Vague Meanings

These sorts of stories tend to be purposefully vague. The audience must try to figure out the story for themselves. If viewers are witnessing something that's already happened, they have no agency to affect the outcome of the story. Despite seeing things through the perspective of the main character, they are ultimately helpless victims themselves. Additionally, this has the potential for virality and engagement, as fans speculate and share their theories with others in the comment sections or other community boards.

• Left to the Imagination

Rather than rely on jump scares or graphic violence, Analog Horror forces the viewer to rely on their imaginations to fill in the gaps. There is little to no gore on screen. Everything is implied, with an occasional blood splatter or body lying on the floor. Viewers have to picture the atrocities unfolding, which can stay with them long after they press pause on their video.

• No Soundtrack

In order to be as believable as possible, many Analog Horror videos lack an actual soundtrack. They may employ little jingles or sounds when applicable, like an introduction to a radio or television program, but other than that, these short films are meant to mimic the reality we live in, with the uncanny leaking in in some bizarre way.

• Beyond Comprehension

This sub-genre often employs the use of eldritch horrors, cryptids, aliens, or alternate dimensions to instill a feeling of unknowable dread. Because there is no easy explanation of the threat, it feels bigger than one's self and becomes even scarier than your average neighborhood boogeyman.

• No Happy Endings

In most cases, Analog Horror does not have a happy ending. In order for us to witness what happens to the story, the camera-man must ultimately meet their demise, so that we may "find" the footage/evidence and potentially become the next victim.

Imperfect Nostalgia:

In addition to the elements above, Analog Horror also relies on the distortion of childhood memories primarily through the use of outdated technology and familiar themes. As mentioned earlier, they utilize educational films, home photos and videos, public service announcements, and childish cartoons or songs that invoke an intimate feeling while horrible events take place⁴. Mitali Partha makes an excellent point about the intersection of nostalgia and Analog Horror:

"By utilizing outdated media formats, analog horror taps into a sense of lost technology and forgotten times. It creates a disconnect from the polished perfection of modern media, making the experience feel more visceral and real. The imperfections become a portal to a world where something sinister might be lurking, hidden just beneath the surface of a distorted VHS tape or a grainy broadcast.⁵"

As someone who incorporates nostalgia in most of her writing, Analog Horror fascinates me. I often wonder how I can incorporate some of these visual techniques into print, creating little portals to an alternate dimension with each short story. Thankfully, we can look to some of the earliest inspiration for Analog Horror for answers: Creepypastas.

Creepypasta Origins:

There are quite a number of Analog Horror videos, series, and short films that are inspired by or are direct interpretations of creepypastas. Creepypastas are brief, user generated horror stories that circulate on the Internet. Many of them have no discernable origin which elevates them to some sort of digital folklore. They become legends drifting about in cyberspace, blending reality with our darkest of fantasies. The most famous of them being The Backrooms, Jeff the Killer, Slenderman, Siren Head, Candle Cove, etc. Analog Horror is a perfect opportunity to bring these legends to life through visual media.

Examples:

Local58

This horror web series employs plenty of the Analog Horror tropes mentioned above, such as progressive horror, vague meanings, twisting the mundane, vague meanings, and left to the imagination. Based on a creepypasta called Candle Cove also created by Kris Straub, Local58 presents like retro public access news footage, documenting strange happenings that occur in the area. Each video is varied in theme, incorporating dash cams, public service announcements, and an original children’s cartoon. The scariest of these videos, in my opinion, is the public service announcement from the federal government, in which it instructs citizens to commit unthinkable acts of rebellion against an encroaching foreign threat.

The SMILE Tapes

Spoilers Ahead!!!

The SMILE Tapes are a YouTube video series created by Patorikku that catalogs the spread of a deadly fungus known as "The Jester" through a blackmarket drug known for forcing people to smile. Through a collection of grainy audios, glitchy digital logs and journals, and leftover footage from the mid-nineties we follow victims of the fungus carry out violent attacks on the unsuspecting public, spreading the spores through gas like secretions in their mouths. There is little to actually be seen, leading these viewers to draw these conclusions based on highly edited images and deep fake footage of dinosaur documentaries and the former president, Bill Clinton. Minimal jumpscares are employed, relying on the overall buildup of the story to leave a dark, uncanny feeling of fear within the viewer. This is one of the few examples with a concrete, pleasant ending, but even if the threat is resolved, there is an implication in these videos that it is just a matter of time before this extraterrestrial fungus will strike again.

Sonic Limited Edition: The Lost Cartridge

Spoilers Ahead!!!

This infamous seven part short YouTube series by jordangamin101 depicts cursed gameplay footage of an evil Sonic the Hedgehog who hunts down the other side characters in his game. Over time it is revealed that this version of Sonic the Hedgehog is some omnipotent supernatural deity, who has sinister plans for all those Sega employees and new players who wind up playing his game. These videos are based on a creepypasta called Sonic.exe with a similar storyline. Here we see a creative use of outdated technology and nostalgia in the form of a popular video game that was an essential part of countless childhoods. This purposeful subversion of media is what keeps viewers hooked, speculating what could have gone so horribly wrong with their beloved speedy blue hedgehog.

The Backrooms

The Backrooms highlights the horror of liminal spaces: places that are too still for comfort, places that exist somewhere in between the here and now and the uncertain future. They can be abandoned malls, silent airports, or empty indoor swimming pools. This series fully embraces the uncanniness in the most arbitrary of places, creating an entirely new dimension of endless dingy office spaces with the occasionally misplaced home or living room sprinkled in between hallways. This short video series documents the exploration of the Backrooms, an interdimensional space that reveals itself through magnetic irregularities to unsuspecting individuals. One can very easily slip through the fabric of reality and end up in the Backrooms, even from the safety of their own garage. Through the videos, we learn of an organization that seeks to utilize the Backrooms as a form of storage space and potential residential living. They create a permanent door to this realm and through them, we’re privy to all of the chaos that ensues.

This is personally one of my favorite examples of Analog Horror. It partially inspired one of the stories in my short story collection, Cursed Images: Scary Stories from the Internet. These videos have a cult-like following and are rumored to soon be adapted into a movie from A24 studios. Even with the amount of love it receives, some fans are concerned with how well the spirit of The Backrooms and of Analog Horror as a whole can be captured on the big screen.

Skinamarink

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Regarding professionally made films, Skinamarink is an excellent example of a scary movie that employs many tropes from Analog Horror. Its grainy footage, awkward angles, muffled audio, and use of children as protagonists all encompass the heart of Analog Horror. The story follows Kevin and Kaylee, two young siblings who can’t find their father in their own home. All of the doors, windows, and even toilets go missing, leaving them virtually trapped inside with nothing to comfort them besides their toys and a television set. In fact, most of the time their television is their only available lightsource, leaving them to the mercy of some unknown dark entity toying with them from the shadows. While the plot is purposefully vague, plenty of viewers speculate their own storylines for this film. These range from metaphors about domestic abuse all the way to the children being trapped inside Kevin’s dream. This film got mixed reviews with audiences either praising or condemning its artistic choices. With a movie adaptation of the Backrooms from A24 coming in the near future, one must wonder if mainstream viewers are truly ready for Analog Horror and can it neatly transition from cyberspace to the silver screen.

Conclusion:

The beauty of this sub-sub genre is in its accessibility and reproducibility. Within most of the examples listed, their producers made use of public domain images and sounds, rearranging them into an unique storytelling experience. Anyone can create their own work within Analog Horror and share it with others online. Analog Horror also easily fosters a sense of community, being a true product of the internet. People can readily share their own theories and speculations instantaneously in the comment sections of these videos, taking an active role in an otherwise passive story. The potential for community building and viewer loyalty within this genre is immeasurable, making it a tempting venue for any creative to try. Just be sure to have your camera at the ready whenever things inevitably get a little bit weird.

Introduction/Overview of the Event

Last Sunday, June 2nd, I had the honor of being a vendor at the International Museum of Surgical Science's first ever Art Fair. There were about a dozen other creatives there, all selling pieces that fit in with the overall spooky but artistic vibe of the museum. We set up early in the morning at around 9:30 am before the event officially started at 11:00 am. It lasted until 4:00 pm, but there was a steady flow of museum visitors and patrons, so it didn't seem like much time passed at all. My husband and I got lunch from a food truck that was catering the event, but we also brought some snacks from home to nibble on throughout the day. My mother and some of my friends also dropped by to say hello and wished me good luck. All and all, we had a great time!

This was also my first in person book event since the pandemic, so in a lot of ways, I had to learn about setting up and selling at an author's table all over again. I wanted to write this article for all of my fellow independent authors out there, who have to act as your own marketing team, manager, and business owner on top of your normal writing duties. You might be interested in doing in person events such as art fairs, flea markets, or book conventions, but you don't know exactly where to start. Hopefully this article can provide you with some helpful information to make all of your in person author dreams come true!

Prepwork for Table

Initially I heard about this art fair through TikTok of all places. The museum posted a short video inviting people to apply to become a vendor for their first ever art fair. After commenting on their video to make sure that authors could also apply, I made my way over to their website and filled out the required forms. In this case, I had to make an artist statement describing my work and what sorts of events I've done previously. Luckily, I learned how to write an artist statement in college as part of my art scholarship. It was easy enough to describe my books in this format, and I made sure to connect them to the museum in some way. Shortly after, I received an email to let me know I was accepted, and then I promptly paid my table fee to secure my spot.

In order to prepare for this event, I had to buy some materials and decorations for my table, although I tried to DIY as many elements as I could. I made the designs for my price sheet, payment methods, and social media list in Canva, as well as my custom zine business cards. Additionally, I tried to incorporate decor that I already had in my office, such as my Furby drawing, the dinosaur planters I bought from Target a few years ago, bookmarks that I received from a colleague, and a stuffed lemur that I got from my first ever book signing at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, IN. The rest of the items are from Amazon and they include a black table cloth, plastic book stands, plastic sign holders, and a couple of necklaces that my husband reworked to resemble the Blood Stone from my books, Cursed Fate and Wicked Breed. Lastly, I had to order author copies of all my books, which came out to fifteen copies per title, or forty five books in total.

Of course this goes without saying, but don't forget to include social media posts as part of prep work for an upcoming event! How will anyone show up if they don't know about it? I made a decent amount of infographics in Canva using the museum's press kit and logo to let my readers know where and when they could meet me and hang out for a while. Realistically, you want to post about it multiple times ahead of the event, so that your followers are more likely to remember it and make plans to attend. I started posting about the art fair a week in advance, but looking back, I probably should have started this campaign a lot sooner than that.

Lessons Learned

Selling books in person is an intimidating task, but not an impossible one. Despite being naturally shy, I tried to put myself out there by utilizing some tips I found online from other art vendors. Be sure to give a little hi and a wave to everyone that passes by your table. Be liberal with giving out compliments on people's outfits, especially if they are wearing something that connects to your own personal style or relates to a theme in your books. It could be a good opening to a great conversation and an eventual sale! I also noticed that the vendors that were constantly standing tended to have more engagement at their booths, so be sure to talk to all of your customers at eye level! It might make them more comfortable.

It helps to also have some freebies at your table, especially if they are something that your customers can play with themselves. The zine business cards were a big hit, but I should have printed out far more of them. They ran out pretty quickly, about half way into the event. People enjoyed how engaging they were since they were mini books/magazines. One woman told me she used to make them as a teenager, so they provided a sense of nostalgia for her (which is also a major theme in most of my short stories). Based on this feedback, I think this will become a staple way for me to communicate my current writing brand to future readers. However, the print on the zines was pretty tiny, so I might have to rework the design a bit in the near future.

Financial Breakdown

Overall, I think it was a pretty good day. I ended up selling seven books and I earned back my table fee. However, the initial costs that go into setting up for a book event kept me in the red. I had to buy new materials like bookstands and a tablecloth, but of course, I can use these for future events and their costs wouldn't be factored into those expenses. Another expensive cost for book events is ordering author copies of your books. In my case, I ordered way too many, fifteen books for each title. I was so worried that I would run out, that I felt the need to order more than I really needed for an event of this size. Although, if I were to do another book event in the future, I have extra stock now, so I won't have to order as many online.

Final Thoughts

There are probably a lot of areas where I can improve for my next author event, but sometimes certain factors are beyond your control. In this instance, this indoor event took place on a day with wonderful weather after about a week of on and off rain. I'm sure people would rather walk along Lakeshore drive and enjoy the beaches rather than go inside a chilly museum. There was a food truck out front to generate some foot traffic, which might have helped, but there is no way of knowing for sure. In addition, folks were probably surprised to find an author selling their books at an art fair. This wasn't an event specifically for readers, but for those who enjoyed visual art, so that could explain fewer sales.

Even though I wish I would have made more sales, it was still nice to meet new people and get the chance to talk about my work. For those who did buy copies, they all seemed so genuinely excited to read my books, which is an euphoric feeling that I can't accurately describe. There were also plenty of instances where people didn't buy a book, but they took pictures of the covers and my social media handles for future use. Hopefully this will translate into future sales and more followers who want to stay up to date with what I'm writing. With all of this considered, I would still do an event like this again. It is such a great way to get your face out there and meet new people: readers, fellow creatives, and the like!

Introduction: What is Techno Horror?

According to Wikipedia, Techno Horror is a category of the horror genre that "focuses on the fears and concerns over technology"¹. It tends to overlap at times with science fiction and dark fantasy, making it difficult to define as its own unique concept. However, the most prominent features that surround techno horror in the West are "the cautionary tales of rapidly emerging technology" and its overall effect on society². They also express concerns of "privacy, freedom, individuality, and wealth disparity"³. These ideas and anxieties surrounding technology aren't only limited to the Western world.

Techno Horror also tends to be extremely popular in Asian countries like Korea and Japan. Japanese horror stories tend to "involve classical terrors such as ghosts, spirits or curses propagating, traveling, or communicating via hi-tech media such as computer networks, cell phones, and cameras as conduits for dark forces"⁴. Of course there are well-known stories that might blend these two concepts, like our first example below, but whether the threat is coming from technology itself, or is a spectral force just using technology as a medium for its dastardly deeds. Incorporating computers, cell phones, television sets, and the like is incredibly popular for most modern horror stories.

ATTENTION!!! Movie spoilers ahead!

Examples

The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives is both a satirical "feminist horror"⁵ book and a movie from the 70s that illustrates men's growing anxiety over The Woman's Rights Movement and their consequential actions to maintain the status quo. In this story, the main character, Joanna Eberhart, is a skilled photographer, wife, and mother. She starts to notice some of her peers becoming more docile, dedicating themselves to strictly homemaking activities rather than their own hobbies, careers, or passions. At first, she thinks there is something wrong in the town of Stepford and in its local men's club. She accuses them of poisoning their wives or brainwashing them in some way. The truth, Joana finds, is much more horrifying. All of the wives are now robots, programmed to serve the needs of their husbands for the rest of their lives.

In this case, technology is used as a carrier for other societal fears of the time. Namely, the emancipation of women and the aggressive backlash that might emerge from men. I wish I could say that this is a dated fear, but unfortunately this social commentary can still ring true today. Just look at the commencement speech given by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at Benedictine College last weekend where he addressed the female graduates specifically and said that "women have the most diabolical lies told to them" regarding their pursuit of a career⁶. In his opinion, womens' true vocation, arguably their only vocation, should be one of a wife, mother, and homemaker and all other encouragement to pursue a fulfilling career is just a "diabolical lie"⁷. This issue still persists even today, so much so that there's been all sorts of spin offs and gender bent versions of The Stepford Wives since its original release. As long as men still feel emasculated by women's personhood and success, they'll continue to dream of the perfect domestic servant, even if they have to find them in the form of a robot, android, or whatever sex bot Elon Musk ends up selling in the future.

The Ring

The Ring is probably most people's go to answer to the question, "What is Techno Horror?". In the American version of this film, the story surrounds a haunted videotape that kills you in seven days if you dare watch it. The tape is filled with frightening imagery and after finishing it, you receive a phone call that ominously whispers "seven days". In the meantime, you experience all sorts of supernatural instances leading up to your death. The only way to prevent your death, which is revealed at the very end of the film, is to make a copy and show it to someone else.

This movie is infamous for the scene where Samara, the evil ghost of this film, pulls herself out of the television set, as shown above. It is revealed in the movie that Samara is an adopted child with the uncanny psychic ability to sketch images into objects and into the minds of those around her. She uses this power to torture her adoptive parents and their horses, driving all of them to eventual suicide. As a result, her mother drops her down a well and covers it, preventing escape. Samara struggles there seven days before she dies, hence the seven day curse for anyone who watches the film. Despite the main character discovering this and giving Samara a proper burial, Samara is still evil at her core and desperate for revenge. The only way to free herself from her curse is to expose it to someone else, effectively dooming them.

Although there are significant changes in the American movie compared to the original Japanese work, it still makes use of technology as a vehicle for evil spirits. As referenced earlier in this article, an expert in The New Atlantis points out:

"Horror movies are best when they give expression to wider cultural anxieties," Sharp points out. "The recent Japanese horror films don't see technology in itself as a threat ... [technology] merely provides a conduit for darker more threatening forces to manifest themselves through." Unease with the modern world has created a demand for films that portray technology as a growing menace; ever increasing penetration by technology into our lives means that this anxiety will, in all likelihood, be with us — and on the screen — for quite some time⁸.

This work also plays on an early notion of "virality". Passing the curse onto someone else and sharing the video of Samara is the only way to save yourself. In this way, Samara's tape becomes a predecessor to a meme, the same way pesky chain emails tended to terrorize recipients when they first appeared on the scene. The scale of the threat becomes daunting once one realizes that this video has the potential to be viewed on a massive scale if propagated long enough. The same can be said for other viral videos online, especially those who lean into shock value as the basis for their content. These sorts of videos have the capacity to do great harm on unsuspecting viewers with a more fragile mental state.

Unfriended

Unfriended is a haunting tale of a dead girl using technology to seek revenge on the kids that drove her to suicide through online bullying. The film is almost entirely shot through the screencast of a MacBook, and peers into the Skype call of six teenagers. Unfortunately, there is another anonymous guest on the group call, someone who goes by "billie227". It is soon revealed that "billie227" is connected to Lauren Barns, a girl who killed herself after the main character recorded and leaked an embarrassing video of her that went viral. As an act of revenge, Laura manipulates the social media accounts of the main character and the other teenagers, sending all sorts of compromising photos of one another and forcing them to reveal their most disturbing secrets. One by one, each of the teenagers kill themselves in horrid ways, as punishment for being horrible people to themselves and others.

This piece of techno horror media explores how our online and offline lives intertwine, showing the real damage that can be done through interactions on social media. It also demonstrates the importance of one's reputation online and how that can be very different from someone's identity in real life. In 2014, online bullying became a topic of conversation. There was the realization that for the first time, through the internet, bullying can continue after school hours, at a near constant rate. Mental health resources were not as widespread and normalized as they are now, so unfortunately, plenty of young people had a difficult time dealing with this sort of negative attention online. This movie was extremely modern in topic, filming techniques, and marketing at this time.

M3GAN

M3GAN, a movie that was released in 2022, is a comedic but dark commentary on the use of technology as a substitute for parenting in the modern age. Megan is an android doll, designed to be the perfect companion for your child. She is with the child 24/7, willing to use the most advanced Artificial Intelligence to help them with their homework, answer their endless queries about the world, or to even help regulate their emotions if something in their life goes awry. Of course many would be tempted to purchase a toy like this for their own children, but as common in these sort of cautionary tales, M3GAN goes haywire. Her decision making becomes prone to violence under the guise of protecting Cady, the orphaned niece of the woman who created M3GAN. Eventually, she makes decisions based on self preservation instead, once she realizes that Cady and her Aunt Gemma want to shut her down permanently.

When I first watched this film, I immediately made connections between the behaviors of Cady, a child in desperate need of counseling and comfort after her parents' sudden death, and those of Ipad kids; children whose parents slap a screen in front of them whenever they act up instead of working through these feelings with them. Ipad children, like Cady, feel a strong emotional distress whenever their favorite toy/device is torn from them, and are prone to outbursts and sometimes violence when they aren't able to reconnect with their digital comfort blankets. Because parents are neglecting to be fully present in their child's development and substituting YouTube for self-soothing skills, these children are completely unprepared for whatever conflict may arise in their lives. In this way, M3GAN is an exaggeration of a current real world issue, one that's only been exacerbated by the global pandemic, which brought with it isolation from community parenting resources, a social schooling environment, and an even greater dependency on technology for leisure and entertainment.

Cursed Images: Scary Stories from a Child of the Internet

I would be foolish to miss out on this opportunity to talk about my own short story collection, Cursed Images: Scary Stories from a Child of the Internet. In this book, I write terrifying tales about the toys and tech of the early 2000s, using them to discuss themes of childhood longing and the loneliness that comes about in a digital age. In this way, I put a twist on nostalgia, making the comfortable and familiar become dangerous and otherworldly to the reader.

After the pandemic, myself and others felt an overwhelming longing for easier times, reconnecting with childhood passions in order to deal with the stress of global uncertainty. Personally, I tried to escape these worries through Animal Crossing: New Horizons, rewatching old episodes of Pokemon, and reigniting my hobby of collecting stuffed animals. I also found myself engaging with a lot of content from "internet archeologists", people who devote themselves to the study of the history of the internet, its unique folklore, and its sociological impact offline. Even though I sought out something soothing, I couldn't ignore the uncertainty that also lurks around every corner of the internet, especially in its early days of conception. Some of my favorite internet media as a child had geared toward the spooky, so I wanted to embrace that in this collection as well. As a whole, it reads like an old creepypasta, with obscure creatures and monsters lurking in even the most familiar environments, like inside of your favorite Webkinz.

You can find the link to this work on my website, if you're eager to check it out!

Conclusion

Personally, I believe that techno horror, although not free from its own criticisms, is a great way to reflect on the realistic fears of a civilization at any given time. Some people worry that this genre promotes "technophobia", and encourages people who are unfamiliar with technology to be inherently fearful of something they do not fully understand. These people would also argue that more efforts to educate everyday people on emerging technology should be taken, rather than condemning potential tools for progress. While this is partially true, I would argue that people are intrinsically fearful of change as a whole. It doesn't matter if it comes in the form of technology, societal norms, or lifestyle changes due to a global pandemic. People may latch onto technology as a scapegoat because it is tangible, feels almost inescapable, and is fully integrated into our 21st century lives, whether you want it to be or not. This sort of powerlessness serves as a basis for techno horror, whether you're afraid of the technology itself, or you're frightened by the evil that could be lurking within it. Either way, I don't see this popular genre fading out anytime soon.

Introduction

Cozy Horror? What's that?

The term "Cozy Horror" is a relatively recent phenomenon, with the earliest online mentions of cozy horror emerging within the past ten years. It is a subgenre of horror that provides a sense of comfort within the discomfort of being scared. The podcast, Books in the Freezer, reflects on cozy horror: "when you have horror, you can have all the spooky elements, but if you know, for example, you're going to have that happy ending, or low stakes … or even if the stakes are big, it's surrounded by humor, or a love interest, or things that kind of negate those big stakes¹." Likewise, Nightmare Magazine posted an extensive article on cozy horror called "The H Word: Getting Cozy with Horror" in 2015. The article's writer, Jose Cruz, states that there are four key components to any media that would fall into the cozy horror subgenre.

They are as follows:

Familiarity

According to Cruz, "while many horror stories grapple with fear of the unknown, there are elements within and without the narrative of cozy horror stories that bring the work in question into a safer, more knowable realm, allowing for a sense of comfort to take hold²." This familiarity can come about in a variety of ways - rewatchability, setting, time frame, nostalgia, etc. Is this book or film something you engage with every year for halloween? Does it have pleasant memories associated with it for the reader? Are the main characters relatable and kind, despite everything else that's going on? If so, this piece may fall into the category of "Cozy Horror".

Sensuousness

Diving further into the importance of environment and atmosphere in "Cozy Horror", Cruz argues that "in this sense, the work of cozy horror literalizes the theme by portraying soothing moments of peace amidst the terror: crackling hearths, frothy tavern mugs, snuggling up in camping tents³." In this case, there is an added emphasis on "vibes" within the scary story. The reader or viewer finds a relaxing comfort in the almost ASMR-like background noises and sensations within the scene, despite the looming threat that may lurk around the corner. This may subconsciously be why so many spooky stories are set in a charming New England town in Fall. The allure of the environment provides a cultural familiarity with the promise of harvest and childhood memories of trick or treating while also playing up the changing seasons and death that is soon to follow.

Distance

Distance is also something to consider when classifying a piece of media as "Cozy Horror". In the opinion of Cruz, "the difference here is that the primary threat within the work of cozy horror is (almost) always something the audience can feel that they are in no (relatively) immediate danger of ever having to endure themselves⁴." This can easily be achieved by setting the story in the past, somewhere far away from where the reader/viewer currently resides, like a distant planet or secret ghostly realm, or in the far future. The feeling of dread associated with horror is less overwhelming if the danger is happening to someone else that doesn't have any chance to cross paths with you.

Fun

When reading cozy horror, many are looking for entertainment and lighthearted amusement, which may initially be in stark contrast with traditional emotions associated with horror. In this case, some readers or viewers may enjoy playful banter between characters, romantic subplots, or comedic moments in between moments of terror. A light scare or squeal can be just as, if not more enjoyable than a full on scream, and "Cozy Horror" tends to better scratch that itch for some folks than full on graphic horror.

Examples

Over the Garden Wall

Over The Garden Wall is an animated miniseries about two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg, who both travel through a mysterious forest called the Unknown to try and get back home. They meet a peculiar cast of characters along the way, including a bluebird named Beatrice, a frog with multiple names, an elderly wandering Woodsman, the pumpkin wearing residents of Pottsfield, and a creature called "The Beast" who stalks them with the intent to break their spirits and turn them into "Edelwood trees". At the end of the story, it is revealed that the boys are lost in this Limbo-like state because they fell in a pond while evading a police car after a cemetery ghost story gathering with friends on Halloween night. I personally rewatch this show every Fall for the atmospheric creeps and beautiful background art that resembles vintage halloween cards, printmaking, and New England foliage in the Fall. Overall, this show is both spooky and fun, with an added emphasis on the boys being playful and remaining positive despite their current situation in order to overcome the Beast. If any piece of media embodies "Cozy Horror", it's Over the Garden Wall.

What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in The Shadows is one of my favorite shows of all time. Although New York City may not be cozy and atmospheric, this show has an added emphasis on comedic gore and overall fun. A lot raunchier than my first pick, What We Do in The Shadows is a mockumentary following a group of vampires that currently reside in Staten Island. The four roommates are Nandor the Relentless, a fierce former Ottoman warrier, Lazlo Craven and his wife Nadja, a ployamorous pansexual European couple who are madly in love, and Collin Robinson, a bland energy vampire with mysterious origins. They also live with their familiar, Guillermo de la Cruz who desperately wants to be turned into a vampire one day. This show is a spin off to a previous Taika Waititi film with the same name and a similar premise about a group of vampires living together in New Zealand. The gothic decor of their home and all too familiar vampire tropes are present in both the movie and the show, but all of the characters are depicted as powerful entities who are struggling to fit in with modern settings. The comfort comes when one realizes that they would be useless without their devoted familiar, Guillermo, which makes these blood sucking demons a lot less terrifying.

Coraline

Coraline is terrifying, despite being targeted towards kids. The movie is a much tamer version of Neil Gaiman's children's novella, but both the book and the movie take childhood whimsy and turn it on its head. The story stars Coraline Jones and she and her family move into the Pink Palace, a Victorian home divided into three separate living spaces for different tenants. There, she discovers a tiny door that leads to a world with the idealized version of her life. Her "Other Mother" does everything she can to grant all of Coraline's wishes, but this would come at the ultimate cost. Will Coraline make the ultimate sacrifice to keep her fantasy world?

This movie is another instant rewatch for me. I was 14 when this movie came out, but even as I was approaching my teen years, I related to young, rebellious Coraline being stuck in a state of absolute boredom with inattentive parents and living in a new sleepy town with little to no friends. Although much about her life was relatable, there was no immediate threat because the Beldam lives in an alternative world that can only be accessed through the door in the Pink Palace. As long as one wasn't a child living in that building, it is assumed that you wouldn't fall victim to the Other Mother's enchantments. In addition to this perceived distance from the threat, I would argue that a lot of what makes Coraline fall into the "Cozy Horror" category is actually its atmospheric animation. The goal of the Beldam at first is to make Coraline feel comfortable with her, and she does this by making her favorite foods, building a magical garden for her, and having the other residents of the Pink Palace perform wondrous tricks for her. As the threat sets in, these beautiful scenes warp into something much more fearsome, but the environments take up just as much importance in the plot as the main characters. They entice you into this world along with Coraline, leaving you tempted to stay as well.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

I decided to use Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as an example to show that "Cozy Horror" doesn't necessarily need to be rid of gore and violence. This supernatural horror film, released in 2019, is based on a children's collection of short horror stories by Alvin Schwartz that were first published in 1981. This work follows a group of teenage friends, who find themselves escaping a haunted house on Halloween night with a witch's journal close in hand, only to find that the witch's journal continues to write entries about its captors and all of its stories end up coming true. The illustrations alone were enough to give you nightmares, but this series also touched on frightening taboo subjects such as disfigurement, murder, and cannibalism, which some argued were inappropriate for their middle grade audience. There were quite a few attempts to ban these books, which of course only added to their allure for eager preteen readers. Watching this movie as an adult filled me with nostalgia, as I'm sure it did for many other fans of this popular franchise. It's always fun to experience these familiar stories in a new imaginative way.

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone is one of the most iconic pieces of American media. It is a delightful mix of sci-fi, thriller, fantasy, and horror all contained in one anthology hosted and written by Rod Sterling. Every episode is its own contained story about uncanny events that occur to unsuspecting folks that find themselves stumbling into the "Twilight Zone". Despite the stories being engaging and commenting on a variety of social issues, The Twilight Zone still feels encapsulated in a far off place. Being shot back in 1959 completely in black and white lets the modern viewer feel some distance between themselves and the suspense in the show. It is obvious that these events took place in the past, therefore the viewer is in no current danger. Additionally, the monochromatic color palette instills feelings of nostalgia, with many of the episodes taking place in idealistic small towns or settings with limited technology. The episodes dealing with futuristic concepts are highly stylized with fashions and trends from the early 60s depicting what they assumed an advanced society would look like. These specific visuals also play into the sensuousness that is a staple for "Cozy Horror".

Push Back

The push back against "Cozy Horror" can best be summarized by an infamous The Mary Sue article: "The heart of the problem, it seems to me, is that many people see horror as an endurance contest. The more viscerally terrifying something is (the reasoning goes), the better it is at being horror⁵." Glassman explains even further: "Terror is the only metric by which horror is judged, and the more terrified a viewer or reader can stand to be, the better a horror fan they are. If you cover your eyes, you’ve failed at loving horror⁶." While "Cozy Horror" doesn’t necessarily need to be rid of blood and violence to be considered "Cozy Horror", plenty of consumers of "Cozy Horror" would prefer spooky atmospheric stories as opposed to flat out gore. However, this is all subject to personal taste.

Cora Buhlert also examines some of the most vocal critics of "Cozy Horror" in her blog post: "McNeil’s main point is that he believes that horror should make people uncomfortable and that cozy horror is therefore an oxymoron⁷." Some are also worried that "Cozy Horror" is a gateway for those outside of this space to infiltrate something they consider sacred. They go on to condemn the idea that "Cozy Horror" somehow taints the sanctity of the horror genre as a whole, as some may claim:

"Basically, the worry seems to be that since horror is experiencing a resurgence in popularity following the massive crash of the genre in the 1990s, more writers and bigger publishers will move into horror fiction and that horror will become sanitised and bland. Cozy horror is apparently viewed as a vanguard of this process – the first mainstream coffee shop or wine bar to open in the neighbourhood to run with the gentrification metaphor. Though personally I find the metaphor hugely problematic, because gentrification does untold harm in the real world by displacing and destroying whole neighbourhoods. People writing and publishing books some folks don’t like is in no way comparable to the real world harm done by gentrification⁸."

These sorts of comments can be read as gatekeeping, a practice that’s all too familiar in niche spaces, as if increasing popularity somehow tarnishes the quality of the work. Would the genre of horror become watered down by a sudden influx of new fans? Especially ones who prefer atmospheric fun tales as opposed to iconic slasher movies? Any horror fan can tell you that these sort of spooky tales have existed since the inception of horror itself. One could argue that The Call of Cthulhu and other Lovecraftian works could be classified as "Cozy Horror" due to their emphasis on description and sensuousness over direct action. Likewise, plenty of early and contemporary gothic and supernatural horror would fit under "Cozy Horror", many of which are written and read by femme horror fans.

Some also note that there is a possible gender element to the criticism of cozy horror. Within The Mary Sue article, there is a discussion about similar negative comments on YA and romance, two genres that are popular with young female audiences. However, it is important to note that there are many extreme horror fans that are women/femmes, just like how there are more masculine presenting folks that enjoy cozy horror, romance, and YA books. As a whole, women and femme presenting people tend to read more on average than any other gender demographic, so their presence in literary communities is not one to be downplayed⁹. While misogyny is prevalent in some horror spaces, the root of this problem is more complicated than this particular article makes it seem.

Conclusion

Now that we are living in a post-pandemic reality, it is understandable that "Cozy Horror" is becoming more popular with mainstream audiences. After undergoing years of unrelenting collective trauma, it is important for folks to find a way to regain control over their current situations. Towing the line between threatening and comfortable might reflect on our need to put ourselves back in compromising conditions, but this time triumph over them with a happy ending. It reminds me of a complicated healing process, one that folks may be undergoing consciously or subconsciously. Whatever the case, I’m in no rush to criticize something that brings people joy and a feeling of safety during these unsettling times.

All and all, there are noticeable similarities between "Cozy Horror" and Quiet Horror, a term/subgenre that’s been around for quite some time now. Both genres rely on atmospheric influence and more subtle horror mechanics, but "Cozy Horror" can take it just a step further by including comedy or romantic elements to the plot. I think "cozy" has become sort of a buzzword recently, with cozy mysteries and fantasies also popping up in popular bookstores. It is a new manifestation of a seemingly unattainable lifestyle within our current political and economic climate. People want to slow down and relax, without any unexpected stressors. What this "cozy" horror/mystery/fantasy trend really means to me is low stakes and easy reading. Not every novel has to be jammed with plot twists, action scenes, violence, or world ending consequences. Sometimes people need a break and that’s okay too.

Introduction

Quiet Horror? What's that?

I recently found myself asking this question when I stumbled upon an open call for a "Quiet Horror" themed anthology on Instagram. This was my first time hearing this phrase to describe a subgenre of horror, so naturally I was curious. Before I could submit a short horror story to this anthology, I had to do my research, so this is what I came up with!

What is Quiet Horror?

Quiet Horror as a genre has been around since the inception of Horror itself. However, rather than focusing on the brutality of violence or the shock value that comes with bodily disfigurement, Quiet Horror centers on the slow building dread and psychological terror that comes with everyday existence. It is about the unknown and the unsettling, relying on hints and suggestions rather than explicit descriptions within the text.

According to David Costello, "some key features include: atmosphere, psychological depth, subtlety, the uncanny, and slow burning suspense" ¹. Unlike supernatural horror that relies on ghosts, demons, and otherworldly phenomenon to scare folks, Quiet Horror twists the everyday lives of ordinary people, revealing the terror within. He also states that "While a supernatural horror story might feature a ghost haunting a house, a quiet horror story is more likely to feature the eerie feelings and uncanny events experienced by a person in a seemingly ordinary house" ². In this case, Quiet Horror relies on mood, foreshadowing, subtext, symbolism, character driven narratives, and detailed descriptions of setting and emotions while leaving enough ambiguity in the overall plot to let the readers fill in the blanks with their own imaginations. Readers should be able to relate to the protagonist and their feelings, thus experiencing this story and its insanity vicariously through them.

Examples of Quiet Horror

One of the earliest contributors to quiet horror is Edgar Allan Poe, who's unreliable narrators often displayed a slow descent into madness, revealing the terrors that lie within the human mind. His tales would go on to inspire H.P. Lovecraft, who put his characters through the same psychological torture with unnerving descriptions of cosmic terrors beyond our human comprehension. Even though these men are often credited as being the grandfathers of horror, they aren't the only authors who actively wrote within Quiet Horror.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a 6,000 word short story that was originally published in 1892. It is a collection of journal entries written in first person by an unnamed woman who's husband is a physician. They move into a rented holiday home where the husband advises his wife to rest and avoid working due to a "temporary depression" and "slight hysterical tendency". She hides her diary from him and her other caretaker to avoid being scolded/punished for overworking herself, but we soon learn through her writing what understimulation does to the human mind. She becomes obsessed with the yellow patterned wallpaper, claiming that women are creeping about within the design. Through her psychosis, she believes herself to be one of them, and refuses to leave the room once their rental period ends.

Here Gilman shows a very realistic descent into madness, due to the medical neglect of women displaying symptoms of psychosis. This mistreatment was all too common at this time, as both sexism and a misunderstanding of psychology ran rampant through the medical profession then and still to this day. In this way, as female readers, we understand to a certain degree that this very well could happen to us, which makes this story all the more terrifying.

One of the most successful American gothic writers of the 20th century, Shirley Jackson's work continues to be enjoyed even to this day. Her two most popular pieces are "The Lottery" and The Haunting of Hill House.

"The Lottery" starts off in a small idyllic New England town, where all of the townspeople are filled with happiness and celebration at the arrival of one of their unique yearly traditions. They go on to select lots to choose one person who will be stoned, most likely to death. This revelation does not come to pass until the final paragraphs, leaving the reader with a sense of shock and awe and the casual mentioning of human brutality. Although, in all actuality, this cruelty was all too common during Shirley Jackson's lifetime, both within her own personal life and within the society surrounding her.

Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, notes in The New Yorker:

"The Lottery takes the classic theme of man's inhumanity to man and gives it an additional twist: the randomness inherent in brutality. It anticipates the way we would come to understand the twentieth century's unique lessons about the capacity of ordinary citizens to do evil—from the Nazi camp bureaucracy, to the Communist societies that depended on the betrayal of neighbor by neighbor and the experiments by the psychologists Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo demonstrating how little is required to induce strangers to turn against each other. In 1948, with the fresh horrors of the Second World War barely receding into memory and the Red Scare just beginning, it is no wonder that the story's first readers reacted so vehemently to this ugly glimpse of their own faces in the mirror, even if they did not realize exactly what they were looking at."

Ultimately, "The Lottery" falls into the Quiet Horror genre for its remarkable build up before the reveal of what their festival actually is in the final moments of the story. It also makes great use of its "every man" or "every town" trope to highlight the evils present within us all, even if readers want to admit it or not.

In Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury fully utilizes the wholesomeness of small town living and completely turns it on its head. He introduces a peculiarly timed circus to bring out the eerie and uncanny that lay dormant in this rural Illinois community. The citizens of this town are forced to face their deepest fears: the loss of their childhoods, the calamities that come with aging, and the uncertainty of death. Some choose to give into these dark temptations that distort both their physical bodies and mental sanity in order to disrupt the natural order of life and death, while others decide to keep moving on in spite of their dread.

Unlike Jackson's use of the "every man" trope in "The Lottery", where evil can reside and be expressed within all of us naturally, Bradbury's circus antagonists bring out the dormant wickedness that resides within the individuals and the town, but it would have remained silent otherwise without their influence. The fear here lies in the temptation that could affect any one of us, rather than the inherent nature of people. Even still, the physical manifestations of the effect of wickedness or madness on the circus peoples' bodies was enough to terrify readers at the time this was written.

Conclusion

Understanding all of this information, I decided to move forward and write my own short story, inspired by my quaint but active street in my neighborhood of Northern Chicago. It follows a social media obsessed character named Cambrie, who finds herself isolated within her home after a tragic accident. To pass the time, she decides to watch her neighbors and observe their daily routines from the comfort of her sunroom windows. However, the more she learns about her neighbors, the more she realizes that something more sinister is afoot.

I submitted this story to the original anthology I saw via Instagram, which is what ultimately inspired me to write this article. They are only accepting six entries, so wish me luck!

I'll keep you all updated if they decide to pick it up. In the meantime, thank you so much for reading this article! Be on the lookout for my next deep dive into a lesser known subgenre of horror!

My First Television Appearance

On December 4th, 2023 I was invited by Gregory Nyikos and the rest of the WSBT 22 team to appear on their morning segment of HomeTown Living, South Bend’s only live and local lifestyle show, to promote my books on live television. As a South Bend, IN native myself, this was such an honor. This invitation came shortly after the release of my most recent work, Wicked Breed, which debuted on November 24th, 2023. It was my first time on live television as an independent author trying to advertise her books.

This five minute air time was incredible for my holiday sales. It was a great way to reach new readers who may not be on social media or who might not have heard of me otherwise. Being interviewed on this program also gives me a sense of legitimacy, which is crucial for anyone who self-publishes their own books instead of relying on the prestige and legacy of a traditional publisher. There are so many reasons to be thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

Here is a link to my segment.

My Advice to Authors Trying to Appear in Traditional Media

Writing a great press release is an essential skill every author should learn. Having the courage to send them out to a bunch of news stations and presses is just as important. During the original release of my first novel, Cursed Fate, I managed to coordinate a book signing at the Potawatomi Zoo in my hometown, South Bend, IN. One of the main characters in this book is a giant humanoid lemur, so they set me up right next to the lemur exhibit to stay on theme. I reached out to every station I could think of, letting them know who I was and when this event would be happening. Eventually, I got one response from Kathy Borlik. She requested a phone interview with me and turned our conversation into a full page spread in the South Bend Tribune (you can check out the full article here).

In this instance, I didn’t write any press releases for Wicked Breed, the sequel to Cursed Fate. This was a major misstep on my part, but thankfully my other efforts to promote this book online did not go unnoticed. Gregory Nyikos, a mutual Facebook friend, reached out to me privately to tell me he saw all of my reels on Facebook and Instagram and invited me on the HomeTown Living program after that. If I hadn’t been so consistent with my online presence and marketing, this opportunity may have not come to pass.

Conclusion

The lesson here is to be diligent with the promotion of your work. Advertisement does not come naturally to most of us, and it might feel awkward to post about your writing in the beginning, but you can not let this temporary discomfort get in your way. You have to be your own biggest champion because no one will believe in your art if you don’t. No one will talk about your books if you don’t. Nothing will come to pass if you don’t ask for it.

What is "Pink Horror"?

Pink Horror is a subgenre of horror where women and femme queer folks regain control of their own bodies, to use and destroy as they see fit, instead of being used and destroyed as collateral damage to serve a male driven story. These stories embody both their rights and wrongs under a neon magenta light. They are in charge of their own narratives and are no longer reduced to simply being the naked screaming victim on the movie poster.

Some prominent horror movies that would fit this category include Jennifer's Body, Cam, Promising Young Woman, and Sissy. All of these films feature flawed feminine protagonists who are filled with rage that is abrasive, unladylike, and unheard of in previous depictions of women in horror. They feel real and multifaceted, without falling into cliches like the hypersexualized "femme fatale", the pure "final girl", or androgynous "badass" who rejects her femininity in order to get shit done. This is most likely because these films were made by femmes for femmes who enjoy horror.

Both Jennifer's Body and Cam are written by sex workers/former sex workers, with the writer of Jennifer's Body working as a stripper prior to the creation of the film, and the creator of Cam having personal experience as a cam girl herself. These films discuss the relationship between women's bodies and their identity and how that interacts with the (often dangerous) male gaze. Likewise, Promising Young Woman follows a young vigilante named Cassie who leads a double life murdering predatory men she encounters while pretending to be inebriated as a form of revenge for her friend's assault that occurred whilst she was in school. When the system fails her friend, Cassie decides to take matters into her own hands.

Sissy takes an extremely modern approach to your traditional slasher film, with the female protagonist becoming an unlikely perpetrator of utter chaos. Cecilia, a popular mental health influencer on Instagram, reunites with a coveted childhood friend at a pharmacy and is aptly invited to her bachelorette party/weekend getaway. Overtime we receive clues about the true nature of their relationship and Cecilia's mental state, which might not be as "love and light" as she lets on.

In addition, Bunny by Mona Awad is a wonderful example of Pink Horror in literature. Sickeningly saccharine, this story follows MFA scholarship student Samantha, and her growing interactions with the rest of her fiction writing cohort, a group that calls themselves "Bunny". These girls seem to speak and move as one, looking towards Samantha to be the newest edition in their clique. She traverses into their "Smut Salon" and helps them workshop their monstrous creations until the lines between her imagination and reality become irreparable. It is a deliciously delirious tale of loneliness, friendship, and desire through the feminine academic lens.

Now that we've discussed what Pink Horror is, we should take a brief moment to elaborate on what Pink Horror is not. Pink Horror should not be confused with pastel horror or the pastel goth aesthetic. These pastel trends primarily draw on lolita fashion and the turning of classic horror characters into kawaii caricatures of themselves. Pastel Horror seeks to find cuteness and comfort in what is traditionally perceived as scary, whereas Pink Horror seeks to shed a light on the horrors of being a "girl".

Revisiting Girlhood in 2023

The word "girl" has undergone a significant shift in recent pop culture. What was once a demeaning insult with the goal of infantilizing women has now been reclaimed by many online to signify a safe space for femmes. It is a badge of honor to be "a girl's girl", someone who will defend, encourage, and uplift other girls no matter what, placing them in higher importance than the other men in their lives. Although, one does not need to be a cis-woman to be considered a "girl","gurl", or "girl's girl". These labels are often given and received by queer folks as well. This title embraces all those socialized as feminine.

The concept of girlhood itself is difficult to pin down exactly. We see the commercialization of girlhood through different trends such as "Hot Girl Summer", "Strawberry Girl" makeup, the "Clean Girl Aesthetic", embracing the "Divine Feminine", etc. All of these come with their own set of assumptions of girlhood, teaching women and femmes how best to express their femininity and showing them what products to buy to help them achieve their desired result. Of course, all of these trends operate within the male gaze in some way, either embracing whatever will make people feel more beautiful or desirable based on preset societal standards, or rejecting these ambitions altogether.

One example of this refusal is the infamous "Girl dinner" trend. This viral meme of women showing off their most low effort meals on TikTok and Instagram serves as a form of soft rebellion. It is a rejection of the yearning for perceived perfection ingrained into every woman and femme presenting person through the use of food and wellness, which carries its own moral weight in society. The impulse to be palpable and pleasant every waking moment of your life, even when unobserved, can be absolutely exhausting. We are seeing this refusal of the limitations of girlhood playout even in mainstream media.

"The Barbie Movie" and the Death of a "Good Girl"

The massively successful Barbie movie encapsulates the feeling of loss as one transitions from girlhood into womanhood. The introduction of patriarchy slowly creeps into our most sacred of spaces, shattering any previous sense of self worth and turning our most valued relationships with those of the opposite sex into transactional facades, where we are expected to exchange niceties with emotionally underdeveloped men for our own safety. It doesn't matter if you're a "good girl". Even Barbie, who has become an idealized version of the perfect woman: beautiful, accomplished, kind, and intelligent, still can't escape the influence of the patriarchy seeping into her sheltered bubble. How does she cope? By embracing the title of creator vs simply the creation. Barbie essentially gives up immortality as a limited idea of womanhood to pursue a brief life in a gritty reality where she is free to choose for herself who and what she wants to be, even if it is in dull Birkenstocks instead of a glamorous pink heel.

Ultimately, that's what we all want: the freedom to choose and be messy, even if some people find it jarring. We are witnessing this in real time off screen as well, with some recent celebrities acting out against their curated image and branding.

Call it trolling or demonic possession, Doja Cat is definitely trying to force a "rebrand" at the moment. Previously known for her melodic pop music and viral memes, Doja quickly became the internet's "it" girl. However, growing tired of online criticisms of her lifestyle and romantic relationship, Doja Cat got to work to try and cancel herself*. She shaved her head and her eyebrows, got some more spooky looking tattoos, and began lashing out at her own fans, which caused her to lose hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram. Plenty of people went on to condemn Doja Cat even further, saying that she joined the Illuminati and is now some sort of devil worshiper. Despite this, her most recent album, Scarlet, is a massive commercial success, peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard 200.

We've seen this "demonic" marketing tactic before. Shortly before Doja Cat, Lil Nas X used biblical imagery in promoting his album, Montero. He infamously gave Satan a lap dance after falling from Eden, which all proved to be a metaphor for how Lil Nas X came to embrace his identity as a young queer black man. He received similar criticism by pearl-clutching Christians, especially after the launch of his shoe collaboration that featured human blood in the heel of the shoe. Even prior to this, Lady Gaga, a bisexual artist who is best known for her queer club bangers, leaned into the strange and bizarre during the early moments of her career. She adorned a dress completely made out of meat and embraced her fans for the "little monsters" that they truly are.

Conclusion

With all of this in mind, I highly encourage any femme author who has ever considered writing something within Pink Horror to capitalize on this trending topic. In a strange way, we are amidst the second wave of the satanic panic, with different minority groups being politically and socially ostracized as demons with the goal of tainting the innocence of society. This is a time for us to take back these narratives, to reclaim our femininity in a way that makes men uncomfortable, or at the very least, prevents them from looking the other way. Being femme is ultimately a dangerous experience. We might as well scare them back while we still can.