Haunting Fantasy vs. The Jump Scare
Were talking about our favorite spooky season shows and books here in our fantasy romance lovers' lair today.
Okay, my beautiful Monsters,
Today, I want to talk about the feels of the season were in. You know the eerie, chilling, sometimes cozy but always mysterious side of fall.
My daughter and her boyfriend—spiky books boy—those of you who have been with me for a while get the reference. If you know, you know. (If you don’t know, you can read my funny post on the subject here.) Any way, my daughter and her boyfriend went on a movie date last weekend. My daughter is a fan of horror films, so they decided to go see The Nun II. I am not a huge fan of horror, therefore it wouldn’t have been my pick, but I still wanted to know what they thought of it. My daughter gave it a big thumbs down, saying it was all a bunch of failed jump scares. Oh, well. It did get me thinking about the kind of movie I consider a go-to for that hair-raising chill we humans like this time of year.
Now, when I say I’m not a big fan of horror that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a long list of movies and creepy shows that I enjoy. I tend to lean more toward dark fantasy and look for scares that pack a punch in the area of storytelling. In other words, there has to be a plot for me to get into. I can handle gore. And the occasional jump scare still gets me if it’s done right, but the spookiest stories are the ones that live in my head for a while and make me think, “oooo, what if I was that character or what if I lived through what they did?”
How about you? Do you enjoy general horror books and films, or are you like me and tend to find spooky favorites that aren’t necessarily nestled in that genre?
Spookiness in Film
Prompted to stretch my memory for scary movies, I thought of these ones that, like I mentioned, lived in my head in a creepy way:
Stigmata - These kind of dark dramas, with supernatural happenings, are always spine tinglers for me. And Gabriel Byrne is perfect in this film.
Devil’s Advocate - Okay, I love the slow roll of creepiness in this one and, frankly, I think it may be the first time I ever took Keanu Reeves seriously. Now, I think he’s great! But up till this movie, I just never could get Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure out of my head.
The Changeling - This one I’ll always remember from my childhood for the lingering nightmares. Yeesh! If you really want a creeper feel, you could probably watch any of the movies from this era. All jokes aside though, this one is great and Gene Hackman is, as always, superb.
The Shining - As a Coloradan, I love the connection this film has to Estes Park. While the Overlook Hotel in the story is pure fiction, it was inspired by The Stanley Hotel. This site lives on in infamy as a top haunted hotel, attracting tourists and ghost hunters from all over.
Evil on Netflix - I feel like I might be the only person on earth that saw this show! I don’t know if the second season has come out or if it got relegated to the dustbin of shows that never mature into anything after one season. Buuut, this show is creepy as hellll! When I found it, I binged it. Trying to figure out all the various mysteries in this one really held my interest. I think the scariest episode had to be in the hospital. Because there’s nothing scarier than a Nurse Ratchet character in my mind, you know what I mean?
If you like good stories with elements of weird and shiver inducing themes, any one of these is worth the watch.
Some Fun Ones
Here are my family’s favorites that we watch together every year:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Disney version) and Young Frankenstein. No Halloween is complete without these two classic films! Do you have any feel good fall favorites?
Spookiness in Literature
As for books, I read so much in the pnr and fantasy genres that there are just too many to list that have dark themes. In the wild world of literature though, after the obvious Bram Stoker and and Mary Shelley, I’ve always loved writers like Washington Irving, Charlotte Bronte, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. These authors have a way of painting a picture with words that is deliciously on edge and haunting without necessarily trying to be. As far as autumn “feels” go, they have creating atmosphere and ambience down to an art.
What are some of your favorite books and shows to indulge in this time of year?
If you love dark fairy tales with haunting romance, you might like Odile, Legend of the Black Swan. This swan lake retelling is a great read for this time of year with it’s dark themes and scintillating romance. If you like seductively haunting books that smolder, this one will win its way into your heart.
Pale, cold mistress of the serpent’s lair, blood red lips and coal black hair…
Enter the world of the Black Swan, a dark and seductive tale where things are not always as they seem. Odile is the reviled villainess of Aarroughac, a castle inhabited by the evil wizard, Count Rothebart. After a sinister magic sweeps through the land and results in death, Odile is accused of the crime. Von Rothebart vanishes, leaving her to face the wrath of an entire kingdom alone until a mysterious stranger with powers of his own comes along.
With vengeance as his guide, Lord Azarus di Caspari hunts an ancient curse. When he crosses paths with the Black Swan of legend, he immediately makes up his mind to use the temptress’s magic for his own devices. But when Azarus learns that the story of the sorceress might not be true, disappointment gives way to desire. Spells are cast and secrets are revealed, but can love exist in the shadow of two dark hearts such as theirs?
Are the tales of the Black Swan true? Is she a murderess and an evil sorceress to be feared or is she the only thing standing between true evil and the fall of a kingdom? Only time will tell as the magical story of the Black Swan unfolds.
Odile, Legend of the Black Swan is a stand-alone fantasy, fairy tale romance inspired by the legendary ballet, Swan Lake.
Available where books are sold: https://books2read.com/u/3LVGLD
That’s all from me today, Book Monsters. Be on the lookout for my first installment of Who’s Afraid of the Sexy Villain coming out very soon, and join me next week to talk about iconic spooky romance characters. Till then, I wish you many spooky season adventures! As always…
Stay Magical and read lots of great books!
Amanda V Shane
Sisters of the Salt by Erin A. Craig. There are two so far, but they're basically standalones. Hoping she writes more!
You know, Maya and the Three has become a favorite during this season partly due to Hispanic Heritage Month and just the richness of the story. Aside from that, Neil Gaiman just always strikes the perfect note during the spooky season. I love horror movies but I truthfully haven't watched one in a long time that captivated or impressed me. Doctor Sleep was pretty good, though, and I think it might have been the last one.