The character above, Gunther, is the villain from the 1981 horror film The Funhouse. His features are explained in the movie as the result of birth defects.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines monster as “an animal of strange or terrifying shape,” “a threatening force,” and “a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty.”
Since
our earliest days, probably long before we could be called human, we’ve
been afraid of monsters – a sabretooth tiger, a fierce lightning storm, a
person infected with a terrible disease . . . A terrifying animal, a threatening
force, a deformed person. All monsters to our ancestors.
It
makes sense that our species was – and still is – afraid of physical and mental
differences. In nature, these differences could indicate the presence of
disease or, in the case of injury, a danger that could befall us as well. And our
ancestors likely viewed these differences as a sign of the gods’ disfavor, or
perhaps an indication that the afflicted had been cursed by evil powers. Modern
humans know better (or at least we should), but subconsciously, these primitive
reactions are still part of us. This is why physical and mental differences can
be so effective in creating villains and monsters for stories. But this also
means that if we portray physical and mental differences as dark and evil in
and of themselves, we’re perpetuating ableism.
Not
sure what ableism is? According to the Center for Disability Rights, Inc., “Ableism
is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people
with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the
assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.”
And in Horror stories, a monster can be fixed (for example, a werewolf can be
cured), but usually it’s defeated, which most often means it’s killed (but may
come back to life for a sequel).
I’m
focusing on ableism in Horror in this entry because it’s the most pervasive type
of Othering in the genre. Ableism in Horror goes back thousands of years in
myth and folklore, and because it is so pervasive, people have come to
view it as normal for Horror. People don’t think twice when Jason Vorhees’ hocky
mask is knocked off and his deformed face is revealed. Jason is a monster, and
monsters are supposed to be ugly, right? But much of what I write about here
can be applied to any type of Othering in Horror: tropes based on sexism,
racism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, etc. – as well.
Social
media has helped create awareness of so many harmful tropes in fiction – which is
a good thing – but it’s also resulted in confusion and uncertainty for writers.
If ableism in Horror is bad, then shouldn’t we avoid portraying any
threatening/villainous/monstrous force as physically or mentally different? Shouldn’t
all disabled characters be portrayed positively? (The same questions apply to
any type of Othering trope.) People want so much to do the right thing, and
because of this, they want clear-cut rules to tell them exactly how to do it.
But it’s easy to take the concept of avoiding “bad” in art to the point where
no negativity of any sort – including story conflict or physically or
emotionally difficult things happening to characters – should be avoided. But if
we make our stories too nice, too safe, they won’t be interesting for readers,
and they won’t help readers engage with the darker aspects of existence that we
all need to come to terms with in this life (something that Horror is
especially good at). I think Horror writers need to find a way to balance
writing about the monstrous with not being ableist as much as we can while
still telling an interesting, impactful horror story. Each of us have to decide
what that balance is for us, and often it may be different from one story to another.
So
let’s talk about ways to avoid ableism in Horror while still being able to
write stories about the monstrous.
Fear
of the Unknown
Horror
relies on fear of the Unknown. If something is known, even if it’s a threat, it
can be understood, dealt with, and conquered. But if something is unknown, it can’t
be understood, at least not easily. We don’t know what it is, what it can do,
what it wants, or how to stop it. The Unknown equals uncontrollable, and loss
of control is at the heart of Horror.
Fear
of the Other, of Difference
Horror
also relies on fear of the Other. The Other is anyone or anything different
than you are. Technically, anything living that’s NOT you can be classified as
Other. The Other’s background, beliefs, motivations, moral code, and abilities
are all unknown, and because of this, we don’t know how to regard or deal with
the Other.
In
Horror fiction physical and mental distortion are regularly viewed as monstrous
in and of themselves. As I said earlier, this attitude goes back to some of the
most ancient beliefs of our species, when disabilities, injuries, and illnesses
were thought to be punishments inflicted by the gods, and people with mental
illness were viewed as possessed by demons. In children’s fairy tales, heroes
are beautiful, villains and monsters ugly. In these outdated views, one’s outer
form mirrors their inner nature.
Examples
of Ableism in Horror
They’re
everywhere: Frankenstein’s Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, burn
victim Freddy Krueger, the physical distortion of Jason from Friday the 13th,
the zombie virus, the disease in Cabin Fever, many Disney villains, the
urban legend of the maniac with the hook hand, and the thousands of violent,
depraved mentally ill killers – who often have physical deformities as well –
slashing their way through fiction and film.
Must
Horror Inevitably be Ableist?
No.
While fear of the Unknown and the Other might rise from our own prejudices and
discomfort (or through observing those of others), how we present these
elements in our fiction to readers and viewers doesn’t have to perpetuate
harmful stereotypes. But we don’t have to avoid the monstrous in our work. There
is power in fear of distortion and fear of the Other. We don’t want to give up
this power, but we can try to find more responsible – and creative – ways to
use it.
How
to Write the Monstrous Without Being Ableist
These same
techniques can apply to any harmful Horror trope based on fear of the
other/fear of distortion, not just those related to ableism.
·
Interrogate your own feelings about physical and
mental differences.
Don’t beat yourself up for having any ableist attitudes. You’re only human. But
do your best to keep such attitudes from influencing your work in ways you
might not be aware of. Make a list of physical and mental differences that
bother you. Be honest. You don’t ever need to share this list with anything.
And once you have a list . . .
·
Reread some of your previous stories and look for
signs of ableism. In
my story “Voices Like Barbed Wire,” I included a character who had a port wine
stain on her face. The skin was pulsing, an indication that something wasn’t
right in the environment. I included this character because I saw someone like
this the day I was drafting that scene, and sometimes I toss random things I’ve
observed into my fiction. Now I would change the description – and the color of
the facial mark – to avoid naming it as an actual physical condition (which I did
when including the story in my collection Dark and Distant Voices.)
·
Ask yourself why a character needs to be physically or
mentally different.
Does it serve the story? Will it perpetuate harmful stereotypes? If so, can you
think of a different way to present that character that will still create the
effect you want without being ableist?
· Can you find a way
to subvert the trope of physical or mental distortion, subvert reader
expectation? The
simplest way I do this, especially with mental illness, is to remind readers
that the vast majority of mentally ill people are no harm to anyone but
themselves. I also give mentally ill characters a specific, individual reason
for their mental illness, such as a traumatic event they experienced earlier in
their lives. I don’t think of them as mentally ill at all, but rather dealing
with the aftereffects of an experience they had. You can also make a character
who’s physically or mentally different the hero of your tale. In “The Backward
Walking Man,” which appeared in the anthology Heroes of Red Hook, my main
character is a young, high-functioning autistic man who’s a math savant. His
mathematic skill is what allows him to ultimately defeat the Backward Walking
Man, who’s attempted to unmake reality.
· Dial up the
monstrousness. Exaggerate
physical and mental differences to the point where they’re no longer realistic.
Slender Man isn’t just thin. He’s extremely thin, extremely tall, with
extra-long arms, and a featureless face. I doubt anyone would regard Slender
Man as an ableist take on a human whose body is much thinner than average.
· Make the
monstrousness unique. Instead of making your monstrous character overweight
or wear a prosthesis or have an alternate personality, come up with something
different. What if the character’s skin, muscles, and organs disappear whenever
they exhale, leaving only their skeleton visible, and their body becomes fully
visible again when they inhale? It’s a cool, creepy, body horror effect, but
without any analogue in real life.
·
Can you find a way to balance the monstrous with
realism and empathy?
Frankenstein’s Monster is the best example of this. Not of scientific realism,
of course, but emotional realism. The Monster is a rejected, abandoned, neglected
child, and while we don’t approve of the horrific revenge it takes on its
maker, we understand why the monster does what he does, and we can empathize.
A Final Word
We
don’t have to sanitize our Horror so it’s safe and inoffensive, but as
responsible artists, it’s important to avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes
in our work. By doing so, we can also avoid clichés and can make our work more
powerful and more interesting. You need to decide for yourself how to approach presenting
the monstrous in your fiction, of course, but I hope I’ve at least given you
some things to think about when it comes to dealing with ableism in Horror.
Resources
for Further Learning
“The
H Word: Mental Health, Ableism, and the Horror Genre” by Evan J. Peterson. https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/the-h-word-mental-health-ableism-and-the-horror-genre/
“The
Monster in the Mirror: On Horror, Disability, and Loving Both at Once” by Emily
Foster. https://www.tor.com/2016/03/15/the-monster-in-the-mirror-on-horror-disability-and-loving-both-at-once/
Writing
the Other: A Practical Approach by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward. https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Other-Conversation-Pieces-8/dp/193350000X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690992558&sr=8-1
DEPARTMENT
OF SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION
New
Book on Writing: Let Me Tell You a Story
I’ve written a new volume in the Writing
in the Dark series for the good folks at Raw Dog Screaming Press! It’s
called Let Me Tell You a Story, and it’s scheduled to come out sometime
this Fall. No cover to share yet, and preorder links aren’t available, but I’ll
be sure to let you know when they are.
Here’s a description of the book from
RDSP’s website:
In Tell Me a Story Waggoner
presents stories from his own publishing career and uses them to illustrate
techniques and point out ways to improve. “In both Writing in the Dark
and Writing in the Dark: The Workbook, I included a short story of mine
and critiqued it based on the principles outlined in those books. Readers
responded well to this feature, so I decided to focus a new book on critiquing
stories drawn from throughout my career, discussing what worked, what didn’t,
and what I might do differently if I had the chance to rewrite the stories. I
hope readers will find Let Me Tell You a Story to be as interesting –
and most importantly as useful – as its predecessors.”
There are fourteen stories in the
book, five of which have never been reprinted after their initial appearances.
Lord
of the Feast
Cover Reveal
Synopsis:
Twenty years ago, a cult attempted to
create their own god: The Lord of the Feast. The god was a horrible,
misbegotten thing, however, and the cultists killed the creature before it
could come into its full power. The cultists trapped the pieces of their god
inside mystic nightstones then went their separate ways. Now Kate, one of the
cultists’ children, seeks out her long-lost relatives, hoping to learn the
truth of what really happened on that fateful night. Unknown to Kate, her
cousin Ethan is following her, hoping she’ll lead him to the nightstones so
that he might resurrect the Lord of the Feast – and this time, Ethan plans to
do the job right.
Order Links
Flame Tree Press Paperback and eBook: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/lord-of-the-feast-isbn-9781787586369.html
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-the-feast-tim-waggoner/1143636012?ean=9781787586369
Barnes & Noble eBook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-the-feast-tim-waggoner/1143636012?ean=9781787586376
Short Story in the Current Vastarien
My story “Faithful Friend and Companion” appears in Vastarien vol 6 issue 1, which is out now. This is my second appearance in Vastarien, and I’m thrilled to be sharing a table of contents with such wonderful writers as Brian Evenson, Christi Nogle, S.P. Miskowski, and more. Shipping and handling for physical copies is free worldwide and Kindle/ePub editions are pay-what-you-can.
Order Link: https://grimscribepress.com/issues/
Shakespeare Unleashed Out Now
Order Links:
Amazon
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Unleashed-Book-2/dp/1946346195/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690770272&sr=1-10
Amazon
Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Unleashed-Book-2/dp/1946346187/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690770272&sr=1-10
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shakespeare-unleashed-james-aquilone/1143565745?ean=9781946346193
Barnes & Noble Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shakespeare-unleashed-james-aquilone/1143565745?ean=9781946346186
Short Story in Unioverse: The
Reconvergence
Synopsis
In the year 2145 AD, Malcolm Orion,
destined to go down in history as the Brave Traveler, made his historic jump
through space, launching his consciousness across the universe. His arrival at
an abandoned space station reawakened the Masson Zero—a vast system of
instantaneous travelways connecting innumerable worlds, many inhabited by
sentient life.
Now, centuries later, worlds long
isolated from each other are once again connected. This anthology presents
tales of this reconvergence. Set on richly imagined planets scattered across
the cosmos but linked once again by near-instantaneous travel, these stories
introduce you to characters—human and otherwise—navigating love and loss,
alliance and intrigue, violence and betrayal, and, most of all, the joys and perils
of exploration and scientific discovery. Accept the invitation. Step into a
transpod of your own and slip through the Mass-O. You never know where you’ll
end up.
Order Links
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Unioverse-Stories-Reconvergence-Kevin-Anderson/dp/B0CC3TJL6R/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1691007501&sr=8-1
Amazon Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Unioverse-Stories-Reconvergence-Linda-Addison/dp/B0CCC2SMK6/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1691007501&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unioverse-joshua-viola/1143743454?ean=9798986219400
Barnes & Noble Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unioverse-joshua-viola/1143743454?ean=9798988082774
Scheduled
Appearances
Beyond the Book Festival. Sept. 30th.
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Starke County Public Library. Knox Indiana. For more
info: https://scpls.org/beyond-the-book
Butcher Cabin Bookfest. October 18th.
5pm – 10pm. Pivot Brewing, 1400 Delaware Ave, Lexington, Kentucky.
Scarelastic Book Fair 2: March 2nd.
12pm – 6pm. Scarlet Lane Brewing. 7724 Depot Street, McCordsville, Indiana.
StokerCon 2024. May 30th to
June 2nd. San Diego, California.
Where
to Find Me Online
Newsletter Sign-Up: https://timwaggoner.com/contact.htm
Website: www.timwaggoner.com
Blog: http://writinginthedarktw.blogspot.com/
YouTube
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/timwaggonerswritinginthedark
Bluesky: @timwaggoner.bsky.social
Twitter: @timwaggoner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.waggoner.9
Instagram: tim.waggoner.scribe
Substack: https://timwaggoner.substack.com/
Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/twaggon1?subscribe
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