Scare yourselves at home this Halloween
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/10/2020 (965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Fans of horror movies may be on to something. A recent study has found that they are dealing better with the pandemic than the rest of us are.
I prefer watching comedies and missed much of every horror movie I ever watched, as my eyes were screwed tightly closed during many of the scenes.
I usually shy away from horror or supernatural fiction but, with Halloween coming up, it seems like a good time to start a spooky novel. I have been meaning to read one of J. H. Moncrieff’s for a while, ever since I took her freelance writing workshop at Harvey Smith Library. The popular local writer has won some important awards for her supernatural horror/thriller books. Her work has been described by reviewers as early Gillian Flynn with a little Ray Bradbury and Stephen King thrown in for good measure. In 2016, she won Harlequin International’s search “for the next Gillian Flynn”.
If you go onto Moncrieff’s website and sign up for the hidden library, you can access free e-books, awesome writing tips, sneak peaks and other perks. She also sends out a weekly email with frightening stories set in mysterious places and more. The horror-theme website takes the reader along on her writing journey and puts the fun into being a horror and supernatural thriller lover.
There are some good indigenous writers in this genre too. David A. Robertson is of Swampy Cree heritage and lives in Winnipeg. His work has won numerous prizes including the Governor General’s Literary Award, in the young adult category, for his book When We Were Alone. As well as many beautifully illustrated graphic novels, he has written a YA horror trilogy called Reckoner, comprised of the books Strangers, Monsters and Ghosts. They are set in the fictitious Wounded Sky First Nation and follow a First Nations superhero and a coyote spirit named Choch. The books are a mix of thriller, sci-fi, super hero fiction and a coming of age tale. A graphic novel sequel called The Reckoner Rises: Breakdown is coming out soon.
Both these authors employ liberal amounts of supernatural and psychological suspense, coupled with likeable characters to draw you into their scary but fun reads.
It may be a subdued Halloween this year but yummy ghoulish treats paired with a chilling supernatural thriller or some hair-raising horror fiction is a great combination.
To dial up the horror level even more, you could always watch one of the many pandemic movies, such as Outbreak, Contagion or Quarantine — if you dare.
Anne Hawe
West End community correspondent
Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at annie_hawe@hotmail.com