Semi-Joking Thought About Halloween Entries

[Bamagan]

It's maybe a bit early to be thinking about Halloween, but I was thinking about genre-crossing tales, and how one of the most effective tools of horror is to take something familiar and twist it darkly. Like when UNICEF bombed the smurf village. So it got me thinking that it might be fun and horrifying to take an existing tale, especially one that's kind of romantic or sweet or innocent, and write an alternate ending or sequel where things go off the rails. Take the college sweethearts and put them on the island of Dr. Moreau or similar. Aliens or zombies or AI drones or demons or a virus or some other dehumanizing force starts spreading through the stories and it's only a matter of time until it reaches your old gems.
I could easily see this kind of plan turning off a lot of readers who don't care for horror and might not like having their memories of your best works tarnished in such a way. But in a sense, that would be highly validating for how effectively you horrified them, if they have to turn their heads until the darkness goes, so to speak.

 

[lovecraft68]

Its Halloween 24/7/365 in my head.

There's a comic book series Grimm's Fairy Tales which puts a darkish spin on classic fairy tales and other iconic stories like Three Musketeers, Alice in Wonderland, etc.

A few years ago, I wrote a short story based on the old Rudolph specials where the Bumble invaded Santa's village and gutted and ate all the elves, and Rudolph, Yukon, and Herbie were monster hunters stalking him for revenge.

I printed it out, folded it, and put in a Christmas card for my daughter who loved it and wrote a sequel to it.

That's father daughter bonding in my family

 

[Bamagan]

I've already been working on a re-imagined adult horror version of The Secret Garden. A little bit of Deadgirl, a dash of Pet Sematary, and a healthy dose of The Crazies.

That does sound interesting, although I think I probably didn't express myself clearly in my original post. I was more talking about the authors here taking one of their own stories, preferably something on the sweeter and more innocent side of their works (if such even exist, of course), and then turning that into something dark. Fans of the older work can then read and be aghast as the characters they loved become werewolves or sex zombies or drones or something. The author has already done the work of making some people care about the characters, so doing something horrifying to them should have an extra kick!
Or maybe just drive your fans away in disgust. Hard to say, haha!

 

[Bamagan]

Its Halloween 24/7/365 in my head.

There's a comic book series Grimm's Fairy Tales which puts a darkish spin on classic fairy tales and other iconic stories like Three Musketeers, Alice in Wonderland, etc.

A few years ago, I wrote a short story based on the old Rudolph specials where the Bumble invaded Santa's village and gutted and ate all the elves, and Rudolph, Yukon, and Herbie were monster hunters stalking him for revenge.

I printed it out, folded it, and put in a Christmas card for my daughter who loved it and wrote a sequel to it.

That's father daughter bonding in my family

Bumbles gonna bounce, I guess.
Alice in Wonderland started out pretty dark, albeit in an acid trip technicolor kind of way, so I'm guessing they didn't have to work too hard, haha!

 

[SimonDoom]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'd say go for it. Those who don't like horror won't read the story (if you put it in Erotic Horror), so I don't see a problem.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I like that. A slow seductive tale, sexy and fun and then in that post-coital bliss, she leans over to kiss him, then she tears his throat out and drains him of every drop of blood in his body.

 

[Djmac1031]

My first (and only, so far) Halloween entry was a dark comedy / parody horror piece called Night Of The Giving Head.

Three guesses what movie I (very) loosely based it on.

I like your idea; definitely plants a seed to think over for this coming Halloween.

 

[Bamagan]

My first (and only, so far) Halloween entry was a dark comedy / parody horror piece called Night Of The Giving Head.

Three guesses what movie I (very) loosely based it on.

I like your idea; definitely plants a seed to think over for this coming Halloween.

Night of the Bloody Apes?
Night of the Dribbler?
Night of the Chupacabra?

 

[Altissimus]

Like when UNICEF bombed the smurf village.

Wait, what?!

I was more talking about the authors here taking one of their own stories, preferably something on the sweeter and more innocent side of their works (if such even exist, of course), and then turning that into something dark.

Darker versions of my own already-dark works? That's pretty dark.

 

[Bamagan]

Wait, what?!


Darker versions of my own already-dark works? That's pretty dark.

UNICEF smurfs the Smurfs

 

[Bamagan]

Wait, what?!


Darker versions of my own already-dark works? That's pretty dark.

You could go the opposite route, maybe, and make them look bright and happy because some force is making them 'behave' and 'toe the line' while in their eyes you can see the screaming.

 

[Djmac1031]

while in their eyes you can see the screaming.

That immediately made me think of Ren & Stimpy:

 

[MillieDynamite]

I've already got my Halloween entry ready for the contest this year.

 

[Altissimus]

You could go the opposite route, maybe, and make them look bright and happy because some force is making them 'behave' and 'toe the line' while in their eyes you can see the screaming.

Both options appeal to me far more than is probably healthy.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It's maybe a bit early to be thinking about Halloween, but I was thinking about genre-crossing tales, and how one of the most effective tools of horror is to take something familiar and twist it darkly. Like when UNICEF bombed the smurf village. So it got me thinking that it might be fun and horrifying to take an existing tale, especially one that's kind of romantic or sweet or innocent, and write an alternate ending or sequel where things go off the rails. Take the college sweethearts and put them on the island of Dr. Moreau or similar. Aliens or zombies or AI drones or demons or a virus or some other dehumanizing force starts spreading through the stories and it's only a matter of time until it reaches your old gems.
I could easily see this kind of plan turning off a lot of readers who don't care for horror and might not like having their memories of your best works tarnished in such a way. But in a sense, that would be highly validating for how effectively you horrified them, if they have to turn their heads until the darkness goes, so to speak.

Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Acre Wood Chainsaw Massacre.

Em

 

[Djmac1031]

Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Acre Wood Chainsaw Massacre.

Em

Snow White And Seventh Circle Of Hell.

 

[Bamagan]

Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Acre Wood Chainsaw Massacre.

Em

You're referring to Blood and Honey, I presume?
The real question is, how can you take your tentacle porn and make it disturbing?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Snow White And Seventh Circle Of Hell.

My Little Rabid Pony

 

[EmilyMiller]

You're referring to Blood and Honey, I presume?
The real question is, how can you take your tentacle porn and make it disturbing?

My avowed aim was to make tentacle porn wholesome and cuddly.

Em

 

[AchtungNight]

My Halloween costumes stories are “Rekindled” (stalking of a vampire ScarJo by Joanna Dark) and “Counseling 3” (Gilly from the webcomic Dork Tower seduces her fellow gaming enthusiast Kayleigh at Brian Warner’s costume party). All characters were costumed actresses. Neither story was a contest entry. Both have earned critical acclaim and were fun.

 

[Djmac1031]

My Little Rabid Pony

The Little Mermaid VS Captain Ahab.

 

[Altissimus]

Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Acre Wood Chainsaw Massacre.

Em

I'm pretty sure the Conservative Party Manifesto already wrote this story in their Housing pledge.

 

[Bamagan]

Snow White And Seventh Circle Of Hell.

That actually sounds amazing, as Snow White fucks her way through Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Grumpy sex, in some order.

 

[Djmac1031]

My avowed aim was to make tentacle porn wholesome and cuddly.

Em

I suppose "tube filling" is a form of cuddling...if you look at it at a completely twisted way.

 

[Altissimus]

That actually sounds amazing, as Snow White fucks her way through Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Grumpy sex, in some order.

Presumably Sleepy would come last... or, perhaps, immediately before Grumpy.