Course on Horror

[Uncle Shags]

I'm going to be teaching a college class in the fall, and get to design it from scratch. It's basically a freshman writing course. The idea is to get a class of brand new freshmen to write about a topic, then critique it and get them ready for college style writing, presentations, research, etc. The topic isn't important, it is just the vehicle to get them to write. I was encouraged to be creative. So I got together with my partner (it's co-taught) and we came up with this as the course description:

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Monsters in the Mainstream: An examination of vampires, zombies etc. as lenses on our modern lives.

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
— Friedrich Nietzsche

We live in a world of monsters; real and imagined. Some of them we encounter in our daily lives and others lurk in the shadows of our imagination waiting for us to drift off into sleep. Some monsters such as recently deceased Osama Bin Laden have been bogeymen in the collective consciousness of an entire generation of young people. Other monsters such as Twilight’s Edward Cullen become romanticized and humanized into pop culture idols. What can we learn about what it is to be human from these examples of inhumanity? What do they tell us about the worlds we live in and the contents of our minds? How can we improve the quality of our own lives through their experience?

In this course we will explore the realms of Vampires, Zombies and other monsters through contemporary and historical literature and film. We will examine the places monsters come from and what they tell us about our society, psychology, and spirituality. Along the way we will strive to define what it means to be a human being living in our modern age.
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Pretty awesome huh?! I must admit, my partner wrote it. It was my idea, but he obviously is a fantastic writer, so he took the lead on getting it on paper. It sounds friggin' bad ass to me.

So, I have all summer to prep for the class. I have several hundred dollars to buy course materials. What I need to do is come up with a list of themes that will be addressed and the actual material the students will be viewing/reading. It can be movies and/or books.

I have some ideas already, but I figured you guys would be a good bunch to brainstorm with. So, based on the course description, does anyone have any ideas that fit with what we are trying to do with the class?

[Slamz]

I like it. As we discussed in the thread about The Walking Dead, it's often less to do with the monsters and more to do with the humans. The monsters are just a tool for the story.

It also helps if you want a story that's more focused on the main "good guy" characters. You don't have to spend a lot of time developing the character of, say, Sauron, turning him into a complicated individual with wants and needs. You just paint him as Fucking Evil and get on with your main plot. LOTR is not about Sauron. It's about a group of, essentially, people, who are trying to overcome various obstacles, both internal and external.

You could also say that most fantasy characters are really just taking particular facets of humanity and exaggerating them. Dwarves tend to be humans with exaggerated confidence and grumpiness. Elves tend to be humans with exaggerated confidence and arrogance. Both tend to be portrayed as lacking the mental flexibility of humans, usually to their detriment. It's kind of like an argument for a mental "Goldilocks zone" -- humans are not too hot and not too cold. We are just right for long term survival. Dwarves, elves, goblins, orcs, etc, are almost always portrayed as having a basic sort of humanity, but with features that take them outside of the Goldilocks zone, generally turning them into a "dying race" for one reason or another.



I've also always liked the G.K. Chesterson quote: "Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman have both echoed and expanded on this sentiment as well. Pratchett in particular explained that every child grows up knowing that monsters are real. It's fairy tales that teach them that monsters can be beaten, with "monsters" basically being a metaphor for all sorts of challenges and problems.

[Vllad]

Monster history for humans go back to the things we were affraid of in the dark while still living in caves. They stem from superstitions further developed and explained by religion as we evolved. The basis of most of the current day monsters find their roots in basis on religions concepts of hell. Religious institutions used these even further to drive more people to their faith. This eventually developed monsters that come or are influenced by Santan and hell. Not only Dante's hell but all hell stories is where the Vampire, Zombie, Wraith and Demons are born.

The question for today is what has become of such monsters now that we live in a modern world that explains so much. Monsters are now just entertainment or are they?

The best Sci Fi book ever written was such story. It is by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It is called "Inferno"


It is about a Science Fiction writer who dies and actually goes to hell. Quite a rude awakening when an athiest wakes up and find himself in Hell. When the Sci Fi writer finally figures out where he is or may be he tries to escape hell using Science from the modern world as his weopons.

It is a great book that blends the world of the superstitious and the world of science. If you want to show the parrellels of the old and new all in one story and use it as a header to the human pyschy etc I can't think of better material. It has everything for every student including all the monsters "human and demon" a like.

Their was also a sequel called "Escape from Hell" but it wasn't quite as good as the original but certainly more modern.


If nothing else I can promise you that story will give you tons of material for your class.


Vllad

[grizzle]

As a fiction writer (degree in English, creative writing), filmmaker, photographer, voice actor, fanatic of the horror genre, lover of all that is new and creative and pushing new boundaries, hater of the Hollywood machine and the regurgitated/remakes, I have many extreme opinions on the topic and material you are addressing.

I like the sounds of quite a bit of your post, but also am very turned off by some of it.

But, before I drop into lengthy and deep opinions, tell me what you are really wanting to do with the class. (I don't want to complain about aspects of the class not fulfilling my personal wants if the class wasn't intended to cover those issues) Here's your class tagline:

"Monsters in the Mainstream: An examination of vampires, zombies etc. as lenses on our modern lives."

So, my first question would be: Vampires, zombies, etc., are overused monsters - introduced and used quite a bit in legacy films, and overused and heavily focused upon in contemporary films and books. Are there honestly any new examinations of these enormously stereotyped, overly reused, and heavily documented monster-types that you can teach kids that they haven't already discovered for themselves from the internet?

Again, I am very excited for you and the class, so please don't mistake my questioning as pessimism towards the class. I really hope it's a hit for you guys!

[Uncle Shags]

Thanks for the posts guys, I knew I'd get some good ideas here. Great ideas Slamz, and I will read that book, Vladd.

So, my first question would be: Vampires, zombies, etc., are overused monsters - introduced and used quite a bit in legacy films, and overused and heavily focused upon in contemporary films and books. Are there honestly any new examinations of these enormously stereotyped, overly reused, and heavily documented monster-types that you can teach kids that they haven't already discovered for themselves from the internet?

Well, it's a writing class. So that is the major goal. Most kids show up at college barely able to write a complete sentence. Getting them interested so they get shit on paper to be critiqued is number one. Beyond that, I'm hoping we can discuss ideas that are used in horror and relate it to their own lives. For instance, Slamz' idea of humanity as a balance and monstrosity as the lack of it is something we can really get into. Any time we can find a horror theme and apply it to the real world I think we will be happy. Will we occasionally talk about some basic stuff that many of the kids have already thought of and know a lot about? Probably. I hope so. Maybe it'll get their geeky asses to speak up in class instead of sitting there with their thumb up their butts.

What is it that curdles you again? Vampires and zombies, because they are popular? My thinking is that those have to be looked at exactly because they are so popular. Why are they are so overused? What is it about the ideas they represent that keeps bringing them back into popularity? And I also wonder, if the ideas they represent are so well known and hold no value, then why do they keep resurfacing?

And we will definitely get into more than just vampires and zombies. I'm not sure how we'll structure the class, but I am assuming they would just be a week of class each. I am personally a bit obsessed with werewolves, so that's going to make it in for sure. Are there any particular monsters you think would work well for our purpose?

It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into it, so any suggestions you have would be awesome. Do you know of any good books that specifically deal with the themes and analogies used in horror and depictions of monsters?

[OrsunVZ]

sounds like a fun course, but do you seriously classify Twilight as horror? If you are talking horror, go the HP Lovecraft route. Not only is the author a genius, but the books are amazing. Introducing a class load of kids to that would be pretty awesome.

[Slamz]

Good call on HP Lovecraft.

Not only are his monsters non-traditional but his writing style is interesting as well, and lends a lot of credibility to the story, so it's all the more terrifying when something horrible happens.

Plus almost everything he's written is a short story, so could be handled pretty easily in a class. I haven't read any of his stuff in a long time or I'd try to recommend a particular good one to start with...

I would say, really, Lovecraft is less about exploring humanity through monsters and more about exploring the borders of insanity.

[Zouji]

The longest stories Lovecraft wrote would be considered to be a Novella.

This site has all of his stories (that have not been lost) plus lots of other things about him.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hplovecraft.com/">http://www.hplovecraft.com/</a><!-- m -->


If you want a more modernish format of the Lovecraftian universe then check out the following two webcomics. Both are good. Both stay trueish to the Lovecraftian style.

Watcher of Yaathagggu
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.noodlyappendage.com/watcher/?p=42">http://www.noodlyappendage.com/watcher/?p=42</a><!-- m -->

Lovecraft is Missing
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://lovecraftismissing.com/?p=930">http://lovecraftismissing.com/?p=930</a><!-- m -->

[Zouji]

One thing about Lovecraft though. If you have a real imagination you will find his stories to be very scary/disturbing. If you don't have an imagination then you will just think his stories are stupid.

[Uncle Shags]

do you seriously classify Twilight as horror?

Hell no, and we won't be reading or watching the movies either. It's in the description to show how mainstream it's become. I would think that we may talk about the trend towards "fruity vampires" which Twilight is part of, but I will make sure to discuss it with barely veiled disdain. 8)

[Zouji]

Twilight is horror in that if you forced someone to watch it repeatedly then they may start stabbing people in the face. I don't know if getting stabbed in the face would be an improvement over having to watch Twilight.

[Dharus]

Very interesting topic.

I agree with a lot of what the group has mentioned. You really have a lot to play with... you could easily start with getting the students involved by having them write on which type of monster they like and why. I'm sure the Twilight sterotype will be the students choice. I hate to say it but you could even put them into "teams". Then go over each type and how they've changed over time through various books/writings revealing each type/groups meaning and subconscious appeals/fears. Typically most of the monster stories follow the tradition man vs man, man vs himself, and man vs nature idea. In the end you could tie it into a biographical writing on why their choice appeals to them... I don't know... that might be a bit personal.

Anyways, I'm a science guy. Creative writing was always a struggle.

[OrsunVZ]

Twilight is horror in that if you forced someone to watch it repeatedly then they may start stabbing people in the face. I don't know if getting stabbed in the face would be an improvement over having to watch Twilight.

Awesome. This made me laugh.

[Uncle Shags]

Just got back from a three day conference on this. Other than the skeeters it was pretty awesome. The school owns one of the "great camps" on Saranac Lake and it's pretty posh. And I like hanging out with weirdo academics and getting into crazy conversations.

But as far as the class goes, I'm a bit overwhelmed as to the scope of what I got myself into. In addition to the monster/horror content, the other subject areas to be covered are: advising and course scheduling, communication skills (oral and written), grammar, freshman year experience type shit, how to be a decent human being (it's a liberal arts school) and interpersonal skills (all 35 of them are living in the same building, yeah for drama!). On top of that I am team teaching with someone I just met and after three days together I am questioning our rapport, I have very limited teaching and grading experience, and the course is going to be designed (by me...) from the ground up in the next month and a half.

It'll turn out fine, but right now it seems a bit daunting.

[Zouji]

it's a liberal arts school

Better add how to use the "fancy coffee machines" at Starbucks, because that's where the majority of them will be working once they graduate with a liberal arts degree.

[Moristans]

Kind of reminds me of this lengthy discussion I got into with my Post-Grad advisor about how Star Wars was Fantasy, not Science Fiction. Really, it was more of a diatribe from him than a discussion because I stopped caring about five minutes into it.

I guess the first thing to do, in all seriousness, is at least set the parameters for what you will accept as a monster if you can't outright define what a monster is for the purposes of you class.

[Uncle Shags]

I guess the first thing to do, in all seriousness, is at least set the parameters for what you will accept as a monster if you can't outright define what a monster is for the purposes of you class.

This would be a funny dicussion. Slide showing a picture of a bunny. Not monster. Slide showing the bunny with sharp teeth. Monster.

[Vllad]

I guess the first thing to do, in all seriousness, is at least set the parameters for what you will accept as a monster if you can't outright define what a monster is for the purposes of you class.

hah, this is a great point.

Like "good looks" it is in the eye of the beholder. What constitutes a monster? To me monsters aren't Vampires and Wolfman, those are entertainment.

Mosters to me are Joseph Stalin and Dean Corll.

You might want to establish a head of time to avoid this kind of debate.


Vllad

[Jakensama]

it's a liberal arts school

Better add how to use the "fancy coffee machines" at Starbucks, because that's where the majority of them will be working once they graduate with a liberal arts degree.

Funny how, in my circle of undergrad friends, most of my friends who did lib arts degrees are making more money than my friends with engineering degrees.

sounds like a fun course, but do you seriously classify Twilight as horror? If you are talking horror, go the HP Lovecraft route. Not only is the author a genius, but the books are amazing. Introducing a class load of kids to that would be pretty awesome.

Jesus christ, you know how hard it is to get freshman to read things when you don't have to deal with an unecessarily dense writing style that tosses in a bunch of obscure words at kids? As someone who has graded freshmen papers and TAed, I wouldn't hold my breath on them following an author that uses terms like cacodemonical..

Shit I enjoy Lovecraft and sometimes even I can't stomach his crappy writing.

[Uncle Shags]

You might want to establish a head of time to avoid this kind of debate.

I'm thinking debate will be a good thing.

[Vllad]

You might want to establish a head of time to avoid this kind of debate.

I'm thinking debate will be a good thing.

It could be but your class is supposed to be about monsters, not what constitutes a monter. I suppose you could let students explore that on their own then let them write or talk about their own monsters?

I know if I was in your class I would be debating the only monsters today are the Dean Corll's of the world. Monsters (Vampires etc) today are bubblegum.


Vllad

[Zouji]

30 Days of Night had very non-bubblegum vampires. But, as a whole Vampires are more or less the happy friendly monsters of today. However Zombies are still zombies at least. They have actually become more freaky over the years.

Also for Horror movie soundtracks 30 Days of Night is by far the creepiest soundtrack I have ever heard. Try falling asleep with that soundtrack on loop and you will have some very ... interesting dreams.

[Vllad]

30 Days of Night had very non-bubblegum vampires.

Just the fact that it is used for entertainment purposes makes it bubblegum by default.

I think you miss the entire point of Monsters or the history of monsters.

Monsters were real to people at one time. Not something you watch a movie and have a bad dream about. Monsters once filled the hearts of man with real fear and were not some form of entertainment to pass the time.

Tell me, what would scare you more, watching 30 Days of the Night or running into a real life Dean Corll?

We have the same monsters today that they had 1000 years ago only the faces have changed and refined as we have come to understand them. Instead of Vampires, Demon's and Wraith's we have sociopath's/serial killers and schizophrenics.

Today their is a distinct difference between real monsters and fantasy monsters. At one time in our history their wasn't that distinction.

If I were in Shags class that is the debate he would get from me anyway. Monsters aren't vampires and demons but people who are broken.


Vllad

[Moristans]

I think you make a strong case Vllad. For me, it was Charles Manson after I saw the movie Helter Skelter. Nothing was ever as scary for me as psychotic serial killers. Well, that and zombies after Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. But, those are the parameters that need to be established.

As you said, monsters are manifestations of our fears. So, for many people, demons and otherworldy entities are still very real. Personally, I would probably want to explore that connection between "real" and "imagined" monsters. When it comes right down to it, what were the chances of Charles Mansion coming after me in my house versus a zombie invasion happening at my local mall? For all intents and purposes, probably slim to none for both? Still, as manifestations of my own fears, they were a lot more real to me than those true monsters like the ones you mention who we know exist and do horrible things every day.

On the flip side, I also think it would just be a lot more fun to write about vampires and werewolves.

[Uncle Shags]

That's a good point. I never thought about how the "entertainment" monsters of today were the real life monsters of yesterday. Interesting. How we got where we are now and the difference between the two is going to be good material.

One thing my partner and I have been discussing is the evolution of monsters toward "bubblegum" once there starts to be works of fiction that take closer look at the "personal lives" of monsters. For instance, it could be argued that the book Interview with a Vampire forever made vampires a bit less scary because once you've sat at a table and interviewed them they are much less monstrous. There is less of a fear of the unknown. Are these monsters (real and imagined) less scary the more exposure they get? Is there a desensitization thing happening?