What’s that? You want more paranormal fiction talk? You’ve got it!
This podcast episode may be dropping the week before Valentine’s Day, but this week we’re chatting about the scare factor of paranormal fiction. Do these stories always have to be scary? There are so many elements to paranormal fiction, but does horror always have to be one of them?
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Evolution of Paranormal Stories
Getting into the main discussion, we’re tackling paranormal and supernatural fiction, including how these genres lean into horror and creepy aspects but are evolving beyond just that. In fact, over the past 20-30 years there has been a surge in different takes on the paranormal that go beyond just horror.
Chatting about our current reads, Shirin shares that she recently finished the fantasy books Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, which feature dragons and she enjoyed them. Meaghan is currently reading Near the Bone by Christina Henry, a psychological thriller and horror novel about a young woman trapped with her abusive husband in an isolated cabin, which also features a supernatural creature stalking the woods.
Getting back to our paranormal discussion, we reflect on how in the past, paranormal stories were closely tied to horror. Ghosts, hauntings, monsters, etc. existed to be defeated by the heroes. In the past, the focus was on good triumphing over evil. Over time, some stories like Stephen King’s pushed boundaries showing not all would have happy endings.
Rise of Paranormal Romance/Comedy
Works like Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles delved more into the paranormal creatures themselves, humanizing them versus the old good vs. evil tropes. This shift to explore the characters more led audiences to appreciate and demand more complex portrayals. Ultimately, we now live in a post-Harry Potter world where magic and the paranormal are more normalized.
From there we saw a progression to darker, more mature stories exploring vampires and werewolves before the current surge to appreciate the paranormal beyond just horror. Now there are many stories injecting paranormal elements across genres. Meaghan has even compiled lists of supernatural romantic comedies. We discuss examples like Just Like Heaven and popular author Ali Hazelwood’s upcoming novel Bride which blends romance and the paranormal.
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Female Representation
We reflect on how modern paranormal stories also feature stronger female perspectives versus problematic old tropes that dismiss women as fragile or prone to madness. The lighter tones help make these stories more engaging for modern audiences. We also live in an era fascinated by mythology retellings like Madeline Miller’s works and the popular Hades/Persephone stories that blend mythology, romance, and paranormal.
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Ultimately, we agree that the paranormal is not confined anymore to just horror stories. While those continue to exist and be popular for some, the book industry overall relies less on just the paranormal as scary. Instead, we see interesting experiments blending paranormal elements into regular modern settings to see how such forces adapt and influence characters and stories. The key is the paranormal now exists across a spectrum of genres and tones versus just horror.
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