The Horror of Knowing*

*Inspired by The Pain You Seek

When I first started reading H.P. Lovecraft stories in my teens, it was a different kind of experience from my typical horror/thriller novels. Lovecraft did not build most of his stories on the idea of a revelation—the horror, even the resolution to the conflict, was known to the reader from the opening paragraphs. Many of his tales began with the protagonist having already fallen into the terror that would consume them, then flashback to recount what brought them to their demise. The story became more of the process of verifying the reader’s fears rather than shocking them with a hidden bombshell at the end.

There are times I prefer this technique, but then there are times I want to experience the surprises along with the character. Audiences now seem to prefer ironic twists, and those who write books and screenplays have risen to the demand. Thinking back, a movie like The SIxth Sense ushered in the “last minute twist,” and for years movies and books took up that device and made it a trope. Perhaps to reclaim some of that emotional value of the twist, stories now employ several twists along the way, to varying degrees of success.

One that comes to mind is a series called Long Bright River, in which the twists escalated throughout each episode. I will admit, I was frustrated at being “betrayed” once I thought I had figured out the story…multiple times…and then quit trying. Good stories should find a balance—enough to tease the reader and keep us on our toes but not too much that we are fatigued by it.