Favorite Horror Tropes

About two weeks ago I joined a Top 5 Tuesday post about some horror tropes that I didn't really care for, so I wanted to make a companion post to share some of my favorite tropes in horror (and, of course, I had to make a matching trope-y title banner!). I've really started to get more into horror in the past couple years, and I've been absolutely loving it. There are a lot of tropes that I probably have too much fun with in horror, but here's a few that tend to come to mind when I think of some horror tropes that I always tend to enjoy seeing. I'd love to hear if you like/dislike any of these tropes, and feel free to share some of your favorites as well!

1. Something's "off," but you don't know what. 

This can take a lot of different forms. For instance, I love when we're in a small town or a new area and the protagonist can tell that something's just not quite right, but can't put their finger on what. Of course, usually weird and/or creepy things start happening and then it starts to get more obvious. I also love when there's a person who is by all accounts a seemingly normal person, but there's just something not quite right about them. Basically anything with a bit of a weird vibe is my favorite, especially when you can't determine why it's so weird, it just is. 

2. Slow reveals

This is actually probably more common in movies, but I've read some books that do this well also. You know how some books/movies will slowly sort of pan towards a scene that doesn't necessarily overtly seem horrifying or disturbing because it's so normal, but as you get closer you realize it's something you want to wash out from your eyes forever? I'm a huge sucker for that, something about the slow realization of horror in front you is just so captivating to me. 

3. "It's not out there, it's in here with us."

This is one of the oldest tropes out there, probably, and is a bit overused at this point, but in general theory and execution and I still find this a great one just because of how undeniably scary it is! No matter what it is you're hiding from, there's something comforting about knowing that it's outside of your house or room or wherever, so the realization that it's actually inside where you are and you don't know exactly where is just terrifying to me. Sort of like how we've had a few wasp nests since we moved into this house that were all outside and that were removed, but then we found a live, angry wasp in our bathroom one night where we used to feel safe from them (this is absolutely the same thing as finding an alien or serial killer in your bedroom, duh). No, thank you. I also think the movie Alien does this one excellently. 

4. Anything gothic.

Going back to the basics on this one, but give me a big, spooky, crumbling mansion that's absolutely going to be haunted any day and I'm there. If a book/movie has any mention of a gothic mansion or castle or a classic haunting, I'm probably going to be at least checking it out. I can't help myself. 

5. Never seeing the monster.

I like this trope in a lot of variations, whether it's the characters and audience never actually see the scary thing, or whether the characters see it, but the audience doesn't. I think the book Bird Box handled this trope perfectly, where you literally should not try to see it, because if you actually do, you are no longer going to be that helpful or lucid enough to describe it (Now, the movie took it in a few weird directions, but that's neither here nor there). 

6. The house hates you.

This also falls under haunted houses in general for me usually, but I love when a house is actively trying to get people to leave the house, or is simply trying to kill them. What's scarier than the big place that's supposed to be a safety net wanting to push you out, often very aggressively?

7. Ancient evils.

This one is very tricky to get right, in my opinion, but when done right it's really fun. I largely tend to love when ancient evils are a problem when it means we get to dive into some history and explore some legends and the like. I always love when a story means characters have to dig through old books (I know, what a surprise) or track down old locals or people who may know something. Finding old things, digging deep into the past, it's something I love in general, so when you put it into a horror atmosphere, it's just that much more fun (usually). 

8. Everything's all wrapped up... or is it?

I don't know if this actually a trope or not, but it's hands down one of my favorite. This happens when a horror story is wrapping up and everything's either back to normal or just cleaned up to fix whatever the problem is, but then the last scene or page has something like, "but they never could figure out why that room always stayed so cold, no matter what they did" or something like that. I wish I had a good example, but you know what I mean, right?

What are some your favorite horror tropes?

Top 5 Tuesday: Horror Tropes That Don't Usually Scare Me

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's topic is: Horror Tropes That Aren't Scary

Although there are plenty of horror tropes that I love and I do find delightfully creepy and scary, there are some that just don't really do anything for me for one reason or another. This week's Top 5 Tuesday topic has provided me the perfect opportunity to share some of those tropes that don't leave me feeling all that scared. I'll also be making another post this month to share some horror tropes that I do love and that can be perfectly scary!

1. Taxidermy. For some reason, when a character walks into a room or meets someone who loves to taxidermy, it's supposed to be a bit weird and spooky. Taxidermy is just another type of hobby, and the only reason it's "weird" to people is likely because it involves dead things, which (understandably) makes some people uncomfortable. I don't really have any big issues with being around death, and although I'm a huge animal lover that can barely stand the site of any animal in pain, if these are animals dying of natural causes/etc., then taxidermy can be seen as a pretty neat way to respect them and showcase them after death. The only way that would be scary to me is if the person was going out and killing animals in order to taxidermy, in which case I would be horrified and extremely upset. 

2. The "cat scare" trope. A cat scare trope is what happens when there's a super strong build-up of tension and/or the music starts rising and you know something is going to jump out and scare you–and then it's just an animal running by or branch falling or something. I find these relatable, since I definitely get spooked by things that turn out not to be spooky, but they sort of take away overall tension for me and then when something scary actually does happen, I'm already prepared for it and/or have been ruined by the "cry wolf" aspect. 

3. Ghosts with "unfinished business." I'm not entirely sure why, but any sort of 'vengeful' ghost that is only haunting people because it's angry or upset for whatever reason is just... not that frightening. It might be because it's such an overdone cliche that I just get annoyed sometimes when I see it now, but it doesn't really send any shivers up my spine when I see it. I just hope it has a chance to get that aggression out in a safe manner. 

4. Zombies. I'm sure actual zombies would be terrified, but they've gotten so cliche'd to me and always look so silly that I'm more likely to roll my eyes upon seeing one than I am to run away in fear. 

5. Torture. Torture isn't necessarily scary, it's just horrible and usually pretty overly gory. Certain types of torture I would classify as scary, but usually horror movies have torture that's just focused on the violence and gore, and that doesn't scare so much as repulse me. I'm not a super sensitive person, but I don't care for overzealous mutilation. Weirdly, however, I am someone who does enjoy a nice bloody aesthetic (like a blood-splattered cover or something). Maybe the aftermath of torture works for me? Or I'm just plain weird. Who's to say?

Bonus #6: "Satanists"/etc. Okay, here's a sixth because I just saw something with this trope mentioned and it reminded me how silly it seems today. Satanists may have been horrifying back in the day, but nowadays there are so many religions out in the open that having something like Satanism just seems like a pretty ordinary thing. Is that just me?

How do you feel about these horror tropes? Are there any horror tropes that you don't find as scary as they are meant to be?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Tropes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Favorite Tropes

Many of us in the book community often like to talk about the tropes that we can't stand, but sometimes it's nice to talk about the fact that there are tropes that we actually do like to see. Personally, although there are many tropes I don't particularly care for I can typically handle almost any trope as long as it's handled well. Books are largely built off of tropes, so we can't fully exclude them. There are some tropes that I do enjoy seeing more than others, though, so here's my life of favorite tropes! Of course, I'm sure I left out some great ones and some of these are rather small in plot impact, but they still stand out to me.

1. Extended Disarming
You know those scenes where a character (usually the protagonist) is entering a location where they have to remove all of their weapons and they just...keep removing them? And then just when you think they can't possibly have another weapon on them, they somehow pull out one last weapon from seemingly nowhere. It's such a small trope, but I love it every time I see it and am repeatedly amused by it.

2. Long fantasy journeys
I know a lot of people seem to get tired of long, excessive journeys from one destination to another in fantasy, but... I live for those. Nothing feels as classic as a long, unpredictable, and occasionally grueling journey to a far-off destination with a group of people that bickers and has to deal with spending every moment together. Lord of the Rings, Master Assassins, The Wheel of Time, etc.--they're all so much fun for me. Also these usually includes stops at inns and I love a good fantasy inn!

3. The gruff older 'mentor' who eventually helps out the protagonist
Who doesn't love that grumpy older character who either acts as a mentor or plays some other important role in our protagonists' story? They act rude and seem to be constantly unhappy with life itself, but at the end of the day they always seem to pull through and help our protagonists out and make sure they are safe... even if it is done begrudgingly.

4. Characters stuck together in close quarters
This is usually a romantic-related trope, but it's also one I've seen done for friends and family members and I love it just the same. Nothing is more enjoyable than when two (or more) characters are stuck in one limited area with one another and have to not end up killing each other out of irritation. Bonus points if they start out as enemies and end up not-quite-enemies (they don't have to end up friends or lovers, but that's another bonus!). I've also enjoyed observing people and how the react in different situations, so these always feel like experiments in social actions that are a blast to read about.

5. Villain redemption
I hate one dimensional, cookie-cutter villains. I like my villains to have a backstory that explains to some extent how they got to where they are. Even if they are legitimately just a psychopathic, hateful person, I'd like to see if they were always like that and/or how it contributed to whatever their current motivations are. It adds so much depth to the story and makes me even more invested in the overall book.

6. Antagonists turned allies
There are few things I enjoy more than watching a heated antagonist turn into one of the protagonist's most trusted (or...tolerated) allies. I don't care when it happens and I don't usually care why, but if it's done well then I am always here it.

7. Working undercover as a servant in a royal household/becoming a servant in a royal household
I love seeing characters adapt to a new situation such as this one and essentially become a fly on the wall to the inner workings and opinions of the royals while also spending time 'downstairs' learning about the secrets and inner workings there as well. I love underground networks and seeing how every area has its own hierarchy, even when it doesn't seem that way from the outside.

8. Mind-blowing libraries
I'm not sure how much of a trope this is, but I love nothing more than when the main character comes across some intense, unbelievable library that leaves the reader thinking about it long after reading about it. Examples that immediately come to mind include the library in Nevernight, The Name of the Wind, and so many more.

What are some of your favorite tropes? Do you like any of these too? Let me know!