Horror Story Categories
TV Tropes describes nineteen horror categories but I’ve mixed and matched theirs a bit to come up with my own nineteen types of horror story.
I can usually fit most horror stories into one or more of the following types.
| Type | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Action Horror | Monsters versus capable protagonists | |
| 2. Apocalypse / Dystopian Horror | Life as we know it is over | |
| 3. Comedy Horror | Funny, often parodying horror tropes | |
| 4. Cosmic Horror | Lovecraftian entities that humans can’t begin to understand | |
| 5. Creepypasta / Urban Legend Horror | Creepy stories that people believe because they don’t always identify as fiction. These stories often spread over the internet. | |
| 6. Dark Fantasy | Dark magic and malevolent beings in fantasy settings | |
| 7. Existential Horror | Stories that question life and reality | |
| 8. Gothic Horror | Stories associated with 19th century Romanticist literature | |
| 9. Kids’ Horror | Horror stories for children | |
| 10. Medical or Body Horror | Physical illnesses, injuries, disfigurement, body alteration | |
| 11. Mundane Horror | Everyday situations that don’t feel quite right | |
| 12. Parasitic Horror | Monsters are parasites that take over host bodies and/or minds | |
| 13. Psychological / Personal Horror | Protagonists fight internal conflicts and inner demons, or someone takes advantage of fragile minds, unstable emotions, mental illness | |
| 14. Sci-Fi Horror | Science fiction, futuristic technology, space/time travel, isolation | |
| 15. Serial Killer Horror | A person is going around killing people | |
| 16. Slasher Horror | Uses explicit blood, gore, and violence for shock factor. Often paired with Serial Killer Horror. | |
| 17. Supernatural Horror | Often based on religious or mythological themes. Think ghosts and demons and cursed objects. | |
| 18. Superhero Horror | Fearsome supervillains against superheroes | |
| 19. Surreal Horror | Weird, bizarre, and outright nonsensical frightening things |
