Post-apocalyptic horror

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batesey96

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Hey guys!

So I'm new to the forums and I'm milling about gaining advice from the very helpful users and now I've decided on a genre: horror.

Which is where you come in...

So far I've got a post-apocalyptic setting and the main character lives after he believes he has caused humans to be extinct thus creating a narrative about guilt and surviving the dangers of the perilous wastelands.

So, briefly, two questions; does this classify as horror? And secondly, what are the key elements that you guys think I should include?

Much obliged!
 

JackdeNileth

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It really depends on the kind of dangers that await him. Has the remaining life mutated into dangerous beasts that he has to hide from? Because that could lead to tense situations that could work well in a horror story.

You might want to have a look at Metro 2033, as it is also a postapocalyptic story with horror elements, like ghosts or echoes of the past that the characters come across, as well as anomalies than drive people insane or kill them outright.
 
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FOTSGreg

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John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series is post-apocalyptic zombie genre, but focuses on the survivors (without saying a whole lot more) trying to rebuild some semblance of society and civilization. It's very good.

Your survivor has some very interesting things in store for him or her besides their personal guilt,

1) Is it known that this person is the one behind the apocalypse?
2) Has their image been widely distributed (even in the Old West facial sketches often led to the capture of outlaws)?
3) What kind of survival skills do they have? Scientists holed up in labs developing lethal virii don't often have a wide array of survival skills.
4) Does the character have any friends or family who might know or suspect their relative was behind the apocalypse? If so, how will they react around that person?
5) Is the character alone or with a group? If they're alone then their chances for survival drop drastically. But if they're not alone then they must be constantly on the edge watching out for a moment when they might inadvertently let it slip that they're the one responsible for the apocalypse. People don't like people who kill off their entire civilization, society, and way of life. It makes them "unhappy" with that individual...

Overall, the idea sounds a bit like "The Road", but you need to decide whether the book/story is going to be one about hope or desolation or moral choice or what. There's a difficult line to straddle in all those areas. Personally, I didn't care for "The Road" with its bleak hopelessness. Readers want to care about a character or at least have hope they're going to get what they deserve in the end (a little like caring about whether or not a certain boy-king in a certain popular novel and TV series gets what he deserves).

So, how many words ya' got so far? I ask this because an idea is simply the sole basis for a story. It's not a story until you start writing it and even then the characters themselves are going to start having ideas of their own. That's the beauty of writing - sometimes the characters develop in ways you do not or cannot expect until you're deep into the tale.
 

batesey96

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It really depends on the kind of dangers that await him. Has the remaining life mutated into dangerous beasts that he has to hide from? Because that could lead to tense situations that could work well in a horror story.

You might want to have a look at Metro 2033, as it is also a postapocalyptic story with horror elements, like ghosts or echoes of the past that the characters come across, as well as anomalies than drive people insane or kill them outright.

Thanks for the speedy reply! :)

I was thinking about going along the route that radiation has mutated animals into the beasts that he cannot fight against, with defences unseen to humans I.e bulletproof skin to make it impossible to fight so they have no chance to run. Alongside this, I was maybe making the darkness an enemy with the power to hurt them, or is that too much?

As far as Metro 2033 goes, I played a little of it and that is where my inspiration lies. The concept is captivating!
 

batesey96

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[/QUOTE]
1) Is it known that this person is the one behind the apocalypse?
Yes, but only to a select few. I was thinking of starting it with a flash forward of him recording a voice message to his family and apologising. From then on, the reader will be on edge if their secret has been told.

2) Has their image been widely distributed (even in the Old West facial sketches often led to the capture of outlaws)?
I'm not sure. I'll think about it!

3) What kind of survival skills do they have? Scientists holed up in labs developing lethal virii don't often have a wide array of survival skills.
This is a fine line because I want him to have some survival skills but I can't go over the top with it. Maybe a survivor teaches him? This would implement an element of whether he can trust them.

4) Does the character have any friends or family who might know or suspect their relative was behind the apocalypse? If so, how will they react around that person? His family do know, yes.

5) Is the character alone or with a group? If they're alone then their chances for survival drop drastically. But if they're not alone then they must be constantly on the edge watching out for a moment when they might inadvertently let it slip that they're the one responsible for the apocalypse. People don't like people who kill off their entire civilization, society, and way of life. It makes them "unhappy" with that individual...
Hmm, interesting. I was heading in the direction of being alone. It'll create more tension.

So, how many words ya' got so far? I ask this because an idea is simply the sole basis for a story. It's not a story until you start writing it and even then the characters themselves are going to start having ideas of their own. That's the beauty of writing - sometimes the characters develop in ways you do not or cannot expect until you're deep into the tale.[/QUOTE]

In terms of words... 0 as it stands. I only got the idea from looking out of my window and it was all deserted..
 

Calla Lily

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Earth Abides by George R Stuart has a MC who believes he caused the deaths of everyone on the planet.

Yes, IMO it's horror depending on how it's done. The book cited above was surreal in a lot of places and didn't spend much time on rotting mountains of corpses etc. but it left an eerie taste in my mouth. It dwelt on the emptiness of the planet and how being the last human would possibly drive one insane.

King's The Stand did a LOT with mounds of putrefaction. I haven't read The Road, but I believe it does a lot with grim wastelands, and Brin's The Postman with people creating little oppressive monarchies using groups of survivors.

Any or all of these elements--and any others you can dream up--can work if you put your own spin on them.

/pedantic moment.
 

JackdeNileth

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I was thinking about going along the route that radiation has mutated animals into the beasts that he cannot fight against, with defences unseen to humans I.e bulletproof skin to make it impossible to fight so they have no chance to run.
You mean no chance but to run, right? Would be bad if they couldn't :D Just try not to copy Metro 2033 too much and think up your own mutations. But don't forget to add other conflicts. It would be kinda dull of the entire book consisted of him running from one monster after another.

Alongside this, I was maybe making the darkness an enemy with the power to hurt them, or is that too much?
Unless you're planning to add more supernatural elements, I'd leave that out. The darkness can be dangerous due to unseen predators, of course, so there's no reason to turn it into a living threat.

And if you really want to add a supernatural flair to the story, then do it in a subtle way. Like the anomalies in Metro. They could be supernatural, but they might as well be some kind of gas leak.
 

batesey96

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Earth Abides by George R Stuart has a MC who believes he caused the deaths of everyone on the planet.

Yes, IMO it's horror depending on how it's done. The book cited above was surreal in a lot of places and didn't spend much time on rotting mountains of corpses etc. but it left an eerie taste in my mouth. It dwelt on the emptiness of the planet and how being the last human would possibly drive one insane.

King's The Stand did a LOT with mounds of putrefaction. I haven't read The Road, but I believe it does a lot with grim wastelands, and Brin's The Postman with people creating little oppressive monarchies using groups of survivors.

Any or all of these elements--and any others you can dream up--can work if you put your own spin on them.

/pedantic moment.

Thanks for the advice. It will really help!
 

batesey96

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You mean no chance but to run, right? Would be bad if they couldn't :D Just try not to copy Metro 2033 too much and think up your own mutations. But don't forget to add other conflicts. It would be kinda dull of the entire book consisted of him running from one monster after another.
My knowledge on Metro is lacking... Could you kindly give me a rough outlook on their mutations? And on the subject other conflicts, I was thinking of conflicts between survivors?


And if you really want to add a supernatural flair to the story, then do it in a subtle way. Like the anomalies in Metro. They could be supernatural, but they might as well be some kind of gas leak.
Hmmm, yes. I see your point there. I could drop in natural hazards like a fire but because of the apocalypse there is no water. Something like that?

I was also thinking about dropping in hallucinations to up the tension. Too much?
[\QUOTE]
 
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Calla Lily

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:gaah Wrong book! The book I described above is The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel. Sorry. In Earth Abides most of humanity is killed by a plague that affects only humans and apes.

Why, yes, post-nuke/post-apoc is my favorite genre to read. :D
 

JackdeNileth

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My knowledge on Metro is lacking... Could you kindly give me a rough outlook on their mutations? And on the subject other conflicts, I was thinking of conflicts between survivors?

I think the wiki could do a better job than my memory.
And sure, human conflicts are often at the center of postapocalyptic tales. Some people might try to keep peace, others try to take advantage of the situation and do whatever they want, others try to take over power etc...
But what I really like about Metro is that most of these conflicts don't matter in the long run as the mutants have still become the masters of the planet. That's also something that both games have adapted perfectly. You always feel outnumbered or powerless when you have to ascend to the surface.

Hmmm, yes. I see your point there. I could drop in natural hazards like a fire but because of the apocalypse there is no water. Something like that?
Well, fire is kinda mundane and nothing special. But the fact that there is no water makes me wonder how anyone survives.

I was also thinking about dropping in hallucinations to up the tension. Too much?
Lack of sleep, lack of nutritions, constantly feeling hunted, radiation...all of these could work well enough to make the characters hallucinate and don't have to be anything supernatural, although it is also used in Metro in that regard. There is one station, for example, where Artjom seems to talk with the dead without realizing it.
 

batesey96

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Well, fire is kinda mundane and nothing special. But the fact that there is no water makes me wonder how anyone survives. [\QUOTE]

Hmm, I wasn't thinking a major, constant threat. Maybe a one off that destroys a settlement and the main character takes charge and has their lives to protect as well as his own.. Until they find out he caused it.

In terms of hallucinating I had the idea that he sees his own conscience who he talks to when faced with a moral choice e.g. If he gets sick, does he steal medicine? This would provide any companion to question his sanity
 
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batesey96

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I drew up a short plan. And with some thinking I have 5 beasts.
1) deer - larger antlers, fangs. Flesh is rotten and green.
2) two headed snakes. One head is at the tail end
3) rabid dogs
4) mutated fish - fangs and possession of the ability to leap from the water
5) owls - turned into carnivores. The main character loses a thumb to one. (Gives two problems - lack of medical supplies and trouble completing tasks for his survival)

Is that too many?
 

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I drew up a short plan. And with some thinking I have 5 beasts.
1) deer - larger antlers, fangs. Flesh is rotten and green.
2) two headed snakes. One head is at the tail end
3) rabid dogs
4) mutated fish - fangs and possession of the ability to leap from the water
5) owls - turned into carnivores. The main character loses a thumb to one. (Gives two problems - lack of medical supplies and trouble completing tasks for his survival)

Is that too many?

Owls are birds of prey, meaning that they're already carnivores. Oh, and two headed snakes exist, just not the kind you describe. Is it poisonious? If not, it really doesn't pose any threat except a deadly infection from the bite site.
 

batesey96

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Owls are birds of prey, meaning that they're already carnivores. Oh, and two headed snakes exist, just not the kind you describe. Is it poisonious? If not, it really doesn't pose any threat except a deadly infection from the bite site.

My phrasing was off there. I meant to out across that the owls attack humans now.
And yes, the snakes would be venomous
 
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