Solving the paradox of meta-horror

Resumo

This study investigates the paradox of horror. In the first chapter, two distinct approaches to resolving the paradox are introduced and I will suggest that we should resolve it by appealing to the allure of fear. Then, we highlight a fundamental issue with the solutions introduced earlier, which attempt to comprehensively encompass the horror genre. The diversity of the horror genre and the multitude of fears it evokes necessitate a pluralistic approach to addressing the paradox of horror. Building upon this, in the second chapter, we turn our attention to the subgenre of meta-horror, unveiling the unique fears and allure it possesses by employing the concept of make-believe. The fear specific to meta-horror correlates with the intensity of the world of make-believe, making the pursuit of fear inseparable from the quest for intensity. Through this, I propose that the paradox is partially resolved.