Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2010 August 31

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August 31

First documented usage of Horror as a genre of fiction

I'm looking for early usage of horror as a genre (as in horror fiction or horror film). Was this term already used in the 19th century? Thanks in advance! ---Sluzzelin talk 07:47, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Well, I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but, according to this "The term 'horror' first comes into play with Horace Walpole's 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto, full of supernatural shocks and mysterious melodrama." and "The first great horror classic (Frankenstein 1818) was written by a Romantic at the heart of the movement - Mary Shelley.". --Belchman (talk) 15:55, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for that. I guess I want to know when this was first labeled as a genre, not necessarily using the word "genre", but in reference to a type of literature or film. The Castle of Otranto for example is subtitled "A Gothic Story". When would a reviewer, publisher, bookseller, library, movie theatre, etc first have referred to Frankenstein as a "the first great horror classic", when would they first have called the the genre "horror fiction" or "horror film"? ---Sluzzelin talk 18:28, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

I don't think it really goes as far back as the 19th century, the 1930s seems to be some of the earliest references. As you say horror stories in the victorian era were usually called "gothic tales" or things like "grotesque tales", "weird tales", "macabre tales" etc. The Chamber of horrors was opened in the middle of the 19th century which probably influenced using horror as a description of entertainment but didn't really make it to a formal description of books later. The OED lists "horror-monger" from Anna Maria Bennett writing in 1797 and "horror-mongering" from George Saintsbury writing in 1887, both talking about writers and peddlers of horror stories (although in Saintsbury's case he is referring to bloody stories of the elizabethan era such as Titus Andronicus) meltBanana 20:31, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! That early usage of "horror-monger" is a noteworthy precedent I wasn't aware of. I just discovered horror and terror which made me wonder why there never was a genre of "terror fiction", since anticipation is the deliciously scary part! I'd be interested in reading some of the early 1930s references you mention. My google fu is failing me, so if you have a pointer on how to search it, that would be most welcome too. ---Sluzzelin talk 03:28, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Well the OED again has these early examples: 1936 Variety 1 July 1/5 Recently showed *horror films and Sino-Japanese War cruelty shots. 1937 New Yorker 9 Jan. 13/2 Mr. Arthur L. Mayer took over the theatre, put in *horror pictures (zombies and draculas), and he has made it pay every week. 1936 Variety 1 July 1/5 Recently showed *horror films and Sino-Japanese War cruelty shots. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 1 May 13/2 The same *horror-loving multitude flocks to its haunts of pleasure. Would be interesting to know what that last one was about. meltBanana 22:02, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

If you'll accept "horrid", that's how Catherine Morland wanted her fiction. ;-) I've seen the German Schauerroman translated both as "horror novel" and as "terror novel". Deor (talk) 00:32, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks a lot, both of you! The compound "horror-loving" (as used in the 1909 reference) seems to have been used quite often in the 19th century. ---Sluzzelin talk 07:45, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

Children's Books - Unknown Author - Elisabeth Saunders?

Hi all,

I'm trying to track down a series of children's books I read in England in the late 1970's. I don't know the publication date so they may have been old even then. I don't know the nationality of the author or publisher or whether they were published more widely than the UK. I was 9- or 10-years old when I read them so they were aimed at around that age group or slightly older.

The series was a collection of books with a fantasy theme with each book being devoted to a single fairy-tale type subject; giants, ogres, witches, dragons etc. Each book's name fitted a common pattern with the only difference being the name of the theme. For example, "A Collection of xxxx Stories". NOTE: this example is to illustrate the formulaic nature of the titles - I do not remember the actual title structure.

I believe that the author's name was "Elisabeth Saunders" but this could have been "Elizabeth" with a "z" and the surname may have been "Sanders", "Saunderson", "Sanderson" or I may be recalling this even more incorrectly than that!

Sorry this is not a lot to go on. I hope you can help and thanks in advance.

BadmanMonkey (talk) 09:25, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Ruth Manning-Sanders? ---Sluzzelin talk 09:34, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

That sounds promising - her bibligraphy looks pretty like the list I remember. Thanks for the speedy (and probably correct!) response even though I only seem to have remembered one-third of the author's name! ---- BadmanMonkey (talk) 09:46, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

You're quite welcome. As you mentioned, she grouped the collected tales by species , but we also have a list of Manning-Sanders tales by region for a different categorizaton of the stories within the books. ---Sluzzelin talk 09:51, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

plane hijack film

i can only remember a deformed man controls a plane from his house.At the end it goes to hit a thermal power plant but somehow the pilot have the control at the end.Can you guys tell me what is this film ...? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.43.110.61 (talk) 11:15, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Deck of playing cards from 'Interstate 60'

Where from I can buy a deck of playing cards, like the one from the film called 'Interstate 60' ?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nadia2sweet (talk • contribs) 13:05, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Since I, and I'm guessing many other people, have never seen Interstate 60, I looked through the article to try and figure out what was so special about the playing cards in the movie. (It would help if you'd provide more details for such specific questions in the future.) So, are the ones you're looking for like the cards described there which have red spades instead of the more traditional black and black hearts instead of the usual red hearts? If so, a Google search for reverse color playing cards seems to have a number of promising results. Dismas|^(talk) 01:02, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Figurines & campaign maps

Does anyone know what major stores (walmart, target, etc.) if any, that sell little figurines, like those from heroclix, or warhammer? Also, where can I find stuff like dnd campaign maps? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.68.72.205 (talk) 15:19, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Is there a reason it has to be major stores? Really your local game store is the best place for this type of specialty item. Wal-Mart has had a history of not wanting to carry D&D RPG materials. Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:19, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Warhammer figurines can easily be purchased from the GamesWorkshop website or over the phone in North America and most of Europe if there is no GW store in your region (the site also has a list of store locations). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.167.165.2 (talk) 03:43, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, GamesWorkshop actually specialises in those kind of figurines. Chevymontecarlo - alt 06:45, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

There is always ebay too. Googlemeister (talk) 15:46, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Maybe Newegg or other online stores like it and ebay?Jds500 (talk) 02:00, 2 September 2010 (UTC)