A while ago I posted about the weird sort of culture shock with came with taking a literature class after years of science classes. We’re reaching the end of the semester (I’m avoiding any discussion of the dreaded G-word) and I finished our last book of the semester, Pet Sematary, tonight.
Looking back on the books we’re read this semester, I am so glad I made room for this class. Horror Fiction has legitimately been my favorite class I’ve ever taken. I’ve loved being exposed to new writing, getting into discussions about books, and I’ve even enjoyed writing essays about my thoughts! I was pretty scared of this class because I’m a wimp when it comes to horror, but even if it led to a few sleepless nights (caused both by fear... and by procrastination) I’ve enjoyed every minute. You can tell by the fact that I’ve started to run out of sticky notes!
If you’re looking for some reading recommendations, I’ve got those! My favorite book of the semester was Hideaway by Dean Koontz - terrifying, but so, so good. We also read a lot of short stories, and Dread by Clive Barker was so incredible it’s become the standard to which my friend and I hold every other short story (”How were the readings for tomorrow?” “They were fine, but they’re no Dread”).
Overall, though, I’d definitely recommend this class to... pretty much anyone. It was an awesome time and sure made me regret not being an English major. It’s a reminder that it’s always worth trying something new!
