What Today's Horror Says About Our Deepest Fears

Writers always talk among ourselves about what our writing says about us. For some of us, especially those of us who write thrillers, we don't look too deep. But the question is always there. Now that we're deep into October, I want to level the question up a bit.

What do the monsters we're creating right now say about us as a society? Looking at which creatures dominate current horror narratives reveals our collective psychology in ways that might make us uncomfortable.

When Our Creations Turn Against Us

The rise of artificial intelligence horror from "M3GAN" to "Black Mirror" episodes reflects our growing unease about creating intelligence we can't control. These narratives tap into something deeper than simple technophobia: the fear that we've built systems smarter than ourselves and lost the ability to understand or stop them. From my business consulting work, I've watched companies integrate AI into decision-making processes without fully understanding the implications.

The technology monster asks a terrifying question: What happens when our tools become more powerful than we are? This fear extends beyond AI to social media algorithms that shape our reality, smart home devices that listen constantly, and surveillance systems that watch without consent. In my thriller work, I explore similar themes of losing control to systems we thought we commanded.

Home Invasion Horror: Nowhere Left to Hide

The explosion of home invasion narratives like "Don't Breathe" and "The Strangers" speak to a fundamental shift in how we perceive safety. Our homes were supposed to be sanctuaries, the one place we could let our guard down. Current horror says that's a dangerous illusion.

The home invasion monster reveals our anxiety about the failure of the social contract. We did everything right, worked hard, bought property, locked our doors, but safety remains elusive. We've installed doorbell cameras, alarm systems, and smart locks, yet we feel less secure than ever.

Cult and Conspiracy Narratives: When We Can't Trust Reality

The surge in cult horror and conspiracy thrillers like "Midsommar" and "The Invitation" explore what happens when we can't agree on basic facts, when loved ones disappear into belief systems we can't penetrate. From my psychology background, I recognize this as one of our most destabilizing fears: losing people not to death, but to ideological transformation that makes them unrecognizable.

These narratives also explore manipulation and gaslighting on a societal scale. How do we know what's real when information sources contradict each other? In psychological thriller writing, my antagonists often use information control and reality distortion as weapons. The scariest villains aren't physically threatening; they make you question your own perception of truth.

Body Horror: The Loss of Physical Autonomy

Body horror has resurged with renewed intensity, exploring anxieties about medical procedures, reproductive rights, pandemics, and what's happening inside us that we can't control. These narratives externalize abstract political and medical anxieties into visceral, visual terrors, asking: Who controls your body? What happens when you lose agency over your own physical form?

You can leave a haunted house, but you can't leave your own body. The threat is internal, inescapable, and intimate, making it one of the most psychologically effective horror subgenres for creating sustained unease.

What This Reveals About Us

Each of these monster types serves the same function fairy tales served for centuries: they externalize abstract fears into concrete threats we can examine, discuss, and imagine defeating. But unlike fairy tale monsters that existed in distant kingdoms and enchanted forests, our current monsters live in our pockets, our homes, our information streams, and our bodies.

This shift is significant. We're not afraid of external threats invading our safe world. We're afraid that our world was never safe to begin with. That the systems we built to protect us might harm us. That the people we trust might transform. That our own bodies might betray us.

Why This Matters for Thriller and Horror Writers

Understanding these monster evolutions helps writers create antagonists that resonate with contemporary readers. The most effective modern horror doesn't just scare. It taps into current collective anxieties in ways that feel both fresh and deeply familiar.

When I'm developing psychological thriller elements, I consider: What keeps my readers awake at night? What societal changes create uncertainty? What trust have we lost? The answers to these questions shape the threats my characters face and the fears my narratives explore.

The monsters that endure aren't the ones with the sharpest fangs. They're the ones that reflect our deepest truths back at us. They show us what we fear we might become, what threatens our way of life, and what keeps us vulnerable despite our best defenses.

This Halloween, when you encounter your favorite monsters, take a moment to consider what they're really telling you about yourself and the world around you. The mirror they hold up might be scarier than any zombie apocalypse.

Ready to Push Beyond Your Psychological Safety Zone?

Are you ready to experience your pulse quickening? Do you want to experience horror live? On October 30th at 6:30 PM CT, join me and fellow authors, actors, and storytellers for The Eve, a virtual literary horror event designed to make you question every shadow in your home, where the whisper becomes more terrifying than the scream, and where a community of darkness devotees gathers to celebrate the art of terror.

The Eve offers something you won't find anywhere else. Lock your doors, dim your lights, and bring your dark side. Secure your spot in the shadows at http://bit.ly/theeve2025. For a limited time, use discount code "EVELTO" for special pricing.