Americans or Europeans, who is better in writing short-story horror?

[Kyriakos]

I am currently having a similar discussion on some other forum, which developed to something interesting so i guess i could at least try to bring some of its horror in these barren landscapes overseen by the tavern...

This is meant as a discussion only of fictional books, not of other types of art (surely the east-asians, particularly the Japanese, dominate in many other artistic depicitions of horror, as in Manga or animation of various types. I have read some Japanese horror stories too, but did not really like them...).

The discussion in the other forum is revolving around Poe and Hoffmann as the older figures of this type of short-narrative. Although Hoffmann predates Poe, he is very different, being one of the most notable figures of German Romanticism.

Other writers which were mentioned a lot are Guy de Maupassant, H.P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen and then some rare works by Borges (The gospel according to Mark), Hesse (The end of Dr. Knelge, The man of the forest), and Kafka.

There will be a poll up soon. An "other option" will also be available, if you want to name other cultures or continents, as will a neutral option for those willing to just watch the poll without choosing a side.

 

[REDY]

Do you consider mainstream authors like Bradbury, Levin or King? Then hands down from me.

 

[Kyriakos]

You can, sure

(i just have only read a few stories by King, so cannot really say much about the current American horror short-story anyway)

 

[Antilogic]

So I've only read Poe, and he's Ahmurikan...

 

[Zelig]

Present-day American writers are the best.

 

[BvBPL]

Americans. Hands down. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Shirely Jackson alone run circles around most others, and that's before you throw in Robert E. Howard, HP Lovecraft, and Ambrose Bierce.

Poe strides like a colossus over nearly everyone else.

And I guess there's some up-and-comer named Steve King in Maine who does this stuff pretty well too.

 

[sophie]

Can you really characterize an entire culture as being universally "good" at something as subjective and personal as artistic expression?

 

[Antilogic]

Yes.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I couldn't care less where the author is from. I only care if the story is any good, and so I don't even register if the author is American, European, or anywhere else on the planet.

 

[Arcanine101]

Japan, no competition, not even close.
Thread closed.

 

[Antilogic]

The international capital of tentacle rape literature?

 

[caketastydelish]

I couldn't care less where the author is from. I only care if the story is any good, and so I don't even register if the author is American, European, or anywhere else on the planet.

This. To say an author is inherently good/bad based on whether they are American or European seems stupid to me.

 

[Wrymouth3]

Just remember that "European" includes such luminaries as Yevtushenko, Edgeworth, Dickens, Radcliffe, Ishiguro, and Ionesco. I think we know that the "American" wins here. Do you really want to compare someone like Roberto Bolano with Aphra Behn? Lit in general mang.

 

[Kyriakos]

I guess that since mostly unsavory antagonism exists in the thread since it was moved here, you won't go nuts if i ask for it to be locked

 

[North King]

Okay, so what exactly was the point of your OP? Because the objections are valid, and that isn't really a defense.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

When we don't agree with the OP or support his opinions in other ways, he tends to get cranky and ask the mods to close the thread.