From God to Pennywise: The Evolution of Horror

This creative thesis is divided into two parts. The first part is a look at how horror has evolved over the course of time. This evolution spans from biblical depictions of God to the horror films of the 21st century. Horror has progressed over time, seemingly climbing up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as it progressed; horror at its most basic targets the fear of one’s own safety, but as the genre has evolved these targets have moved to deeply personal fears (i.e clowns, the dark, being alone) in order to further frighten the audience. This evolution not only spans from subject material and target fears, but also through the various mediums through which horror is presented. The second part is the creative portion of the thesis and is a horror story set in a modern setting, depicting modern fears such as the fear of strangers, serial killers, and the uneasiness that comes with an unreliable source of narration. This short story covers a man on his search for fulfillment and how he treats those around him