Horror Aficionados discussion

So, I'm curious. We all know that real life doesn't always have a happy ending, but what about books? Specifically, Horror novels. Are there books you know that don't have happy endings, where the killer gets away or even (gasp) succeeds in his plot to murder the hero and everyone he loves? If you do, what did you think about those stories? What do you think about books with endings like that?

I like "good" but not "happy" endings in horror books. But it has to be with a price. I don't like happily ever afters in horror. And my favorite horror movies tend to be the ones where everyone dies. But I'm not sure I have ever read a book like that. I'd love it.

I must confess i prefer happy endings. If a film or novel ends badly i do not mind if done well, but always prefer where the main character to be a victor !

I'm only human, so happy endings do tend to make me happy and relieved. However, not all stories I read should have happy endings. I guess I'm lucky that the mixture of books I read satisfies me by throwing me a happy ending bone sometimes, and sometimes not.

I have noticed more lately that a lot of horror books/movies don't end with happy(happier?) endings like they did for the most part decades ago. King's stories usually have the main character surviving, and that's never bothered me because it's his writing MO. I'm actually shocked when he kills off a beloved character.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IT'S EASY TO FORGET AND ACCIDENTALLY POST SPOILERS WHEN TALKING ABOUT ENDINGS. USE SPOILER TAGS WHEN YOU THINK REVEALING EVEN A SMALL DETAIL WILL RUIN THE READER'S SATISFACTION OF SURPRISE. AND, YES, JUST SAYING THAT A STORY HAS A TWIST AT THE END IS A SPOILER. I HATE THIS.

For example, I don't remember if the story has the same ending, but Stephen King's (view spoiler)[ The Mist. The ending of the movie just left me sitting there thinking "WTF did I just see?" (hide spoiler)] I'm still not sure what I ultimately thought of the ending, whether I liked it or not. I'm just curious how cheated people feel if they make it to the end of a 250-350 page book, the monster wins, and the main characters die.

They do not have the same endings, Shaun.

Those two didn't end the same and the movie Cujo ended differently than the book did. Which I thought was VERY wrong. The book had the right ending, the only ending it could be.

That said, I like endings where everyone dies. Not every single time, but if that's the ending that would best fit the story, the author has to do it. In my opinion, anyway. :)

Regarding the book ending of Cujo, (view spoiler)[I was piiiiiiissed at how King ended that book! After all that suffering we went though with the mother and son, and this is how King pays us? (hide spoiler)]

Nope. Nothing wrong here.

Tressa wrote: "Regarding the book ending of Cujo, [spoilers removed]"

Tressa, seriously? (view spoiler)[ I felt that that was the only way the book could end. I knew it was coming and I wondered if he was going to wimp out and have everyone survive. I was very surprised, but happy, when he didn't. (hide spoiler)]

Hudson wrote: "Nope. Nothing wrong here."

LOL Hudson!

Seriously, Charlene. That was back when (view spoiler)[more stories ended more upbeat. He bruised my psyche over that one. (hide spoiler)]

Charlene wrote: "Hudson wrote: "Nope. Nothing wrong here."

LOL Hudson!"

I don't get it.

I thought he was just answering the question succinctly.

Happy Ending? Nope.

Maybe I'm the one who misunderstood something. It wouldn't be the first time. :)

Charlene wrote: "I thought he was just answering the question succinctly.

Happy Ending? Nope.

Maybe I'm the one who misunderstood something. It wouldn't be the first time. :)"

I'm sure it's me not getting it but once so many people start posting, it's hard to tell if someone posting a short answer is talking to the OP or the people right above him/her.

Tressa wrote: "Seriously, Charlene. That was back when [spoilers removed]"

Tressa, in the book Cujo, the boys Dad was an ad man and they had a spokesman for a cereal. His catchphrase was "nope, nothing wrong here". I have not read that book for at least 15 years or so and that line still sticks with me for some reason.

Ok then, I laughed at the wrong thing! I need to re-read Cujo sometimes.

Ya know, I started thinking if could be a quote from one of the books discussed, but wasn't sure since I didn't remember it. I do remember that now (haha, one of those early "repeat a phrase till he drives the reader bonkers" style tics). I still remember the kids pooping/peeing that red dye and the "two c***s in a kitchen" insult. Funny what we remember.

I'm a fan of a unhappy ending as long as its done properly. The ending of Island by Richard Laymon isn't really happy but it was awesome in my opinion. Maybe done properly is a poor way to put it maybe personally satisfying would be better. For example Cormac McCarthys end of the world story the Road I thought was excellent however Cujo was one of my least favorite King novels losing only to From a Buick 8. But it wasn't just the ending of Cujo the whole novel was subpar to me. The movie however I enjoyed.

I'm such a hypocrat when it comes to this. I don't like endings most times that are beyond wtf moments if the killer gets away and I don't understand or respect it( again only times), yet I myself would write such a story lol. Almost an I can dish it out but I can't take it sort of deal.

**Possible Spoiler**

I know that this is a very old thread, but I still wanted to add one (I think.) Didn't Rawhead Rex end the same way as the aforementioned King book in which the monster wins, and all hope is lost for the people?

Also, I agree with the above poster who said that happy endings are okay, I suppose, but they HAVE to have a very steep price for the success of the "hero."

Well, I consider revenge to be a happy ending, so even if bad things happen to all the characters I'm okay with it as long as the evil entity is vanquished or destroyed in a hopefully excruciatingly painful and humiliating way.

It doesn't bother me to much if a book ends and doesn't have a happy ending. If it's a good story and the ending makes sense to what had been going on in the book then I'm fine with it.

My latest novel, Secrets Room has two endings. I wrote one for the hardcore Horror fans. I like a hardcore ending, I say give me Horror all the way to the end!

I've seen a large number of movies that fit this category, and even one recently that cleverly hides the bad ending leaving those who weren't paying attention with the sense it ended well, but very few books.

Admittedly, I don't have much experience in horror novels, but I have no aversion to bad endings. If the ending is clever, or wicked in a sinister way, I tend to like them.

I just finished the haunting of Hill House and I am Legend, and both don't have "good" endings. I stick good in quotation marks to put it in the context of not-good for the protagonist. The endings in both felt natural and even rewarding. I don't think either of these stories would work well with anything but the endings they have. Most certainly they would lose any oomph they might have.

Endings like the ones for the movie The Mist and Se7en gave me a "don't let it be this way!" type feeling, but at the same time I feel excited for being made to feel that way.

I prefer ambiguous endings or extremely bad one for the characters.

Good/bad/ambiguous endings are all fine, provided they match the actions of the protagonists. Clever heroes who abide the advice of others and come up with a way to defeat the monster are entitled to 'good' ending where they don't end up maimed or emotionally crippled by what they've experienced.

On the other hand, heroes who tangle with things far beyond their abilities, who bull through problems without considering the collateral damage, or who consistently avoid good advice and fall victim to hubris - sorry, guys, you get the bad ending.

Ambiguous endings are fine, either way, especially for horror. You win, for now. You win, except for the one monster that gets away. Etc. etc. etc.

The one thing I find bothersome is the happy ending that comes out of nowhere. The end of True Detective, for example, caught me off guard and left me feeling sorta cheated. That wasn't the ending those two characters deserved.