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Horror and terror
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==Horror fiction== {{Main|Horror fiction}} [[File:Danse Macabre (1981) front cover, first edition.jpg|thumb|upright|A 1981 non-fiction book ''[[Danse Macabre (King book)|Danse Macabre]]'' by [[Stephen King]] analyzes horror fiction in both literature and film.]] Horror is also a genre of [[Horror film|film]] and [[Horror fiction|fiction]] that relies on horrifying images or situations to tell stories and prompt reactions or jump scares to put their audiences on edge. In these films the moment of horrifying revelation is usually preceded by a terrifying build up, often using the medium of scary music.<ref>Wisker 2005.</ref> In his non-fiction book ''[[Danse Macabre (King book)|Danse Macabre]]'', [[Stephen King]] stressed how horror tales normally chart the outbreak of madness/the terrible within an everyday setting.<ref>S King, Danse Macabre (London 1994) p. 443 and p. 308</ref> He also elaborated on the twin themes of terror and horror, adding a third element which he referred to as "revulsion". He describes terror as "the finest element" of the three, and the one he strives hardest to maintain in his own writing. Citing many examples, he defines "terror" as the suspenseful moment in horror before the actual monster is revealed. "Horror," King writes, is that moment at which one sees the creature/aberration that causes the terror or suspense, a "shock value". King finally compares "revulsion" with the gag-reflex, a bottom-level, cheap gimmick which he admits he often resorts to in his own fiction if necessary, confessing: <blockquote> I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out. I'm not proud.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/17240|title=A quote by Stephen King|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> </blockquote>
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