The New Weird

    I watched the black and white film "Freaks" from 1932. People paid money at the circus to stare and laugh or be scared. It is really sad because these are the people who are disabled. The horror trend of the past 20 years has gone away from disabled people and focuses on horror myths such as vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Another trend is seen in stories like "King Rat" by China Mievile. This story has a current trend of humans with other traits or abilities. For example, Saul finds out after he is accused of his father's murder that he is half rat.

    My idea for a new tend and horror is to combine the type of character in King Rat with something I am studying in my environmental science class. I have learned about plastic pollution especially in the ocean. My main character would be fishing one day when a giant wave knocks him off the boat and into the water. He began to sink because he is tangled with a huge mass of plastic. He thinks he going to drown, but when he opens his eyes, he is on the beach. Over the next few days, he realized something is different. It is starting to rain and the water slides right off without getting him wet. Another day he sees his best friend walking in front of a bus and his arm stretches six feet and pulls his friend to safety. He makes his friend swear not to tell his secret. Together they decide to get revenge on the big companies that are creating the plastic pollution. What the main character does not realize is that his body is slowly changing into nothing but plastic. His body will be kind of transparent and his eyes will glow white.

    With all of the focus in the news on pollution and the environment, I think horror stories will start having more of this realistic element to them. However, it will be fun if they combine environmental problems with people who develop supernatural powers. That way they will not lose the fans who enjoy the supernatural part of the horror stories.