Though it’s not the 1980s anymore, the classic horror trope of slasher films is making a comeback in a big way. The term “slasher,” though often used to describe any gory horror movie, more specifically refers to a story in which a killer stalks and murders a group of people, usually with a blade. Classic slasher movies include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Friday the 13th (1980), Scream (1996), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).
Inspired by the early psychological thrillers of the 1960s, the 1970s and 80s saw the heyday of these films — but their popularity has persisted. In recent years, the slasher film has gotten an update, with Fear Street Parts 1 & 2. A sequel to Scream came out in January 2022 and, just in time for Valentine’s Day, a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is expected to release in February 2022.
The rise of slasher novels has followed closely behind the film trope’s popularity, making it a favorite among horror fans. Check out these gruesome twists on the trope that have been published in recent years:
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If none of those pique your readers’ interest, you can use NoveList to search for your own hack-and-slash horror novels by combining genres like horror or thrillers and suspense with appeals or themes to find just the right book.
- Girls survive the night with horror featuring final girls. Mix the horror genre with the final girls theme. Try appeals like creepy, gruesome, or violent.
- Find the devil who walks among us with the real-life monsters, like serial killers. Combine with appeals like disturbing or menacing.
- Fear Pennywise or Chucky the most? Try mixing horror with the creepy clowns and bad seeds theme. Fine-tune with appeals like scary or darkly humorous.
Helen Sharma is a Library school student and NoveList Intern. She is currently reading Magic For Liars by Sara Gailey.
