Hello, and welcome to week 3 of Fandom Horrorfest 2020! It’s crazy that we’re already at 3 weeks into the spooky season. This week will focus on horror writers, their books, their film adaptations, and the contributions they have made to horror. We wouldn’t have many of our favorite horror movies and games if it weren’t for the writers behind them, so let’s spend a week devoted to the often unsung heroes of horror!
Koji Suzuki
When we step out of the Western world of horror, we see a very distinct yet quite broad spectrum of Asian horror. Amongst various Asian creators, Japanese writers and filmmakers standout particularly. Some of the most prolific horror films come out of Japan, including ones that have been remade or adapted for Western audiences like Ju-On: The Grudge. In our tendency to adapt and remake these horror classics, many of the original Japanese horror masters have been neglected in the Western zeitgeist. Perhaps the most significant writers of Japanese horror fiction–yet also one of the least known in America– is a man by the name of Koji Suzuki, the author of the Ring books. Yes, that Ring series.
Suzuki has authored the original Ring trilogy of horror books as well as a collection of connected short stories and two new novels within the universe, a collection of writings that spans over 20 years of excellent horror work. These books form the basis for the revolutionary horror films from the late 90s to the mid-2000s, originally called Ringu, and called The Ring in America and Europe. The Ring films are known for some of the strongest horror imagery from that era. The image of a little dead black-haired girl crawling out of the TV is likely an image that will stick with most of us until the day we die. This imagery is pulled directly from Suzuki’s novels and other writings; the horror inherent in these stories lies within both the images he paints for us and the forced responsibility of the victims. If you’ll recall, there’s no supernatural force driving people to watch the tapes from The Ring. Suzuki brilliantly weaves a narrative in which we are responsible for our own horror, a story in which human curiosity and pride to prove that we are not afraid are exactly what brings our own terror before us. It’s a disturbing approach to horror, and its unique nature really credits the creativity of Suzuki for framing horror in a new, introspective fashion.
If you haven’t watched The Ring yet, do yourself a favor and go check it out; both the English and Japanese versions are excellent landmarks of modern horror. I also recommend reading the man’s own novels and short story collections; the vast majority of them have been translated into English, and the fact that Suzuki is not as popular in the West as he is in Japan despite contributing so much to Western horror is a tragedy needing correction. I personally recommend his horror novel Promenade of the Gods; it occurs alongside the Ring series but works as standalone story as well. Just remember, if you watch or read his work, it’s your own choice and your own consequences.
