Elements of Colonial Horror

I was writing some notes down for the new book I'm working on and I came up with some themes that often appear in Colonial Horror. These things are not absolutes. Nor must they appear each and every time for something to be considered Colonial Horror.

After all, as the Horror Writer's Association says: Horror is really about a feeling or a sensation.

And that's what it boils down to. Colonial Horror has a particular flavor and taste. But I figure we can always look in the stew and try to see what the ingredients are. So here's what I found in my spoonful.

A Superstitious Setting
For me, one of the key elements of Colonial Horror is the fact that the setting is not based in a world of science, but instead based in a world of the supernatural. As I sit here and think about it, some of my favorite horror stories and films have their roots here.

For example, the film The Serpent and the Rainbow is one set against a superstitious backdrop, where the old rules of science and reason don't apply and are replaced by the rules of mysticism. I guess this conceit really intrigues me, because it is something that is very difficult for us in the modern world to conceptualize. Science is deeply rooted into our society.

In a superstitious setting, there are certainly rules, just like there are laws in a setting governed by science. For example, if it's known that pouring salt around your house will protect you from evil spirits, then generally those sorts if things will work.

It's playing with those unique and interesting rules that makes the setting fun. It's like going back to your childhood, when the monsters couldn't get you if you had a blanket over your head. Or the thing under the bed couldn't grab you as long as you didn't put your foot down on the floor. This sort of strange superstitious rule-making and logic is really fun to play with in terms of story and roleplaying games.

An Unfriendly Wilderness
In a Colonial Horror game, the wilderness is a source of mystery and fear. Its depths are unknown. The wilderness may as well be endless as far as any of the characters are concerned. And the wilderness hides untold secrets.

That's not the say that the wilderness in a Colonial Horror game is the enemy. Just like any aspect of nature, the wilderness in a Colonial Horror game doesn't really work actively against the characters, but it doesn't really help out either. Yet, it remains an obstacle to overcome.

Think about how the wilderness is portrayed in the The Village. In that movie, the wilderness is a great barrier that separates the village from the "towns" which are always portrayed in a bad light. While the wilderness certainly hinders the main character, it hinders the antagonist of the movie as well.

Think also about the wilderness in the Solomon Kane stories. The wilderness in those stories hides vast civilizations that have been long lost to history. It keeps unspeakable creatures hidden. But all of this is not intentional - rather these wicked civilizations and creatures merely use the wilderness as their hiding spot.

Strangers in a Strange Land
Now there's one problem with everything I've said so far. A superstitious setting? Unfriendly wilderness? That's something you could find in Ravenloft, a Fantasy Horror setting. You could also find this in a Medieval Horror setting, like Vampire: The Dark Ages.

So there's one thing that Colonial Horror has that these other two paradigms do not - Colonial Horror, by and large, is from the perspective of the colonists. So another one of the tensions in Colonial Horror is the idea that the main characters are unfamiliar with the world in which they are in. They are outsiders.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Colonial Horror can only take place in colonies, either. Solomon Kane often visits distant jungles or barren deserts - lands that he is certainly unfamiliar with, but he is not a colonist to these places.

That brings up an interesting question, can you have a Colonial Horror game or story with all Native American characters? Certainly. Just as long as you have the problem of dealing with a culture or place that you not familiar with. For example, what if the Native American characters have to deal with a vampire that has moved into the area and lives in the nearby Dutch village? Now, the Native Americans have to possibly travel into the Dutch village and deal with these strange people and their strange customs.

Guidelines, Not Rules
I'll say it again: Everything I've outlined above is, of course, not an absolute. You could easily have a Colonial Horror game set in London, far away from the wilderness and any strange lands...just as long as those themes appearing your campaign or story at some point.

However, if your story or campaign takes place entirely in London, and you never deal with the wilderness or the strangeness of another culture, then I might argue that that sort of game is not Colonial Horror.

But maybe it is. Maybe you've managed to make it feel like Colonial Horror without the wilderness or strangers in a strange land. If you do, let me know, and tell me about it. I'd like to hear what you have to say.

All for now.