Wanna see something... SCARY? · 5:04am Sep 23rd, 2013
You may or may not have noticed, but I changed my avatar recently. Just take a quick peek over to the right side of your screen to see what it is OH GOD WHY WHAT AAAAGH.
That's the emotion I'm going for.
I got the image from a lovely manga series called Uzumaki by the talented as hell Junji Ito. He's a bit like a Japanese H.P. Lovecraft. His stories usually include body horror, the breakdown of society, a cruel and uncaring world, unhappy endings, irrational compulsions, and the inevitability of death. He knows how to push my goddamn buttons, that man.
I really like horror, and his stories almost always manage to scare me one way or another. It's not the shock horror you see in a lot of modern horror movies, but the more subtle creepy shit that claws its way into your brain. It'll sit dormant in your brain after being read for the rest of the day. You won't think about it at all until you're lying awake in bed and you head that creaking sound in the hallway.
If you're into getting scared, I would highly recommend taking a look at his work.
Here's my three favorites!
Uzumaki is what got me into him when I was in middle school. It scared the shit right outta me for a solid year after reading it. Check it out here!
Then there's the more famous Enigma of Amigara Fault. It's a single chapter story put in the back of the longer Gyo, which is also worth a read, if you like getting grossed out. If you're claustrophobic and you read this, you're gonna have a bad time. Check them both out here!
Finally, there's Army of One. Oh god, is there Army of One. I'm just gonna give you the link to this one. I really don't wanna spoil any of it if I can help it. It's at the end of another longer story titled Hellstar Remia, which I don't think is as great as his other stuff, but maybe you'll get more mileage out of it than I did. Here's the link!
Happy reading. Good night, sleep tight, lock your doors.
I'll make sure to check those out later, once the sun has gone down.
Oh, Junji Ito. King of body horror, and possibly one of Nyarlathotep's aliases.