Widdershins
Oliver Onions · 1911 · Short Story
The collection is a landmark in early 20th-century supernatural fiction, known for its sophisticated psychological depth and subtle, unsettling horror.
What it is
This is a collection of supernatural and psychological horror short stories by Oliver Onions. It features several acclaimed tales, most notably "The Beckoning Fair One," which explores a writer's descent into madness influenced by a spectral presence.
↑Inherited from(2)
Poe's story masterfully uses an oppressive atmosphere and the deteriorating mental state of its characters to create subtle, unsettling horror, directly influencing later works like "Widdershins" that explore similar themes.
Gilman's story, like "Widdershins," depicts a character's unraveling sanity through subtle, internal psychological horror, where the perceived supernatural elements are deeply intertwined with their mental state.
↓Passed on to(3)
Rebecca inherits from Widdershins the technique of portraying a protagonist's psychological unraveling under the oppressive influence of an unseen or spectral presence within a confined, atmospheric setting.
"The Haunting of Hill House" continues the tradition of "Widdershins" by focusing on subtle, psychological horror where the supernatural is ambiguous and deeply affects the characters' mental states, leading to a descent into madness.
"Rosemary's Baby" builds on the psychological horror tradition of "Widdershins" by depicting a protagonist's descent into paranoia and terror, where the horror is rooted in her internal experience and the questioning of her sanity.
✎Discussion
Leave a note on Widdershins, or ask something and see what others make of it.
Loading…