A THOMASIAN fictionist has debunked the misconception that horror fiction’s primary purpose is to disturb or elicit scares.
“It’s a piece of fiction in prose or variable length, which shocks the reader or induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing,” Prof. Augusto Antonio Aguila, co-director of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS), said in a lecture on April 17.
Aguila said horror was often relegated to the margins of mainstream media and traditionally received less recognition from major awards bodies.
In recent years, however, it gained a new level of prestige following consecutive nominations for horror films in the US Academy Awards.
In 2025, three horror films earned Oscar accolades, including Robert Eggers’ vampire film “Nosferatu” and Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror feature “The Substance.” Joining the list was the science-fiction horror film “Alien: Romulus,” which received a nomination for Best Visual Effects.
“The age of writing a scary story for the sake of scaring the reader is over,” Aguila said.
He said contemporary horror stories have evolved beyond traditional mythological figures to feature modern antagonists, such as corrupt politicians.
Aguila urged writers to avoid falling into amorality or indifference to questions of right and wrong, stressing that the horror genre can be a form of social commentary.
Aguila authored two short story collections for UST Publishing House: “The Heart of Need & Other Stories” and “Carnival of Hate: Stories.” The latter was named Best Book at the 2017 Dangal ng UST Awards.
He served as co-editor of the essay anthology titled “Vilma Santos, Icon: Essays on Cinema, Culture, and Society,” alongside Varsitarian publications adviser Joselito Zulueta.
Titled “Horror Fiction: Flirting with Darkness,” the lecture-workshop on fiction was organized by the Thomasian Writers Guild. Charlize Ann D. Lavastida
