The Study of Horror Literature Has a Great Chance of Being Transferred

Horror literary studies need to be developed in various mediums, such as audio, animation, games, films and digital platforms.

ARSIP MD PICTURES

Scene cuts from the horror film Badarawuhi in Penari Village which will be broadcast during the Eid holiday, April 11 2024. This film was directed by Kimo Stamboel and produced by MD Pictures.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Literary studies horror that explores mysteries, ghosts and other mystical things needs to be developed. This study has a great opportunity to be transferred to various media, such as audio, animation, games, films and other digital platforms.

Folklore with a horror theme is spread in almost all regions in the country. Horror stories are popular with Indonesian people. Horror genre films have often dominated the domestic film industry from time to time. Many people also listen to podcasts or podcasts that discuss mystery stories.

Researcher at the Language, Literature and Community Research Center National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Tirto Suwondo, said, Indonesia has a lot of horror stories. The story is told across generations and has become part of everyday life.

However, analysis or study of horror literature is still very rare compared to the abundant amount of folklore. This is a challenge for researchers to study it from various perspectives.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Rachmad Imron, CEO of Digital Happiness, takes a photo with a poster for the horror genre game DreadOut, Thursday (9/5/2019).

"In the context of creative industries, a promising opportunity is adaptation, transfer of vehicle or ecranization to feature films, television and digital platforms," ​​he said at the launch and discussion of the book Literature Horror,in Jakarta, Tuesday (23/4/2024).

This book, which is 1,010 pages thick, presents 45 articles on horror stories. The book is the result of research and study on various horror phenomena that exist in society in various regions.

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Tirto stated that almost all the articles in the book were written in a scientific manner using IMRaD structure (Introduction, Method, Research, and Discussion). "This serves as a soothing irrigation in the midst of the dry field of our critique, analysis, and appreciation of horror literature," he said.

Horror literature is not only an interesting study for researchers in Indonesia. Abroad, studies of horror stories are published in various media and journals, such as World Literature Today magazine as well as the journals Horror Studies and Journal of Dracula Studies.

This book, which is 1,010 pages thick, presents 45 articles on horror stories. The book is the result of research and study on various horror phenomena that exist in society in various regions.

The Head of the Research Center for Language, Literature, and Community of BRIN, Ade Mulyanah, stated that the study of horror literature continues to adapt amidst the strengthening of digital culture. According to her, this study needs to be developed as it becomes an important asset in the creative industry.

"The role of horror-based films largely involves the process of adapting literary works into screenplays. This highlights the significant role of literature in the development of the creative economy in Indonesia," he said.

General Chair of the Association of Indonesian Literature Scholars (HISKI) Prof Novi Anoegrajekti said that the launch of the book Horror Literature complements the three previous books with the titles Tourism Literature, Spice Literature , and Maritime Literature. The book presents horror stories related to locations or places, spirits, characters, circumstances and historical events.

It took almost two years to complete the book. Every writer goes through various processes in completing their writing.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The theater performance Ariyah from Ancol Bridge was staged at the Jakarta Theatre, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, Wednesday (26/7/2023).

"Until some are afraid to write their articles at night because they feel shivers and are enveloped in fear. So, they choose to write in the morning and afternoon," he said.

Traditional literature

Horror stories are also commonly found in traditional literature in the homeland. In fact, the stories are reproduced many times, so they remain relevant from generation to generation.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Sudibyo, reviewed a number of horror stories in traditional literature. In the Kakawin Bharatayudha which was written in the 12th century, for example, there is a sadistic story about the death of Dushasana. Dushasana's body was torn into pieces and Bima drank his blood.

“This incident caused fear and horror. "This story is adapted from Mahabharata, an Indian classic story that dates back to several hundred years BC," he said.

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KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN

The appearance of the leak character as the embodiment of black magic during the performance of the ballet Calon Arangat the closing of the Hindu Religious Sacred Arts Festival at the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Surakarta in Solo, Central Java, Thursday evening (17/6/2010).

Meanwhile in the story Calon Arang, it tells about Calon Arang's anger because no one wanted to propose to his beautiful daughter. He performed a ceremony to the Goddess Durga which then brought disaster and disease.

The film industry and other creative industries, both domestically and internationally, still draw inspiration from horror stories in crafting their stories. According to horror film director and screenwriter Anggy Umbara, film is one of the derivatives of literature.

“Film scenarios can also be in literary form. "Literature follows its time in various forms," ​​he said.

Korean anthropology researcher, Bae Dong-sun, said that, although not as big as in Indonesia, horror stories are still popular in South Korea. However, the form is no longer dominated by feature films, but has shifted to subscription-based streaming services, such as Netflix.