Strange Fiction

As someone who’s binge watched the full season of Stranger Things a million, who enjoys the feeling of the goosebumps that form on the skin and distinctly remembers the mental blankness afterwards of insanely odd, confusing,  and eerie books, shows, and films, when I came across Peter Edward’s Little Fears, I found where I belonged.

With over 8,226 other subscribers to the website/blog who love unapologetic, disturbing and frightening works, Little Fears has the ability to force you to continue to scroll through a story even when your eyes are running through your head by the end in fear.

When you first click on the main blog website, you’re exposed to pictures of nostalgic, vintage images like a lake, or hot-air balloon, in grid-format. The illustrations or Little Fears, take on personalities as the captions state their names along with a short description of the picture (many of which are based on prompts given by readers). Upon reading the caption alone a frown of confusion comes across the face as your brain tries to decipher what the caption means (without, of course, delving into the nightmarish possibilities deep in our minds possessions).

As you then scroll down to read the text/story accompanied, the Little Fear you just saw in the sweet, noirish, almost whimsical picture starts to transform itself into a monster whose a part of a serious killing or a young kid unknowingly on their way to their death by a being unknown. However, what I also admire is the illustrator’s ability to provide silly, pun-like bits into writing (ya know, to balance out the feels). The illustrator asks you to then participate in the continuation of the story or prompt, either through your own images, stories, blog posts, or comments.

These illustration bring out fears you thought you didn’t have, and it’d be terrible if you missed out on exploring them.

 

If you’re interested in more strange fiction placed in such contradictory settings, here are some of my favorite books, films, and shows:

Coraline (2009 Fantasy/Thriller Film)

Over The Garden Wall (2014 Dark Fantasy Mini-series)

The X-Files (1993 Drama) (also coming out in a children’s book because kids love aliens)

Courage The Cowardly Dog (1999-2002 Animation series)

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (1981-91 Book series)

 

See you in the comments,

❤