There’s actually a large horror subgenre in which all of the protagonists are doomed. In the most “upbeat” variant of this, one or two characters are left breathing at the end of the last reel, but it’s clear from the fadeout that the monster/psycho killer is still alive too, so death has only been deferred, sometimes by mere minutes. In the most depressing variant — especially common in Asian horror — even the possibility of survival is off the table. You know everyone’s going to die, it’s just a question of who’s going first and how much they’ll suffer on the way out. When the brunt of the suffering is borne by female characters, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask, “Is this misogyny?” but even where the answer is clearly “Yes,” I’m not sure misogyny is necessarily the point.

That said, I was disappointed by The Descent for pretty much the same reasons you were: Juno killing Beth was tragic but didn’t seem like the sort of thing she needed to lie about — when you’re fighting flesh-eating cave-dwellers, accidents happen. And Sarah stabbing Juno felt wrong. Even leaving aside the issue of the timing, the set-up seemed to imply Juno was getting what she deserved, and emotionally, I didn’t agree — which made Sarah into a vindictive sadist.

I saw that you went to Bluffton College, I mean “University.” My parents both graduated from there, and dad taught history there. He’s still pissed about the name change. I myself lived there for a few years. Since then, I’ve had two cousins attend the place. Great place, if you can get used to the rowdy Mennonites.

And next on my reading list: Crystal Rain.

Kerry aka Trouble

Still, thanks for posting it!

Tasting is fun!

Topics? I’m not sure, just personal experience really. From how you write, to the business side, to motivation and organisation. Tobias’s Writing Life

I was reading about distilleries once and the article said that up to a third of the scotch evaporates out of the oak barrels during the aging process, and that they refer to that portion as ‘The Angel’s Share’… pretty cool, I had to swipe it for a song title.