So as some of you may have guessed by now (but probably haven't), I love Magic: The Gathering. I've been playing off and on since 4th grade, with my love for the game having flourished thanks to its most recent sets. With the newest block of cards coming out on September 30th, I find myself about to bounce around my room in glee. Why, you ask?
Because Innistrad, as it's called, is a set all about gothic horror.
For those of you who are unaware, this means that Innistrad will be filled with monsters from classic monster movies and books, such as zombies, werewolves and real, non-glittering vampires (please don't get me started). Gothic horror is something I've always loved; for at least seven consecutive years, my holloween costume was that of a Vampire. With the way modern "horror" flicks are, it's hard to find people interested in the way the horror genre used to run. So, Wizards of the Coast gets props from me for bringing a set to life that focuses on everything from the Wolfman to Frankenstein.
But this brought me to ask a question: why? Why do I and so many others love gothic horror so much? Why do we love to see human beings battle against the living dead and things from beyond the realm of the living. Mark Rosewater, one of the lead designers for MTG at Wizards of the Coast, agreed that perhaps the number one reason people like horror is death. Death is an inevitability, and often the end of a story. In horror however, death is usually the beginning, middle and end. Horror fascinates us because it is the opposite of what we are: it is a world filled with death. We love to see people fight against the darkness, because it gives us hope that we could do the same.
It also serves as a great reminder that no matter how crappy your life is, at least you don't have to form up torch mobs every night just so you can live to see another day. Hopefully.
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