[Ads-l] horror novel

[Jesse Sheidlower]

OED does have _horror_ attrib. in reference to films or plays, but not novels; first quote from 1929.

HDSF has _horror_ in reference to genre from 1898 (cite found by Bill Mullins); I've added yours and given you credit:

https://sfdictionary.com/view/1533/horror

Jesse Sheidlower

On Tue, Oct 20, 2026 at 09:23:10AM -0400, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> Not in OED
> 
> 1892  Times-Picayune (N.O.)  (Apr. 10) 15:  THE PEER AND THE WOMAN, by E.
> Phillips Oppenheim. One of the horror novels this, that tries to heap
> horror on horror, suicides, mysteries, secrets, but somehow one's hair
> refuses to stand on end,...the frightened chill won't crawl down his back,
> and he puts it down in disappointed disgust.
> 
> Evidently the genre was already full-blown, but this is the earliest
> "horror novel" I've seen.
> 
> JL
> 
> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org