104-450: Necroscope is the title of a series of horror novels by British author Brian Lumley . The term necroscope , as defined in the series, describes someone who can communicate with the dead (coined Deadspeak later in the series). Unlike necromancers , who here extract the knowledge they seek by brutal eviscerations of corpses, a necroscope can communicate with them as equals: peacefully and without any physical interference. The abilities of
208-694: A team / section , or squad . In Commonwealth armies, it is a more senior rank, corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command. In the United States Army , sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a fireteam leader or assistant squad leader; while in the United States Marine Corps the rank is typically held by squad leaders. More senior non-commissioned ranks are often variations on sergeant, for example staff sergeant , gunnery sergeant , master sergeant , first sergeant , and sergeant major . In many nations and services,
312-462: A "soldier sergeant" was a man of what would now be thought of as the "middle class", fulfilling a slightly junior role to the knight in the medieval hierarchy. Sergeants could fight either as heavy cavalry, light cavalry, or as trained professional infantry; either spearmen or crossbowmen. Most notable medieval mercenaries fell into the "sergeant" class, such as Flemish crossbowmen and spearmen, who were seen as reliable quality troops. The sergeant class
416-413: A constable or senior constable, but lower than an inspector . The sergeant structure varies among state police forces, generally two sergeant ranks are commonly classed as non-commissioned officers: South Australia Police has the additional rank of brevet sergeant (two chevrons below an inverted arrow head) which is an authorization for a temporarily higher rank. A brevet sergeant is less senior than
520-620: A door in space and enter the Möbius continuum, he can then create another door to exit. There is no time in the continuum, so teleportation is instant. Harry is also able to open a past or future time door and observe what may be, but he cannot appear there physically. In total, Harry Keogh has six different ESP talents by the end of the first series of five books: Harry Jr. is the son of Harry with his wife Brenda. Harry Jr. shows immense intelligence even as toddler and has even greater powers than his father. Choosing to flee from Earth after an attack by
624-504: A fungus formed from the decomposed flesh and fats of a deceased vampire. When a suitable host is detected, the fungus releases spores that slowly adapt the victim's body to suit the growth of a leech. During the transformation, hosts show traditional signs of vampirism, such as aversion to light and garlic. The next stage is a death-like catatonia, which can be immediately induced through direct transmission of bodily fluids, such as bite or sex. Powerful vampires can be quickly created by infusing
728-451: A high degree of life," whereas horror is described as that which "freezes and nearly annihilates them." Modern scholarship on horror fiction draws upon a range of sources. In their historical studies of the gothic novel, both Devendra Varma and S. L. Varnado make reference to the theologian Rudolf Otto , whose concept of the " numinous " was originally used to describe religious experience. A recent survey reports how often horror media
832-624: A necroscope are defined as a type of ESP . Harry Keogh (born Harry Snaith), the Necroscope , is born with the ability to speak to the dead. As he grows up and his power manifests itself, he befriends the dead, known as the Great Majority, and learns from them that death is not the end. He believes that although the body dies, the mind goes on and the dead continue to improve and expand in death what they loved in life. From him, they learn to communicate amongst themselves, and love Harry for it. In turn,
936-439: A purpose or merely escaped; thralls, who have no will of their own but have abilities beyond that of a human; lieutenants, who are more powerful thralls; eggsons and eggdaughters, who come from eggs; bloodsons and blooddaughters, who are vampires born from sexual intercourse with humans; and lords and ladies, known as the "true wamphyri". Lords and ladies have adult leeches, and their abilities far surpass that of thralls. Although it
1040-399: A rank for conscripts considered to have leadership potential. In general the term sergeant was used for both contract sergeant and career sergeant. Contract sergeant was classified as the lowest sub-officer rank, the rank below being chief corporal. The Sergeant was introduced 1843 and was used until 1921, when the rank was changed to Unterfeldwebel . The current rank used in
1144-428: A reminder of the man he once was. The change removes his ability to use the Möbius continuum, leaving him with just Deadspeak and telepathy . His mind soon wanes and he loses touch with his humanity, preferring to take the company of his Starside/Sunside wolf brethren. He is Harry's other child with a Szgany traveller woman Nana Kiklu. Born in the vampire world of Sunside/Starside with his twin brother Nestor, Nathan
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#17328729776391248-430: A sense similar to the reason a person seeks out the controlled thrill of a roller coaster , readers in the modern era seek out feelings of horror and terror to feel a sense of excitement. However, Barrette adds that horror fiction is one of the few mediums where readers seek out a form of art that forces themselves to confront ideas and images they "might rather ignore to challenge preconceptions of all kinds." One can see
1352-434: A sergeant is a three-bar chevron, worn point down, surmounted by a maple leaf. Embroidered rank badges are worn in "CF gold" thread on rifle green Melton, stitched to the upper sleeves of the service dress jacket; as miniature gold metal and rifle-green enamel badges on the collars of the army dress shirt and army outerwear jackets; in "old-gold" thread on air force blue slip-ins on air force shirts, sweaters, and coats; and in
1456-450: A sergeant is as second-in-command of a platoon or commander of a fire support section of a weapons platoon, such as an anti-tank or mortar platoon. Another role is that of company clerk and instructor. There are higher ranks of company sergeant and company quartermaster sergeant. Artillery sergeants are usually assigned as detachment and section commanders, as well as in administrative roles. The difference in roles of sergeant and corporal in
1560-400: A sergeant. New South Wales Police Force has the additional rank of incremental sergeant (three chevrons and a crown). This is an incremental progression, following an appointment as a sergeant for seven years. An incremental sergeant rank is less senior than a senior sergeant but is more senior than a sergeant. Upon appointment as a sergeant or senior sergeant, the sergeant is given: Within
1664-408: A story intends to shock and disgust, but the best horror intends to rattle our cages and shake us out of our complacency. It makes us think, forces us to confront ideas we might rather ignore, and challenges preconceptions of all kinds. Horror reminds us that the world is not always as safe as it seems, which exercises our mental muscles and reminds us to keep a little healthy caution close at hand. In
1768-483: A symbiotic relationship with a host creature, usually a human or sometimes an animal. While the symbiosis puts great demands on the host, such as feeding on blood , the benefits include increased strength, speed, and resilience; a seemingly infinite lifespan; magnified senses; base emotional stimulation; access to latent psychic power; shapeshifting; and certain narcotic effects, including control over weak-minded people. Vampiric leeches begin their original life cycle as
1872-605: A tan thread on CADPAT slip-ins (army) or dark blue thread on olive-drab slip-ins (air force) on the operational dress uniform. Colour sergeant in the Canadian Armed Forces is not a rank of sergeant, but a warrant officer in one of the two Foot Guards regiments (the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards ). Likewise, a sergeant-major (including regimental sergeant-major )
1976-490: A unit or team within a station or division. The insignia for a staff sergeant is three chevrons, worn point down surmounted by a royal crown. In the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the insignia for a sergeant is three chevrons, worn point down surmounted by a royal crown (which is the insignia of a staff sergeant in other Canadian police forces). The insignia of a staff sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
2080-555: A year or more often. Unsurprisingly, there is a strong correlation between liking and frequency of use (r=.79, p<.0001). Achievements in horror fiction are recognized by numerous awards. The Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker , author of the seminal horror novel Dracula . The Australian Horror Writers Association presents annual Australian Shadows Awards . The International Horror Guild Award
2184-474: A year. Within the Russian Armed Forces , there are three ranks which are explicitly sergeant ranks: junior sergeant ( младший сержант , mladshy serzhant ), sergeant ( сержант , serzhant ) and senior sergeant ( старший сержант , starshy serzhant ). There is also a rank called " starshina " ( старшина ), which is often translated as "master sergeant". These ranks are inherited from
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#17328729776392288-610: Is Stephen King , known for Carrie , The Shining , It , Misery , and several dozen other novels and about 200 short stories . Beginning in the 1970s, King's stories have attracted a large audience, for which he was awarded by the U.S. National Book Foundation in 2003. Other popular horror authors of the period included Anne Rice , Shaun Hutson , Brian Lumley , Graham Masterton , James Herbert , Dean Koontz , Richard Laymon , Clive Barker , Ramsey Campbell , and Peter Straub . Best-selling book series of contemporary times exist in genres related to horror fiction, such as
2392-668: Is a psychic sensitive, a defector sleeper agent planted in England by the Soviet E-Branch. In his self-appointed mission to avenge his mother's death, Harry is dragged into a web of espionage involving British and Soviet ESP agencies. This leads to Harry learning to use the Möbius Continuum (from its discoverer August Ferdinand Möbius himself, at his grave in Leipzig, Germany), which allows him to instantaneously transport himself anywhere in
2496-762: Is a rank in both the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force . The ranks are equivalent to each other and the Royal Australian Navy rank of petty officer . Although the rank insignia of the RAAF rank of flight sergeant (Flt Sgt) and the Australian Army rank of staff sergeant (SSgt) are identical, flight sergeant in fact outranks the rank of staff sergeant in the classification of rank equivalencies. The Australian Army rank of staff sergeant
2600-526: Is a werewolf story titled " Bisclavret ". The Countess Yolande commissioned a werewolf story titled " Guillaume de Palerme ". Anonymous writers penned two werewolf stories, "Biclarel" and " Melion ". Much horror fiction derives from the cruellest personages of the 15th century. Dracula can be traced to the Prince of Wallachia Vlad III , whose alleged war crimes were published in German pamphlets. A 1499 pamphlet
2704-415: Is almost as old as horror fiction itself. In 1826, the gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe published an essay distinguishing two elements of horror fiction, "terror" and "horror." Whereas terror is a feeling of dread that takes place before an event happens, horror is a feeling of revulsion or disgust after an event has happened. Radcliffe describes terror as that which "expands the soul and awakens the faculties to
2808-444: Is also common. Horror fiction Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which are in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon , in 1984, defined the horror story as "a piece of fiction in prose of variable length ... which shocks, or even frightens
2912-477: Is an Army or Air Force non-commissioned officer rank of the Canadian Armed Forces . Its naval equivalent is petty officer 2nd class ( French : maître de 2e classe ). It is senior to the appointment of master corporal and its equivalent naval appointment, master seaman , and junior to warrant officer and its naval equivalent, petty officer 1st class . Sergeants and petty officers 2nd class are
3016-639: Is at first the quietest and most withdrawn of the two and is thought of as dumb by some of the Szgany tribe due to his lack of confidence, his stutter and unwillingness to speak, only talking to those closest to him. Inheriting his fathers deadspeak powers Nathan hears the thoughts of the dead in his dreams but they refuse to talk to him, wary of him as they had been his father at the end of his life. He also communicates with three friendly wolves which talk to him telepathically while he sleeps, although not knowing why or understanding how Nathan takes them as just dreams. By
3120-667: Is conceivable that lords or ladies could be killed through starvation or grievous bodily harm, the only reliable way to kill them is by decapitation or immolation – preferably both. Vampires can regenerate from injuries as long as their leech remains alive, and a dead leech's psychic consciousness can persist through the fungal stage, if it is powerful enough. Certain virulent diseases, such as leprosy, can slowly kill vampires through centuries of suffering. Wamphyri control their own planet, but Earth has shorter nights, better technology, and more humans which make vampires more vulnerable. They generally favor subtlety while on Earth. Vampires consider
3224-486: Is consumed: To assess frequency of horror consumption, we asked respondents the following question: "In the past year, about how often have you used horror media (for example, horror literature, film, and video games) for entertainment?" 11.3% said "Never," 7.5% "Once," 28.9% "Several times," 14.1% "Once a month," 20.8% "Several times a month," 7.3% "Once a week," and 10.2% "Several times a week." Evidently, then, most respondents (81.3%) claimed to use horror media several times
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3328-537: Is fear of the unknown." the first sentence from his seminal essay, " Supernatural Horror in Literature ". Science fiction historian Darrell Schweitzer has stated, "In the simplest sense, a horror story is one that scares us" and "the true horror story requires a sense of evil, not in necessarily in a theological sense; but the menaces must be truly menacing, life-destroying, and antithetical to happiness." In her essay "Elements of Aversion", Elizabeth Barrette articulates
3432-540: Is four chevrons worn point up. In the Danish Defence , sergeants are typically squad (6-12 soldiers) or section commanders. The sergeants in the Danish forces also act as drill sergeants and platoon instructors, training both new soldiers in basic training, as well as professional soldiers. Sergeants with 1–2 years in the rank, who are in basic training units, are often second-in-command of the platoon. In professional units,
3536-464: Is in Finnish Defence Forces the second lowest non-commissioned officer rank. The rank is carried by conscripts, reservists and professional soldiers. Conscripts and salaried soldiers with the rank of sergeant are distinguished from each other by their insignia. Conscripts and reservists have three chevrons, whereas salaried personel have three chevrons and a sword in the insignia. Sergeant is
3640-399: Is merely one of many interpretations of the metaphor of Dracula. Jack Halberstam postulates many of these in his essay Technologies of Monstrosity: Bram Stoker's Dracula . He writes: [The] image of dusty and unused gold, coins from many nations and old unworn jewels, immediately connects Dracula to the old money of a corrupt class, to a kind of piracy of nations and to the worst excesses of
3744-418: Is not a sergeant rank, but an appointment held by a master warrant officer or chief warrant officer . Sergeants generally mess and billet with warrant officers, master warrant officers, and chief warrant officers, and their naval counterparts, chief petty officers and petty officers . Their mess on military bases or installations is generally named the warrant officers' and sergeants' mess. Historically,
3848-416: Is now redundant and is no longer awarded, due to being outside the rank equivalencies and the next promotional rank is warrant officer class two. Chief petty officers and flight sergeants are not required to call a warrant officer class two "sir" in accordance with Australian Defence Force Regulations 1952 (Regulation 8). The rank of sergeant exists in all Australian police forces and is of higher ranking than
3952-466: Is struck by a fragment of Harry and becomes a Necroscope. The main antagonists of the series, the Wamphyri Lords (pronounced "Vam-Fear-Eee") are maleficent, primeval and dominating predatory creatures. Lumley reinterpreted the traditional vampire legend, working mostly within the rules set by Bram Stoker's Dracula . In his stories, vampires are a leech -like creatures from an alien world that form
4056-401: Is tends to be inconclusive on the impact that viewing such media has. One defining trait of the horror genre is that it provokes an emotional, psychological , or physical response within readers that causes them to react with fear. One of H. P. Lovecraft's most famous quotes about the genre is that: "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear
4160-482: Is unknown for sure why children enjoy these movies (as it seems counter-intuitive), it is theorized that it is, in part, grotesque monsters that fascinate kids. Tangential to this, the internalized impact of horror television programs and films on children is rather under-researched, especially when compared to the research done on the similar subject of violence in TV and film's impact on the young mind. What little research there
4264-617: The Bundeswehr which is equal to an American/British sergeant is the rank of Unteroffizier . Sergeant (Sgt) ( sáirsint in Irish ) is the second rank of non-commissioned officer within the Irish Army . The naval equivalent is petty officer . The army rank insignia consists of three winged chevrons (or "stripes"). The service dress insignia consists of three wavy red chevrons 9 cm wide bordered in yellow. The main infantry role of
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4368-587: The Israel Defense Forces , soldiers are promoted from corporal to sergeant after approximately 18 months of service (16 for combatants), if they performed their duties appropriately during this time, and did not have disciplinary problems. Soldiers who take a commander's course may become sergeants earlier. Sergeants get a symbolic pay raise of 1.80 NIS . The Hebrew name for the rank is samál originated as an acronym for סגן מחוץ למנין segen mi-khutz la-minyan ("supernumerary lieutenant") (inspired by
4472-645: The New South Wales Police Force , a sergeant is a team leader or supervisory rank, whilst the rank of senior sergeant is a middle management rank with coordination responsibilities over human and physical resources. All three sergeant ranks are informally referred to as "sergeant", or "sarge". However, at the New South Wales Police Academy, recruits must address all ranks of sergeants as "sergeant", and senior sergeants as "senior sergeant". Sergeant (Sgt) ( French : sergent or sgt )
4576-577: The Soviet Union . In the Soviet Army , most sergeants (with the exception of the aforementioned starshina ) were not career non-commissioned officers but specially trained conscripts; the rank of starshina was reserved for career non-commissioned officers. In the modern Russian army, there are attempts to change this system and make most or all sergeants career non-commissioned officers; they are met with limited success. Unlike most police forces of
4680-500: The vampire Yulian Bodescu, the baby Harry Jr., showing even greater mastery over the Möbius continuum than his father, transports himself and his mother to the parallel universe of Starside/Sunside and also back in time by twenty years. Living on Starside with his mother, Harry Jr. is vampirised by an 'infected' wolf and becomes Wamphyri and is named 'The Dweller in His Garden in the West' by
4784-569: The werewolf fiction urban fantasy Kitty Norville books by Carrie Vaughn (2005 onward). Horror elements continue to expand outside the genre. The alternate history of more traditional historical horror in Dan Simmons 's 2007 novel The Terror sits on bookstore shelves next to genre mash ups such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009), and historical fantasy and horror comics such as Hellblazer (1993 onward) and Mike Mignola 's Hellboy (1993 onward). Horror also serves as one of
4888-572: The 1950s satisfied readers' quests for horror imagery that the silver screen could not provide. This imagery made these comics controversial, and as a consequence, they were frequently censored. The modern zombie tale dealing with the motif of the living dead harks back to works including H. P. Lovecraft's stories " Cool Air " (1925), "In The Vault" (1926), and " The Outsider " (1926), and Dennis Wheatley 's "Strange Conflict" (1941). Richard Matheson 's novel I Am Legend (1954) influenced an entire genre of apocalyptic zombie fiction emblematized by
4992-442: The 4-month squad leader training and service time of alikersantti and kersantti ; all start their squad leader tour with the lower rank and the optional promotion is based on the superior's assessment of individual performance and intended duties in the wartime organization; special roles such as that of platoon sergeant or company first sergeant are typically reserved for kersantti and upwards. A corporal can also obtain
5096-639: The British light infantry . Its origin is the Latin serviens , 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant . The term sergeant refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal , and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant in the US, and below an inspector in the UK. In most armies, the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of
5200-399: The Great Majority offer him their knowledge. While Harry is at school, a deceased math teacher helps him with his developing mathematics talent and an ex-army sergeant teacher imparts self-defense skills. As the years go by, he has recurring dreams about his mother, dead after an apparent ice-skating accident but in reality murdered by her husband – Harry's stepfather Victor Shukshin. Shukshin
5304-985: The Möbius Continuum and ended up in the marshes of Sunside/Starside, making him the source of the vampire plague when his own spores infected the exiled Shaitan who becomes the first Wamphyri Lord. The main protagonist of the series. Harry's grandmother was a Russian immigrant who settled in Great Britain. His father died when he was very young. His mother later remarried and was eventually killed by Harry's stepfather. During his early childhood, Keogh lived with an aunt and uncle in County Durham in North East England . Keogh would eventually return to exact vengeance on his Russian stepfather. While at school, being not particularly popular or academically inclined, Harry discovers his ability to speak to people who have died. He also, in most part due to this ability, shows great aptitude in
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#17328729776395408-585: The Ripper , and lesser so, Carl Panzram , Fritz Haarman , and Albert Fish , all perpetuated this phenomenon. The trend continued in the postwar era, partly renewed after the murders committed by Ed Gein . In 1959, Robert Bloch , inspired by the murders, wrote Psycho . The crimes committed in 1969 by the Manson Family influenced the slasher theme in horror fiction of the 1970s. In 1981, Thomas Harris wrote Red Dragon , introducing Dr. Hannibal Lecter . In 1988,
5512-507: The Urals. It is on Sunside/Starside that Harry Keogh's final death eventually meets up with him, after he has lost his family, his friends, even his deadspeak and numeracy , but not his humanity. In the Möbius Continuum, Harry's essence explodes in a burst of golden light, and from that explosion a myriad of golden darts, each a part of Harry, come forth. Each of those golden darts carry a part of Keogh, and can join with hosts to grant them some of
5616-862: The Wanderer (1820), Washington Irving 's " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " (1820), Jane C. Loudon 's The Mummy!: Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century (1827), Victor Hugo 's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), Thomas Peckett Prest 's Varney the Vampire (1847), the works of Edgar Allan Poe , the works of Sheridan Le Fanu , Robert Louis Stevenson 's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's " Lot No. 249 " (1892), H. G. Wells ' The Invisible Man (1897), and Bram Stoker 's Dracula (1897). Each of these works created an enduring icon of horror seen in later re-imaginings on
5720-505: The abbreviation "NCO" ). Nowadays is no longer treated as an acronym or an abbreviation (in Hebrew) . In the Israeli Police, sergeant is the third rank, coming after constable and corporal . Officers are promoted to this rank after a year as a corporal, or after 20 months of service in total. Excelling officers may be promoted to this rank (or any other rank) in up to 6 months instead of
5824-558: The abilities of the original Necroscope. Later books in the series tell the stories of individuals touched by these darts: Nathan Kiklu, Jake Cutter and Scott St. John. The darts seek to continue their mission in life, and so bond to individuals who will come up against the Necroscope's old foes, the Wamphyri, and menaces of diabolic nature. Harry's physical remains, infected by the spores of the vampire Faethor Ferenczy, were sent back in time by
5928-489: The abuse of higher ranking vampires. Vampire society resembles the pack structure of wild social predators. They need social interaction but within rigid structures of control and dominance. Vampires in Lumley's novels are most often bisexual to some extent and frequently engage in various forms of incest and abuse with their offspring either by blood or by egg. The most desired treat is another vampire's leech or blood, so cannibalism
6032-422: The aristocracy. Halberstram articulates a view of Dracula as manifesting the growing perception of the aristocracy as an evil and outdated notion to be defeated. The depiction of a multinational band of protagonists using the latest technologies (such as a telegraph ) to quickly share, collate, and act upon new information is what leads to the destruction of the vampire. This is one of many interpretations of
6136-514: The army and gendarmerie use the equivalent ranks of maréchal des logis ("marshal of lodgings" in English) instead of sergeant ranks. There were three sergeant ranks in France, although the most junior, contract sergeant, has been superseded by student sub-officer now that conscription has been suspended. When the army contained a large proportion of conscripts, contract sergeant was very common as
6240-534: The artillery corps is not as clearly defined as in the infantry corps. Sergeant is also the second rank of non-commissioned officer in the Irish Air Corps . Before 1994, the Air Corps was considered part of the army and wore army uniforms with distinct corps badges , but the same rank insignia. With the introduction of a unique Air Corps blue uniform in 1994, the same rank markings in a white colour were worn, before
6344-410: The author. There are many theories as to why people enjoy being scared. For example, "people who like horror films are more likely to score highly for openness to experience, a personality trait linked to intellect and imagination." It is a now commonly accepted view that the horror elements of Dracula 's portrayal of vampirism are metaphors for sexuality in a repressed Victorian era . But this
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#17328729776396448-580: The central genres in more complex modern works such as Mark Z. Danielewski 's House of Leaves (2000), a finalist for the National Book Award . There are many horror novels for children and teens, such as R. L. Stine 's Goosebumps series or The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey . Additionally, many movies for young audiences, particularly animated ones, use horror aesthetics and conventions (for example, ParaNorman ). These are what can be collectively referred to as "children's horror". Although it
6552-399: The confrontation of ideas that readers and characters would "rather ignore" throughout literature in famous moments such as Hamlet 's musings about the skull of Yorick , its implications of the mortality of humanity, and the gruesome end that bodies inevitably come to. In horror fiction, the confrontation with the gruesome is often a metaphor for the problems facing the current generation of
6656-473: The daily lives of the soldiers of larger units. In police forces, sergeants are usually team leaders in charge of an entire team of constables to senior constables at large stations, to being in charge of sectors involving several police stations. In country areas, sergeants are often in charge of an entire station and its constabulary . Senior sergeants are usually in specialist areas and are in charge of sergeants and thus act as middle management. Sergeant (Sgt)
6760-455: The dead (thus earning him their eternal admiration, almost amounting to worship), but he can also form a bond with them which allows them a degree of control over him when he permits. For example, when faced with a dangerous situation, Harry hands his mind over to the control of a former gym teacher who was an army sergeant , and learns martial arts skills. He does not forget what he learns, and continues to use this skill and many others throughout
6864-411: The early 20th century made inroads in these mediums. Particularly, the venerated horror author H. P. Lovecraft , and his enduring Cthulhu Mythos transformed and popularized the genre of cosmic horror , and M. R. James is credited with redefining the ghost story in that era. The serial murderer became a recurring theme. Yellow journalism and sensationalism of various murderers, such as Jack
6968-405: The excitement of living on the edge, the tension between hunter and hunted. So we told each other stories through the long, dark nights. when the fires burned low, we did our best to scare the daylights out of each other. The rush of adrenaline feels good. Our hearts pound, our breath quickens, and we can imagine ourselves on the edge. Yet we also appreciate the insightful aspects of horror. Sometimes
7072-450: The fields of mathematics and creative writing. The author also puts forward the idea that death is not the end, and that whatever someone was or wished to be in life, he or she continues to be in death, within the restraints that death imposes. For example, a mathematician would continue perfecting his math, an inventor would keep inventing new things, and a psychic would continue to practice using their powers. Not only can Harry speak to
7176-404: The films of George A. Romero . In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the enormous commercial success of three books - Rosemary's Baby (1967) by Ira Levin , The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty , and The Other by Thomas Tryon - encouraged publishers to begin releasing numerous other horror novels, thus creating a "horror boom". One of the best-known late-20th century horror writers
7280-430: The flesh of human children a delicacy, though they also eat fruits and drink wine. Some vampires attempt to maintain their humanity, but this does not usually last. Wamphyrii psychology is based around intensified emotional states. They are constantly fearful of anyone they consider a threat and may avoid their own kind. Lesser vampires are frequently ambitious to rise in rank, partly out of lust for power, but also to escape
7384-526: The former "platoon/troop sergeants" were replaced by "platoon/troop warrant officers". Police forces across Canada also use the rank of sergeant and staff sergeant for senior non-commissioned officers above the rank of constable or corporal. Except in the province of Quebec and in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , the insignia for a police sergeant is three chevrons, worn point down. Staff sergeants rank above sergeants and are responsible for
7488-902: The gradual development of Romanticism and the Gothic horror genre. It drew on the written and material heritage of the Late Middle Ages, finding its form with Horace Walpole 's seminal and controversial 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto . In fact, the first edition was published disguised as an actual medieval romance from Italy, discovered and republished by a fictitious translator. Once revealed as modern, many found it anachronistic , reactionary , or simply in poor taste, but it proved immediately popular. Otranto inspired Vathek (1786) by William Beckford , A Sicilian Romance (1790), The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), The Italian (1796) by Ann Radcliffe , and The Monk (1797) by Matthew Lewis . A significant amount of horror fiction of this era
7592-495: The highest non-commissioned officer rank that a conscript who has completed the junior NCO course ( aliupseerikoulu in Finnish) can reach before entering the reserve. The lowest and most common non-commissioned officer rank is alikersantti (lit. "lower sergeant"); see corporal . Only a few non-commissioned officers in each conscript company reach the higher rank of full three-chevron kersantti . There's no difference between
7696-448: The host with a leech's egg, but most leeches lay only one egg during their lifetime. "Mothers", which can lay multiple eggs, are widely feared for their ability to quickly produce an army of vampires, but vampire legends say the process can make Mothers become a lifeless husk. In the Necroscope series, vampires are described as being divided into several classes: lesser vampiric creatures consisting of animals that may have been infected for
7800-643: The house seemed inexpensive. While writing a book on philosophy, he was visited by a ghostly figure bound in chains. The figure disappeared in the courtyard; the following day, the magistrates dug in the courtyard and found an unmarked grave. Elements of the horror genre also occur in Biblical texts, notably in the Book of Revelation . The Witch of Berkeley by William of Malmesbury has been viewed as an early horror story. Werewolf stories were popular in medieval French literature . One of Marie de France 's twelve lais
7904-494: The individual armed service. The term "sergeant" is also used in many appointment titles. In most non-naval military or paramilitary organizations, the various grades of sergeant are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) ranking above privates and corporals , and below warrant officers and commissioned officers . The responsibilities of a sergeant differ from army to army. There are usually several ranks of sergeant, each corresponding to greater experience and responsibility for
8008-507: The introduction of a new three-chevron with wing rank marking. There are higher ranks of flight sergeant and flight quartermaster sergeant. Sergeant is the second rank in the Garda Síochána , above garda and below inspector. Sergeants appointed as detectives use the rank title detective sergeant (DS). They do not outrank regular sergeants, the 'detective' prefix indicates that they are permanently allocated to detective duties. In
8112-449: The metaphor of only one central figure of the canon of horror fiction, as over a dozen possible metaphors are referenced in the analysis, from the religious to the antisemitic . Noël Carroll 's Philosophy of Horror postulates that a modern piece of horror fiction's " monster ", villain , or a more inclusive menace must exhibit the following two traits: In addition to those essays and articles shown above, scholarship on horror fiction
8216-413: The military sergeant, though sharing the etymological origin – for example the serjeant-at-law , historically an important and prestigious order of English lawyers. "Sergeant" is generally the lowest rank of sergeant, with individual military entities choosing some additional words to signify higher-ranking individuals. What terms are used, and what seniority they signify, is to a great extent dependent on
8320-408: The mountains. Severely injured during the battle, his vampire leech re-shapes his damaged body into that of a more simple entity, a wolf , to save both their lives. His injuries were immense, and with much less mass, rebuilding damaged tissue and bone was easier. The exception to this transformation was his hands, which he willed remain, so that the Szgany may know him, and so that he too would have
8424-597: The multi-dimensional universe. From that point on, Keogh, backed by the British E-Branch, works to rid the human world of a vampire menace, a mission that will eventually lead him to a parallel world called Sunside/Starside. This vampire-dominated world is connected to Earth via two portals, one in Romania (the original "source" of vampires on Earth) and a second, recent one in the Soviet-run Pechorsk Project in
8528-560: The need by some for horror tales in a modern world: The old "fight or flight" reaction of our evolutionary heritage once played a major role in the life of every human. Our ancestors lived and died by it. Then someone invented the fascinating game of civilization, and things began to calm down. Development pushed wilderness back from settled lands. War, crime, and other forms of social violence came with civilization and humans started preying on each other, but by and large daily life calmed down. We began to feel restless, to feel something missing:
8632-546: The only senior non-commissioned officers in the Canadian Armed Forces, as WOs, MWOs and CWOs are warrant officers, not senior NCOs in accordance with the Queens Regulations and Orders. Volume 1, Article 102 "Definitions". In army units, sergeants usually serve as section commanders; they may often be called to fill positions normally held by warrant officers , such as platoon or troop warrant, company quartermaster sergeant , chief clerk , etc. The rank insignia of
8736-424: The page, stage, and screen. A proliferation of cheap periodicals around the turn of the century led to a boom in horror writing. For example, Gaston Leroux serialized his Le Fantôme de l'Opéra before it became a novel in 1910. One writer who specialized in horror fiction for mainstream pulps, such as All-Story Magazine , was Tod Robbins , whose fiction deals with themes of madness and cruelty. In Russia,
8840-492: The principle of the thing embodied in the person. These manifested in stories of beings such as demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. European horror-fiction became established through works of the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans . Mary Shelley 's well-known 1818 novel about Frankenstein was greatly influenced by the story of Hippolytus , whom Asclepius revives from death. Euripides wrote plays based on
8944-485: The rank insignia for a sergeant often features three chevrons. In medieval European usage, a sergeant was simply any attendant or officer with a protective duty. Any medieval knight or military order of knighthood might have "sergeants-at-arms", meaning servants able to fight if needed. The etymology of the term is from Anglo-French sergent , serjeant "servant, valet, court official, soldier", from Middle Latin servientem "servant, vassal, soldier". Later,
9048-468: The rank of sergeant (and possibly above, the next rank being four-chevron ylikersantti , which is comparable to staff sergeant) by taking some military refresher courses while in reserve, or by enlisting to (short-term) professional service in the military. French sergeant ranks are used by the air force, engineers, infantry, Foreign Legion , Troupes de marine , communications, administrative service, and Gendarmerie mobile . Other branches of
9152-429: The rank of sergeant was severely downgraded after unification of the three services in 1968 . An army sergeant before unification was generally employed in supervisory positions, such as the second in command of a platoon-sized unit (i.e. an infantry platoon sergeant, or troop sergeant in an armoured unit). After unification, sergeants were downgraded in status to section commander, a job previously held by corporals , and
9256-409: The reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing". Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader. Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society. The horror genre has ancient origins, with roots in folklore and religious traditions focusing on death, the afterlife, evil, the demonic, and
9360-426: The role of second-in-command in the platoon is sometimes given to a very experienced sergeant, but in most cases will be a Senior sergeant ( Danish : Oversergent ), the rank above sergeant. Sergeants in the Danish military are instructors in military drill, weapons, field-craft, small unit tactics, and physical training. Kersantti ( Finnish language abrv. kers.) or Sergeant ( swedish language abrv. Serg)
9464-517: The sequel to that novel, The Silence of the Lambs , was published. Early cinema was inspired by many aspects of horror literature, and started a strong tradition of horror films and subgenres that continues to this day. Up until the graphic depictions of violence and gore on the screen commonly associated with 1960s and 1970s slasher films and splatter films , comic books such as those published by EC Comics (most notably Tales From The Crypt ) in
9568-521: The series. In addition, if the dead are nearby and the physical situation permits, they will literally raise themselves up out of the ground and fight for him. This gives him powerful allies as, being dead already, they have nothing to lose and almost nothing to fear. Harry is also able to teleport anywhere in the world via the Möbius continuum, which he learned from August Ferdinand Möbius . By employing advanced equations learned through his dead tutor and his intuitive mathematical mind, Harry can conjure
9672-621: The story, Hippolytos Kalyptomenos and Hippolytus . In Plutarch 's The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans in the account of Cimon , the author describes the spirit of a murderer , Damon, who himself was murdered in a bathhouse in Chaeronea . Pliny the Younger (61 to c. 113) tells the tale of Athenodorus Cananites , who bought a haunted house in Athens . Athenodorus was cautious since
9776-490: The term, considering it too lurid. They instead use the terms dark fantasy or Gothic fantasy for supernatural horror, or " psychological thriller " for non-supernatural horror. Sergeant Sergeant ( Sgt ) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant , is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from
9880-463: The trilogy's end, it is revealed that they are the Dweller's pups, born with intelligence rivalling man, with their father's Deadspeak and sense of direction (the ability that Harry Jr/The Dweller used in finding the way to Sunside/Starside). Everything changes for Nathan when his village on Sunside is attacked by Wamphyri. Seeking his lost brother, he leaves on a long journey of discovery taking him across
9984-429: The ways of teleportation via the Möbius continuum like his father. With the help of the British E-Branch, Nathan returns to his own world and wages war on the Wamphyri. Chosen by the spirit of the dead Harry Keogh, Jake is spotted and recruited by the British E-Branch where he is tutored and taught about Harry's legacy and deadspeak and eventually masters the Möbius continuum. While in mourning for his dead wife, Scott
10088-438: The whole of Sunside/Starside. Becoming strong and confident, losing his stutter, and learning to use his long dormant telepathy while on his travels, he eventually returns to his Szgany clan before being taken by the Wamphyri and is thrown through a gate to Earth. Arriving in a Russian base, he escapes and is found by the British E-Branch who teach him of his heritage and his true father. More importantly, Nathan finally learns
10192-497: The world's fearful inhabitants. Hiding his Wamphyri features behind a golden mask and black cloak – he shuns the Wamphyri lifestyle, instead using his immense willpower to hold his vampire at bay. The Dweller forms an alliance with the Szgany Lidesci (the planet's gypsy-like humans) but becomes infamous among the Wamphyri of Starside because of his mysterious powers. Fearing him, they form an alliance to attack him at his garden in
10296-745: The world, in the Russian police sergeant is a starting, entry-level rank. Ranks of "policeman" or "senior policeman" are not used in Russia (the rank of " private of police" technically exists but is rare, and most recruits become sergeants right away). It is divided into three grades the same way as the army sergeant rank. In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), there are five different grades of sergeant: third sergeant (3SG), second sergeant (2SG), first sergeant (1SG), staff sergeant (SSG), and master sergeant (MSG). Sergeants are considered specialists in
10400-473: The writer Alexander Belyaev popularized these themes in his story Professor Dowell's Head (1925), in which a mad doctor performs experimental head transplants and reanimations on bodies stolen from the morgue and which was first published as a magazine serial before being turned into a novel. Later, specialist publications emerged to give horror writers an outlet, prominent among them was Weird Tales and Unknown Worlds . Influential horror writers of
10504-443: Was deemed to be 'worth half of a knight' in military value. A specific kind of military sergeant was the serjeant-at-arms , one of a body of armed men retained by English lords and monarchs. The title is now given to an officer in modern legislative bodies who is charged with keeping order during meetings and, if necessary, forcibly removing disruptive members. The term had also civilian applications quite distinct and different from
10608-538: Was presented annually to works of horror and dark fantasy from 1995 to 2008. The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic works. Other important awards for horror literature are included as subcategories within general awards for fantasy and science fiction in such awards as the Aurealis Award . Some writers of fiction normally classified as "horror" tend to dislike
10712-464: Was published by Markus Ayrer, which is most notable for its woodcut imagery. The alleged serial-killer sprees of Gilles de Rais have been seen as the inspiration for " Bluebeard ". The motif of the vampiress is most notably derived from the real-life noblewoman and murderer, Elizabeth Bathory , and helped usher in the emergence of horror fiction in the 18th century, such as through László Turóczi's 1729 book Tragica Historia . The 18th century saw
10816-624: Was written by women and marketed towards a female audience, a typical scenario of the novels being a resourceful female menaced in a gloomy castle. The Gothic tradition blossomed into the genre that modern readers today call horror literature in the 19th century. Influential works and characters that continue resonating in fiction and film today saw their genesis in the Brothers Grimm 's " Hänsel und Gretel " (1812), Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), John Polidori 's " The Vampyre " (1819), Charles Maturin 's Melmoth
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