Horns
Author: Joe Hill
Project Type: Speculative
Details:
Horns incorporates elements from many genres of fiction, but is probably best described as speculative or supernatural fiction with elements of horror, thriller, crime and fantasy. It follows the literal transformation of its protagonist, Ig Perrish, into a supernatural devil-like creature while he strives to uncover the truth about his girlfriend's murder. In this story, however, Hill is adamant in his portrayal of the "devil" as an "anti-hero" rather than a villain.
I chose to focus on the idea of transformation, as it is integral to the main conceit of the story as well as being thematically relevant. This also allowed me to explore the theme of reputation, which I found to be essential to the protagonist's transformational arc.
To depict these themes, I wanted to start with something fundamentally "good" or "innocent," then deface it.
