Farewell, Shocklines

As most people already know, Shocklines announced their intention to close down back in June. It is an immense blow to readers and publishers alike, particularly the small press in the horror genre, despite the creator’s reasonable explanation for the shutdown. It is also an orderly closure, since existing orders continue to go out until it is pulled for good.

Thankfully, I have to agree with the administrator in the above statement, where he notes the closure of the site does not reflect poor health for the horror genre. On the contrary, the explosion of online content, mainstream films, cable shows like Showtime’s Masters of Horror series, and profitable thrillers in large bookstores all indicate a renaissance of sorts for horror. While it may not be up to the level the so-called “horror glut” of the 1980s represented, none can deny the growing popularity of the genre and its lively appearance the past ten years in new forms—like the internet and video games.

It appears, more than anything, that the end of Shocklines means the market is there for horror, but not necessarily the infrastructure. The recent growth of horror also adds a bitter touch of tragedy to the distributor’s demise, at a moment when it otherwise might have become a major nexus for horror fans. Small publishers and readers looking for a quick, simple, centralized location to find less common and experimental works will suffer for awhile.

Yet, it seems doubtful the end of Shocklines will really be the conclusion of online merchants like it. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that some enterprising individual or group has created an improved Shocklines within a year’s time. So, Shocklines will be mourned and remembered as an excellent resource for quality horror, but need not be lamented as the last of its kind nor a reflection of poor health for horror as a whole.

-Grim Blogger