Apologies for the unannounced hiatus...posts will be getting a little irregular now and then due to my unfortunate April schedule.
This week I'll be going over one of my favorite creepypastas, The Russian Sleep Experiment. Its a classic, one thats stood the test of time. The creepypasta describes an experiment carried out by Russian researchers in the 1940s (post WW2 time period), which involved keeping five test subjects using a gas.
Lets get straight to the point. This creepypasta doesn't mince words at all, beginning with a forward introduction of the topic: The experiment. It tracks the course of the experiment by mentioning observations after one day, three days, ten days...etc (the full course of the experiment was intended to span a month; It instead lasted fifteen days). As always, the horror element kicks in pretty quickly in these "experiment/urban legend" pastas. In this case, it begins around the fourth paragraph, and after that point, is blatantly horrific.
On that subject, allow me to cover the author's execution of the aforementioned "horror aspect". As is widely known, there are two main areas of horror, one being the "gross-out, splatter film", and the other being the more creepy, spooky feels. This pasta incorporates both, with interesting degrees of success, The blunt description of wounds (as well as the overall direct tone) eliminates any flamboyance that would detract from the gross-out factor, without making the mental imagery any less graphic (Example: "All the blood vessels and organs remained intact, they had just been taken out and laid on the floor, fanning out around the eviscerated but still living bodies of the subjects."). The creepy aspect of this pasta occurs much closer to the end of the fic, with the subject's behavior and words.
You probably don't need me to tell you again that realism is the most crucial point in creepypasta, but I'd like to stress that this is critical to more realistically based pastas (Think Russian Sleep as opposed to Slenderman). As the fic itself provides little explanation as to very technical, specific points of the experiment (such as the name of the gas, scientific justifications...), it loses a bit of credibility. On the other hand, this provides a catalyst for the mystery and "creepy factor" I discussed earlier. But on more of a preference note, I would have appreciated more scientific backup (or bullshit, whichever you prefer).
Have you read The Russian Sleep Experiment? Tell me what you think of it in the comments. Which creepypasta should I review next? I'm thinking of just working my way through the classic ones first, then the most highly rated ones.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Creepy Wednesday: Samaritan Road Rant
Welcome back to Creepy Wednesday...yes I did take a March Break away from posting last week, but I'm back with a review/ramble.
First things first, check out the creepypasta here. Its rated 7.4/10 and not too long, just what I'd consider a quick read.
This most definitely is a traditional urban legend pasta, and is told in just that fashion with an unnamed narrator addressing the reader directly. The plot, simply told, concerns a certain stretch of "haunted" road. The narrator then informs the reader of two decisions that can be made, one which will save the reader's life and the other, which will take it. As I''m attempting to refrain from retelling the story in this post I'll stop right here.
If this sounds like a typical, overused story line, remember that even the simplest of story formulas can create great novels.
Though some might find the tone a bit bland, familiar, or typical to the type of story, I found it very appropriate. The author doesn't mince words, nor does he take on a flowery tone. The text itself contains a few stilted/awkward phrases, and some errors that were most likely typos. Still, it isn't distracting and the overall feel of the story is believable and genuine.
The pasta definitely goes for more of a subtly "creepy" feel than the outright, splatter style horror fics. The description of the "woman" in one of the later paragraphs does indeed border on disturbing, it isn't outright horrific, which makes this fic a bit friendlier to the *pussies* who are just starting out with creepypasta.
The final touch on the pasta is the ending, which often makes or breaks a pasta. Personally, its my theory that the success of the Jeff the Killer creepypasta was largely due to its strong ending, which, if you really do need a refresher, would be the words "go to sleep". Again, I'm trying not to ruin the pasta for you, so I'll just say that the ending of Samaritan Road is very, very, well played.
Final thoughts on this pasta? Quick warning, I'm going to go straight into spoilers from here on out. The deciding point in this urban legend is the reader's choice, and in this case the correct choice involves freeing yourself from blame rather than doing a good deed. Its an idea that seems blasphemous at first- compare the Biblical Samaritan saving the man on the side of the road with the image of Pontius Pilate washing the guilt off his hands. The pasta states (rather explicitly) that the haunted road preys on the goodness in a human's natural instinct, while saving yourself involves detaching yourself from the situation. I wont digress, no matter how tempted I am to go on a moral tangent. This pasta is a solid 9/10 in my book, and I highly recommend it to anyone starting out with creepypasta.
Have you read Samaritan Road? If you have, what are your thoughts? Also, consider the unusually long post a penance for my absence. Check in next Wednesday for more creepy posts.
First things first, check out the creepypasta here. Its rated 7.4/10 and not too long, just what I'd consider a quick read.
This most definitely is a traditional urban legend pasta, and is told in just that fashion with an unnamed narrator addressing the reader directly. The plot, simply told, concerns a certain stretch of "haunted" road. The narrator then informs the reader of two decisions that can be made, one which will save the reader's life and the other, which will take it. As I''m attempting to refrain from retelling the story in this post I'll stop right here.
If this sounds like a typical, overused story line, remember that even the simplest of story formulas can create great novels.
Though some might find the tone a bit bland, familiar, or typical to the type of story, I found it very appropriate. The author doesn't mince words, nor does he take on a flowery tone. The text itself contains a few stilted/awkward phrases, and some errors that were most likely typos. Still, it isn't distracting and the overall feel of the story is believable and genuine.
The pasta definitely goes for more of a subtly "creepy" feel than the outright, splatter style horror fics. The description of the "woman" in one of the later paragraphs does indeed border on disturbing, it isn't outright horrific, which makes this fic a bit friendlier to the *pussies* who are just starting out with creepypasta.
The final touch on the pasta is the ending, which often makes or breaks a pasta. Personally, its my theory that the success of the Jeff the Killer creepypasta was largely due to its strong ending, which, if you really do need a refresher, would be the words "go to sleep". Again, I'm trying not to ruin the pasta for you, so I'll just say that the ending of Samaritan Road is very, very, well played.
Final thoughts on this pasta? Quick warning, I'm going to go straight into spoilers from here on out. The deciding point in this urban legend is the reader's choice, and in this case the correct choice involves freeing yourself from blame rather than doing a good deed. Its an idea that seems blasphemous at first- compare the Biblical Samaritan saving the man on the side of the road with the image of Pontius Pilate washing the guilt off his hands. The pasta states (rather explicitly) that the haunted road preys on the goodness in a human's natural instinct, while saving yourself involves detaching yourself from the situation. I wont digress, no matter how tempted I am to go on a moral tangent. This pasta is a solid 9/10 in my book, and I highly recommend it to anyone starting out with creepypasta.
Have you read Samaritan Road? If you have, what are your thoughts? Also, consider the unusually long post a penance for my absence. Check in next Wednesday for more creepy posts.
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Creepy Wednesday: Child of God Creepypasta Review
Welcome back to Creepy Wednesday. Hope the weeks been going well for everyone (which it has for me, other than the sad realization that no one reads this blog, and I'm just talking to myself. Ha!).First things first: Here is a link to the creepypasta.
Read the creepypasta and tell me if you agree. Comments are more than welcome.
Be warned, as this post includes summary and, therefore, spoilers.
This creepypasta is rated 8.3/10 as of today, which is rather high on the creepypasta specrum (Jeff the Killer has a 8.7). Its written in a sort of memoir style, by the main voice and protagonist of the pasta. Its not too long, just a rather decent, typical creepypasta length.
Basically, the protagonist tells the story of her dabble in witchcraft at the age of sixteen. She ends up summoning the spirit of a dead teenage girl to become her "friend", who then proceeds to become enamored with the main character's brother. At this point the story unwinds into a possession/exorcism style plot line, with Christian principles being brought in. Unlike many other pastas, this one ends well. So, pretty much a standard "black magic gone wrong" pasta.
I found that the matter of fact tone of the story paid off in the end. Having a character approach a more dramatic storyline rationally, especially in past tense, was definitely less engaging than in the moment storytelling (Psychosis, anyone?). But it gave the story an extra touch of realism and a rather bland and slightly regretful tone that may have made the story more haunting. I must note, though, that the unflowery language might turn some people off.
In respects to how believable the story is, I would give it a 6/10. Some areas, for example the protagonist's loneliness as a teenager, I begrudgingly acknowledged. The protagonist's raising of "Jezebel" was plausible, but I feel that the use of past tense and the fact that the narrator was looking back on her actions helped this along. The actual descriptions of the "wicca and black magic" were the most dubious. The narrator becoming "more in tune with the darkness", "drawing pentagrams in class when I was supposed to be taking notes" and "confessing my ever growing faith in the darkness"...reminds me of my over-dramatic, twelve year old emo phase! I don't know if the author wrote this intentionally. There was a definite lack of research on their part. However, this isn't the point of this pasta, so I let it off easier.
The actual exorcism is more engaging/interesting. I wont ruin it by describing it in detail, but the author doesn't mince words. Its brutal, considering that what the author mentioned concerning the narrator's "immersion in the darkness". The paragraphs about the exorcism, in my opinion, redeems the pasta. The hunters are believable, in terms of their descriptions and their actions.
Creepypastas must have strong endings. The final paragraph of this story, again, in the same bland tone, cements the realism of the story.
I would give this pasta an 8/10. Its definitely worth checking out, although some people might snicker at the "witchcraft and satanism". In agreement with some of the people in the comments over at creepypasta.com, the "based on a true story" tag is indeed over the top, but its still a nice, light read if you enjoy creepypastas.
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In respects to how believable the story is, I would give it a 6/10. Some areas, for example the protagonist's loneliness as a teenager, I begrudgingly acknowledged. The protagonist's raising of "Jezebel" was plausible, but I feel that the use of past tense and the fact that the narrator was looking back on her actions helped this along. The actual descriptions of the "wicca and black magic" were the most dubious. The narrator becoming "more in tune with the darkness", "drawing pentagrams in class when I was supposed to be taking notes" and "confessing my ever growing faith in the darkness"...reminds me of my over-dramatic, twelve year old emo phase! I don't know if the author wrote this intentionally. There was a definite lack of research on their part. However, this isn't the point of this pasta, so I let it off easier.
The actual exorcism is more engaging/interesting. I wont ruin it by describing it in detail, but the author doesn't mince words. Its brutal, considering that what the author mentioned concerning the narrator's "immersion in the darkness". The paragraphs about the exorcism, in my opinion, redeems the pasta. The hunters are believable, in terms of their descriptions and their actions.
Creepypastas must have strong endings. The final paragraph of this story, again, in the same bland tone, cements the realism of the story.
I would give this pasta an 8/10. Its definitely worth checking out, although some people might snicker at the "witchcraft and satanism". In agreement with some of the people in the comments over at creepypasta.com, the "based on a true story" tag is indeed over the top, but its still a nice, light read if you enjoy creepypastas.
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Read the creepypasta and tell me if you agree. Comments are more than welcome.
Read last week's Creepy Wednesday post here, where I dissect/roast Jeff the Killer. (The story, guys, not the killer.)
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