griezelverhalen

Griezelverhalen are a broad literary genre designed to evoke fear, dread, or unease in the reader. They can be supernatural or psychologically oriented and may foreground mysterious circumstances, uncanny atmospheres, or disturbing insights into human nature. The genre encompasses short stories, novellas, and novels and often relies on mood, pacing, and twist endings rather than graphic violence to achieve its effect.

Historically, griezelverhalen draw on folklore, urban legends, and ghost stories, while also drawing from Gothic fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries. In Dutch and Flemish literature they have appeared in magazines and books, through translations of international works, and through original Dutch-language creations. The rise of horror in film and radio helped popularize the form in the 20th century, and contemporary griezelverhalen appear in print, online fiction, podcasts, and streaming series.

Common features include atmospheric settings, an unreliable or limited narrator, and a tension between rational explanation and the inexplicable. Stories may involve hauntings, monsters, or the supernatural, as well as psychological dread, grief, or paranoia. The form often uses a compact structure for short fiction or a more extended arc for novels, and may include moral or social commentary.

Notable writers of horror fiction globally include Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King; Dutch-language writers and editors have produced numerous original works and translations contributing to the griezelverhalen tradition. The genre continues to influence film, television, and podcasts, where it explores contemporary fears and ethical questions.