The human eye is one of the most sensitive areas on the map of the human body. Horror authors know this. Always eager to elicit visceral reactions from their readers, writers have often used the proverbial “window to the soul” as a vehicle for terror. Countless works of fiction have included the mutilation, disfigurement, and injury to the human eye as a source of horror. Though arguably overused in cinema with films like Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Eli Roth’s Hostel, and Dario Argento’s Opera employing similar theatrics of eyeball peril, the notorious “eyeball scene” is a welcome staple in horror literature with countless authors inventing new and imaginative ways to make us fearful of permanently losing our sight.
Here are five works of literature that will have you questioning: “What have you done today to deserve your eyes?”
Eric LaRocca is the author of several works of dark fiction including The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. Eric is represented by Ryan Lewis/Spin a Black Yarn for Film and Television. For more information, follow @ejlarocca on Twitter or visit ericlarocca.com.
