1984 should not be reduced to simply 'horror'
undoubtedly 1984 by george orwell is a frightening book. it details all the terrifying things which could be going on behind the scenes, under our noses, amongst the highest in our society. but, i would say, the novel cannot be categorised as 'horror' as one of its genre. the book is dystopia, that is the overarching genre and theme throughout, but horror and dystopia are not synonymous; yes, dystopia works best with aspects of horror and vice versa but 1984 as a warning (which is what it is) is not horror. the final chapter of the book, detailing the torture of winston smith at the hands of the man he trusted most (his god and simultaneously his perfect partner) o'brien could certainly be categorised as horror out of its context, but no part of the book should be taken out of context; it was meticulously designed to remain as a cohesive body of work, and separating the moments from it is exactly why there is such a debate surrounding the modern-day equivalent of what orwe...