History Main / NightmareFuel

** Remember that WeblinksAreNotExamples, and neither are quotes on their own. You should explain the horror in your own words, rather than rely on others to do so.

* Explain WHY the entry scared you. Try to convey your sense of fear to your readers. Avoid putting up ZeroContextExamples.

Similarly, some {{Public Service Announcement}}s choose to employ terrifying imagery in order to [[ScareEmStraight keep people away from doing dangerous things]]. These can be sources of FridgeHorror as well, as those from different cultures or eras past can demonstrate some intensely creepy {{Family Unfriendly Aesop}}s. This is one of the nasty antics when TheChewToy invokes this when they drop details FreakierThanFiction and ConspiracyKitchenSink. StepfordSuburbia in a nonfiction climate is TheChewToy stomping grounds or when they are lifting a thug by their labels of their nice jacket.

Similarly, some {{Public Service Announcement}}s choose to employ terrifying imagery in order to [[ScareEmStraight keep people away from doing dangerous things]]. These can be sources of FridgeHorror as well, as those from different cultures or eras past can demonstrate some intensely creepy {{Family Unfriendly Aesop}}s.

* {{Stepford Suburbia}} played up in creative nonfiction, and RealLifeWritesThePlot as combined with SoundtrackDissonance (IndustrialMetal and DoomMetal.) Especially when TheChewToy bites back and invokes complex retorts taken to frightening levels of ButtMonkey at bully's expense (especially when they realize the nerd pulled a melee weapon VerbThis and masterlock connected temple.) And DeadpanSnarker invoke grisly jokes about the news stories in casual conversation; as they find out HumansAreCthulhu under the guise of RealMenLoveJesus played for Drama or Horror; FamilyUnfriendlyAesop invokes PaedoHunt when AssholeVictim says the wrong thing (accusing them of being a bigot will do it..) Invoking Libel and Bullycide; when that turns into DoNotTauntCthulhu or invoke discussions where jokes relating to RodSerling, WesCraven, or FridayThe13th are mentioned in causal conversation. GenreSavvy are also AcceptableTarget as they bite back in this climate. CaliforniaUniversity is really a nonfiction Community College where the Public Safety make cracks that CrossTheLineTwice invoking HumiliationConga to plagiarists. When the {{PromotiontoParent}} sibling DeadpanSnarker invokes BigBrotherIsWatching jokes and chatrooms catch onto it. When one's e-mail is hacked and some Troll is penning Rape Fic in their name then sending it to all the contact's female end users.

* {{Stepford Suburbia}} played up in creative nonfiction, and RealLifeWritesThePlot as combined with SoundtrackDissonance (IndustrialMetal and DoomMetal.) Especially when TheChewToy bites back. And DeadpanSnarker invoke grisly jokes about the news stories in casual conversation; as they find out HumansAreCthulhu under the guise of RealMenLoveJesus played for Drama or Horror.

* A sexual or romantic obsession with someone that goes too far.
* The incredible depravity and monstrosity of human beings at their absolute worst.

* Former heroes committing [[MoralEventHorizon completely reprehensible acts both]] [[ObliviouslyEvil willingly]] [[MindControlEyes or]] [[GrandTheftMe worse]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy unwillingly.]]

!!Notes to editors:

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!!Examples, by Medium

For examples where this trope comes about as the result of FridgeLogic rather than anything occurring onscreen, please see FridgeHorror.

Tropes used to invoke this feeling are HorrorTropes. Tropes ''about'' fear are FearTropes. If it is ''unintentionally'' scary, it's AccidentalNightmareFuel. If it is meant to scare but fails to deliver, and [[{{Narm}} becomes hilarious instead]], it devolves into NightmareRetardant. Characters that are this InUniverse are TheDreaded.

And in case you're planning on sleeping tonight... [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel here y'go]].

''This item is also now available in our '''TropeCo''' catalog.''

* [[FateWorseThanDeath Fates so horrific one can only wish for death]]. [[TakenForGranite Being turned into stone]], [[SealedRoomInTheMiddleOfNowhere being trapped in another dimension]], [[AndIMustScream being encased in a tomb for eternity]], or [[UnwillingRoboticisation being forcefully made into a machine without consent]]

* {{Adult Fear}}s. Those things children seldom worry about: economic failure, romantic failure, watching helplessly as your children die, or possibly even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Bonus points if this (or even any of the other) Nightmare Fuel scene(s) was/were [[BasedOnATrueStory what actually happened in history/real life.]]

* A sexual or romantic obsession with someone [[StalkerWithACrush that]] [[{{Yandere}} goes]] [[IfICantHaveYou too]] [[MurderTheHypotenuse far]].

* [[HellIsThatNoise Disturbing]] [[BrownNote noises]]. And by extension, [[VoiceOfTheLegion disturbing]] [[CreepyMonotone voices]].

* Mutilation of specific body parts, such as [[EyeScream the eyes]], [[FacialHorror face]], [[{{Fingore}} fingers]], [[TheToothHurts teeth]], [[GroinAttack genitalia]], [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe or]] [[OffWithHisHead even]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice worse]] [[BeatStillMyHeart than]] [[StrippedToTheBone those]] [[FlayingAlive injuries]].

* [[CrapsackWorld The]] [[SadistTeacher incredible]] [[WretchedHive depravity]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive and]] [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters monstrosity]] [[AbusiveParents of]] [[HumansAreBastards human beings]] [[KidsAreCruel at]] [[TeensAreMonsters their]] [[CompleteMonster absolute worst]].

* [[AxCrazy Psychotic behavior]] presented in a [[CuteAndPsycho disturbingly]] [[PsychopathicManchild childish]], [[StepfordSmiler calm]], or [[DissonantSerenity serene]] manner, [[FridgeHorror alluding to the potential inhumane]] [[EmptyShell nature]] of the individual.
* [[FaceHeelTurn Former heroes]] [[RogueProtagonist committing]] [[MoralEventHorizon completely reprehensible acts both]] [[ObliviouslyEvil willingly]] [[MindControlEyes or]] [[GrandTheftMe worse]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy unwillingly.]]

** [[CosmicHorrorStory The]] [[NothingIsScarier unknown]].

* {{Soundtrack Dissonance}}, when used correctly, can make a scene extremely horrifying.

* [[BigBrotherIsWatching A totalitarian authority]] [[TheCaligula of any kind]] [[AndIMustScream so harsh that one wishes to die or escape from it]].

* [[MindRape Having your mind played with]], be it [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wiping your memory out]], [[MindControl mind control]], [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashing]], {{gaslighting}}, re-enacting past horrific events, [[MindProbe invasion of your thoughts]], or whatever else [[IncrediblyLamePun comes to mind]].

'''Do:'''
* State the work and the scene.
* Explain ''what specifically'' is scary to you. Don't be unnecessarily gory, but someone reading the example should at least get a sense of what frightened you.

'''Do not:'''
* Write in [[ThisTroper first-person]]. We know it scared ''you'', otherwise why are you adding the example?
* Write in terms of what you think might frighten other people. Again, you're writing about ''yourself'', not the hypothetical opinions of other people.
* Write general examples. ("Everything in the movie!")
* [[Administrivia/ZeroContextExample Use a quotation as the example]].
* [[Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples Use a weblink as the example]].
* Spoiler-tag anything.
* Post examples of FridgeHorror (this trope + FridgeLogic). That's what the Fridge page is for.

* [[CrapsackWorld The]] [[SadistTeacher incredible]] [[WretchedHive depravity]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive and monstrosity]] [[AbusiveParents of]] [[HumansAreBastards human beings]] [[KidsAreCruel at]] [[TeensAreMonsters their]] [[CompleteMonster absolute worst]].

This is an AudienceReaction, so leave it on YMMV and Nightmare Fuel tabs and don't get too worked up about what specifically goes into it -- what's NightmareRetardant for one person may well be Nightmare Fuel for another.

* Explain ''what specifically'' is scary. Don't be unnecessarily gory, but someone reading the example should at least get a sense of what frightened you.

* Oh, look, [[ManEatingPlant that plant wants you as dinner]].

** Swarms of fear-inducing animals such as [[SwarmOfRats rats]], [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders, or [[TheSwarm insects]].

* {{Adult Fear}}s. Those things children seldom worry about: economic failure, romantic failure, watching helplessly as your children die, or possibly even TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
** Bonus points if this (or even any of the other) Nightmare Fuel scene(s) was/were [[BasedOnATrueStory what actually happened in history/real life.]]

* Rotting corpses, [[ZombieApocalypse possibly reanimated]].
** [[PeekABooCorpse Especially those that suddenly appear to scare us without warning.]]

* [[EatTheCamera When the mouth completely takes up the screen, especially in black.]]
** Getting SwallowedWhole in the process.

!!Notes to editors
All Nightmare Fuel examples should be specific and give details of what was scary. This is not TroperTales, so don't write in first person.

* Explain ''what specifically'' is scary.

* Write in [[ThisTroper first-person]]. We know it scared you, otherwise why are you adding the example?