The Raft, Nightcrawlers, Duel

Compare & Contrast: The Raft, Duel, Nightcrawlers
By: Maeve Norton

The Dark Fantasy genre is very appealing to many people. But let’s be honest, we’ve all read or seen our fair share of horrible, non-believable, totally out there Dark Fantasy stories. But what exactly makes a Dark Fantasy story good? The Raft by Steven King, Nightcrawlers by Robert McCammon and Duel by Richard Matheson are all examples of Dark Fantasy. The Raft is the perfect example of the genre, with Nightcrawlers falling closely behind it, and Duel coming in last as the worst example of Dark Fantasy.
The Raft tells the story of 4 teens spending a nice day out at a lake. What they don’t know is that an oil slick lake monster is hungry and lurking under the raft. One by one Randy watches as his 3 friends get sucked into the oil slick monster and he is left there stranded, alone and confused. This story is a perfect example of Dark Fantasy. Steven King’s use of the horrifying unknown is a great addition to the story, making it perfect for Dark Fantasy. The story is not only scary, but gruesome. King gives vivid descriptions of the teen’s fatal but questionable ends.
Nightcrawlers crawls right behind The Raft for the best Dark Fantasy story. During a crazy storm a young Vietnam vet with a special talent comes to a diner off the highway. When the people at the diner realize his talent, it is too late. Whatever the vet thinks of appears in front of him. But when he is knocked out his horrid memories of Vietnam come to life and attack the diner and everyone in it. After a man dies and others are deeply scared, they notice that the mysterious bullets vanish after being shot, leaving no evidence at the crime scene. This story is a good example of Dark Fantasy because the setting and mood. The story starts out during a crazy storm on a diner way out in the middle of nowhere. When the vet enters, he creates a very eerie and dark mood through his stories and his hidden talent. But the mysterious Nightcrawlers are really what make the story. Their vanishing bullets and ghostly soldiers are the perfect mix of fantasy and horror. The vivid description of the diner being attacked is so well written that you can really picture everything happening in your head, and it’s believable.
Coming in last is Duel by Richard Matheson. Depending on your taste, this story has no elements of fantasy in it. Sure, if you’re petrified of angry drivers then I suppose this could have a tiny hint of fantasy, but for the most part it is a poor example of Dark Fantasy. When a young salesman is driving along a highway, he steps into a strange road competition with an irrational truck driver. Soon, he realizes that the truck driver’s intention is not only to scare him, but to kill him. Though the plot does apply to the Dark genre, there are no elements of Fantasy. It is about road rage, which is a very common realistic thing. I would not place this story in the Dark Fantasy genre. I would say it belongs in the horror genre or a drivers-ed book.
The Raft by Steven King, Nightcrawlers by Robert McCammon and Duel by Richard Matheson are all great short stories, some fitting in to the Dark Fantasy genre more than others. To make a good Dark Fantasy story you must incorporate many elements of fantasy that cause the reader to be scared and frightened. The Raft and Nightcrawlers displayed that perfectly, with Duel being the least befitting.