LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 25:8 August 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Selvi M. Bunce, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate
         Nathan Mulder Bunce, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Honorary Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Celebrate India!
Unity in Diversity!!

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

Poetic Encounter
Available in https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09TT86S4T

Poems
Naked: the honest browsings of two brown women
Available in https://www.amazon.in

Decrees
Available in https://www.amazon.com

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIALS

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2025
M. S. Thirumalai

Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
11249 Oregon Circle
Bloomington, MN 55438
USA
Custom Search

The Craft of Eerie Atmosphere in Lalzuithanga's Horror Fiction

R. Ramdinmawii and
Dr. Lalrammuana Sailo

Abstract

Lalzuithanga's contribution to Mizo horror fiction lies in his subtle yet powerful construction of eerie atmosphere, which functions as both a literary device and a cultural expression of fear. His narratives employ light and darkness to destabilize perception, silence and sound to heighten psychological tension, and the manipulation of time to distort readers’ sense of reality. Such strategies move beyond conventional plot-driven horror, emphasizing instead the slow build of dread that lingers in familiar yet unsettling spaces. Rooted in Mizo folklore and belief systems, Lalzuithanga's works illustrate how supernatural fear is inseparable from cultural imagination, while also revealing how human malice often hides behind the mask of the otherworldly. By blending folkloric tradition with modern horror techniques, his fiction demonstrates how atmosphere becomes an active agent of fear, shaping both character experience and reader response. Situating Lalzuithanga within broader discourses of horror theory, this study argues that his craft of atmosphere not only enriches Mizo literature but also dialogues with global traditions of the eerie and uncanny.

Keywords:Mizo literature; Lalzuithanga; horror fiction; eerie atmosphere; supernatural; folklore

Introduction

Horror fiction in Mizo literature is unique because it combines traditional folk beliefs with modern narrative techniques. Among the leading writers of this genre, Lalzuithanga stands out for his careful craft in creating an eerie atmosphere. Eeriness, as a literary effect, does not rely on immediate shocks or grotesque images but on a slow and unsettling feeling that something may not be as it seems. Mark Fisher explains that the "eerie" is often linked to the sense of "something missing" or "an unexplained presence" (61). In Lalzuithanga's novels, this is achieved through disguise, cultural belief, supernatural figures, and carefully using settings.

Noel Carroll defines horror as a genre that produces a particular emotional state—fear mixed with curiosity and unease (Carroll 18). Lalzuithanga uses this principle to shape his stories in ways that make the reader question the boundary between the real and the supernatural. Instead of simply presenting ghosts or spirits, he blurs the line between human deception and supernatural possibility. This strategy connects directly with Mizo culture, where folktales about spirits, lasi, and unseen beings continue to influence collective imagination (Pachuau 142).

The following discussion looks at three of his major works—Phira leh Ngurthanpari, Thlahrang, and Aukhawk Lasi. Each text shows a different technique in the creation of eeriness: disguise and uncertainty, crime and supernatural belief, and the ambivalent figure of the supernatural feminine. Finally, the essay also considers how setting and pacing help Lalzuithanga sustain the eerie mood.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

R. Ramdinmawii
Research Scholar
Mizoram University
ardyrenthlei73@gmail.com

&
Dr. Lalrammuana Sailo
Assistant Professor
Pachhunga University College


Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.