Competence porn, supernatural horror edition
January 7, 2025 6:25 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for stories with a supernatural component, where instead for example of a bunch of stupid kids make stupid decisions and they all get killed horribly, the mystery is tackled in a competent way.
The authorities get involved, send actual competent officers, the media report on it, the internet is notified etc. And there is some sense of follow up on what the discovery of actual supernatural forces would mean for the world and our understanding of it. I watched one of the ghostbusters sequels and there is absolutely no sense that the world at large reacted to the confirmation of ghosts, extradimensional demons and whatnot.
I think "World war Z" falls somewhat in this category, but it's Zombies not ghosts. Zombies are easily explained. "The Boys" or "Logan" also tackle this, but with Superheroes.
I think more something like the movie "It follows", where an entity starts following someone steadily but at a leisurely pace, and kills them if it catches up. There immediately come a thousand obvious solutions for this dilemma to mind, but alas none of them are pursued and lives are lost!
The authorities get involved, send actual competent officers, the media report on it, the internet is notified etc. And there is some sense of follow up on what the discovery of actual supernatural forces would mean for the world and our understanding of it. I watched one of the ghostbusters sequels and there is absolutely no sense that the world at large reacted to the confirmation of ghosts, extradimensional demons and whatnot.
I think "World war Z" falls somewhat in this category, but it's Zombies not ghosts. Zombies are easily explained. "The Boys" or "Logan" also tackle this, but with Superheroes.
I think more something like the movie "It follows", where an entity starts following someone steadily but at a leisurely pace, and kills them if it catches up. There immediately come a thousand obvious solutions for this dilemma to mind, but alas none of them are pursued and lives are lost!
John Steakley's novel Vampire$ is about a squad of very competent vampire hunters who operate like a commando team. Breach and clear etc. Vampires are not exactly public knowledge, but there's a decent reason.
I wouldn't call John Dies At The End (and its sequels) competency porn. But they're antithetical to the Scooby Doo approach. I'd say the main characters react very rationally to the things they encounter, it's not their fault that what they encounter itself isn't very rational. They're also some of the funniest books I've ever read.
The Laundry Files by mefi's own Charles Stross, is a series of books about the UK civil service department in charge of dealing with the supernatural. In this world the supernatural has very specific meanings and causes, mostly based on higher-order mathematics having some unexpected consequnces. It's very much about a government bureaucratic approach to the supernatural, dabbling in spy fiction as the series progresses. it's partially satirical, but with heaping dollops of competency porn, especially in books 2-4 (iirc).
posted by Lorc at 6:59 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
I wouldn't call John Dies At The End (and its sequels) competency porn. But they're antithetical to the Scooby Doo approach. I'd say the main characters react very rationally to the things they encounter, it's not their fault that what they encounter itself isn't very rational. They're also some of the funniest books I've ever read.
The Laundry Files by mefi's own Charles Stross, is a series of books about the UK civil service department in charge of dealing with the supernatural. In this world the supernatural has very specific meanings and causes, mostly based on higher-order mathematics having some unexpected consequnces. It's very much about a government bureaucratic approach to the supernatural, dabbling in spy fiction as the series progresses. it's partially satirical, but with heaping dollops of competency porn, especially in books 2-4 (iirc).
posted by Lorc at 6:59 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
Oops, forgot a good one.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix is less overtly supernatural, but posits that slashers ala Friday 13th etc are a real thing. It's about exactly what the title suggests. I suggest it because the main character in particular reacts has is hyper-rational (albeit unhealthy) in her reaction to being final-girl'd. She's obsessive about clocking escape routes, scanning for improvised weapons, minimising risky activities, knowing about the local police response availability etc. And without spoilers, she has opportunities to use her skills. It's also a really good book.
posted by Lorc at 7:10 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix is less overtly supernatural, but posits that slashers ala Friday 13th etc are a real thing. It's about exactly what the title suggests. I suggest it because the main character in particular reacts has is hyper-rational (albeit unhealthy) in her reaction to being final-girl'd. She's obsessive about clocking escape routes, scanning for improvised weapons, minimising risky activities, knowing about the local police response availability etc. And without spoilers, she has opportunities to use her skills. It's also a really good book.
posted by Lorc at 7:10 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
I should probably mention Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero too, because it's explicitly a Scooby Doo deconstruction. The titular mystery squad broke up after encountering something they couldn't explain, and have come back as adults looking for answers. It's not Tom Clancy-style competency porn, but they do make a (lampshaded) point of avoiding all the obvious dumb genre moves. Part of the gimmick is a Scooby Doo squad that approaches the threat with appropriate caution and loaded for bear.
posted by Lorc at 7:17 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Lorc at 7:17 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
The SCP "universe" is basically all about a bureaucracy filled with mostly smart, well-meaning people trying to "secure, contain, protect" against inexplicable supernatural threats. Might or might not be your cup of tea though.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:26 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by BungaDunga at 7:26 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Although the "world at large" response is pushed to the outskirts of the story, I think the film The Mist (2007) fits what you want. The characters are competent in their decision making; the demons are mist-erious (sorry) and literally hidden.
I don't want to say too much else because I don't want to ruin the film.
Sorry, I also can't speak to the novella that it's based on since I haven't read it.
posted by mr_bovis at 7:50 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I don't want to say too much else because I don't want to ruin the film.
Sorry, I also can't speak to the novella that it's based on since I haven't read it.
posted by mr_bovis at 7:50 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
How are we this far in and nobody has mentioned Men In Black?
posted by flabdablet at 8:06 AM on January 7 [5 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 8:06 AM on January 7 [5 favorites]
Monster Hunter International feels like this. Although the government, while somewhat competent, does the typical Men in Black thing of covering everything up. But the protagonists are generally prepared and handle business. I believe the first book in the series is free on amazon.
posted by ericales at 8:49 AM on January 7
posted by ericales at 8:49 AM on January 7
For some reason I think 'Cabin in the Woods' would qualify. Both protagonists and antagonists are (mostly) competent.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 9:15 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 9:15 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
"Independence Day."
posted by Dolley at 9:34 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Dolley at 9:34 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
You might like the Parasol Protectorate series. Vampires and werewolves are real in Victorian England, and there are government ministries setup to handle things.
posted by hovey at 10:26 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by hovey at 10:26 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Possibly The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. Government-type agency, supernatural stuff is covered up, and the governmental agency folks mostly have supernatural powers of their own to tackle what comes up. But Myfanwy is super competent and her predecessor, as it were, left her a highly organized binder full of information and instructions that enables her to crack the mystery.
posted by carrioncomfort at 11:57 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
posted by carrioncomfort at 11:57 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
Rivers of London and it's sequels to an extent. When modern police procedures do not cover the supernatural Peter and co start writing extended guidelines.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 4:57 AM on January 9
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 4:57 AM on January 9
I think the hardest part of what you want is the public nature of the supernatural stuff. Most of the examples given so far have the masquerade trope still in effect, with the general public being kept in the dark. Something like The Haunting of Tram Car 015 might be a bit closer, as magic is part of the world and everyone knows it exists.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 1:55 PM on January 9
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 1:55 PM on January 9
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posted by AzraelBrown at 6:38 AM on January 7 [8 favorites]