A successful, elective minicourse in the literature of terror and the supernatural examined various literary works in the light of six goals: to examine the terror motif in fiction (in print and other media), to try to understand the reasons for the continued appeal of the literature of terror, to investigate why representative authors have selected this motiff, to examine the ways in which authors create a mood of terror, to examine the effects of that terror on the quality of the literature and on the reader, and to read and enjoy some representative works in this genre. Guide questions imposed unity on class discussions of assigned readings, which were supplemented by a few background lectures and by audiovisuals--mostly cassettes, films, and videotapes. Two Panel discussions and a dramatic reading were also included. The course treated such significant concepts as romanticism and the impact of science on literature, while encouraging development and application of general standards of literary criticism and of comparative critical techniques for different media. (JM)