Yes, they can be. The way they are often told with vivid descriptions of the supernatural makes them quite spooky. For instance, when they describe the appearance of a ghost with pale skin and empty eyes, it sends chills down your spine.
Another type could be ghostly encounters in abandoned asylums. There might be stories of patients who died in the asylum and now their spirits haunt the hallways. You can imagine the cold drafts and the feeling of being watched as you walk through the dark and decaying corridors.
Well, they might have really unlikable characters. For example, the protagonists could be overly self - centered or have really bad personalities that make it hard for the reader to root for them. Also, the plots could be very cliché, like the same old boy - meets - girl and they immediately fall in love without any real development. Another aspect could be the writing style. It might be very cheesy or full of over - used expressions that just seem so trite.
Another theme is often the misuse of technology. In'somethingawful sci fi novels', technology might be used to control people rather than help them. Take 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. Here, genetic engineering and mind - control drugs are used to keep the population in a state of false contentment, which is a rather awful way technology is used.
One 'somethingawful sci fi novel' could be 'Battlefield Earth' by L. Ron Hubbard. It has been criticized for various reasons like its convoluted plot and one - dimensional characters. Another might be 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells which, while a classic, some might consider the vision of the future in it as rather dark and 'awful' in a sense as the Eloi and Morlocks situation is quite disturbing.
One way is to read reviews. Check out what other readers are saying on websites like Goodreads. If a lot of people are complaining about a certain romance novel, it's probably best to stay away. Another tip is to look at the author's previous works. If they have a track record of writing not - so - great stories, chances are the new one won't be much better.
Well, most ghost stories are just fictional tales made up to scare or entertain people. There's no scientific evidence to prove the existence of real ghosts, so while they are called 'ghost stories', they are usually products of human imagination.
Ghosts and supernatural novels usually had the following characteristics:
1. Fantasy Elements: This type of novel usually contains fantasy elements such as magic, myths, monsters, etc., as well as related mysterious forces and supernatural phenomena.
2. Strange atmosphere: The atmosphere of ghost and ghost stories is usually full of strange and mysterious atmosphere, describing some creepy or disturbing events and scenes.
3. Mysterious characters: This type of novel usually contains some mysterious characters such as immortals, monsters, devils, immortals, etc. They may be the main characters of the story or they may only appear for a while but have a profound impact on the entire story.
4. Weird Plot: This type of novel usually contains some surprising or disturbing plot, such as the arrival, attack, or transaction of monsters, ghosts, ghosts, etc., as well as related horror scenes.
Mythological elements: Ghost and supernatural novels also contain some mythological elements such as gods, ghosts, monsters, etc., which are usually closely related to the fate and history of humans.
In my opinion, it's hard to say all are real ghost stories. There are many fictional elements often added to make them more exciting. However, there are those who claim to have had real encounters and base their stories on that, but it's difficult to prove objectively.