The ghost story

I find myself becoming very frustrated at the way

The Horror story

Has taken over from the ghost story genre. 

Today if anyone says "ghost story" they tend to mean a horror story.

I was shocked when the recent rendering of the Enfield haunting 

Turned out to be a horror story.

Ok, M.R. James wrote some dark forms terrorising individuals, 

But they were ghost stories.

The key to the difference lies in whether the story 

Is about the terror of meeting that darkness

Or about one human being chopping another to pieces, and the supernatural
being tacked on, almost as an afterthought or an excuse.

In a factual haunting death or harm to the individual

must account for 1 case in a million.

That ought to also apply to the ghost story.

Trouble is that the ghost story is considered an inferior genre.
(I remember a writing tutor even telling me this to my face.)

So the horror story isn't?

In my mind it's abominable. Literally abominable.

A ghost story is about enhancing thst skill to scare and puzzle 

and extend tension. That's a general writing skill.

Why does the character experiencing it then also have to

be its victim?

The question that i have is:

Why are we praising the serial killer as a hero,

And his/her victims as if we wanted to kill people ourselves?

This is leading to a serious bastardisation of the art.

Why are we praising ugliness and evil?

What's wrong with us?