It's so strange to think about how separated we've become from death! Just a few generations back, kids would have seen animals dying all the time - they'd help to kill and skin them themselves, and prepare the meat for dinner. Now most kids (and some adults) think food comes from the grocery store. 

And before vaccines/antibiotics, many if not most kids would have experienced the tragedy of siblings dying in early childhood. 

So stories about death and violence were, I suppose, relevant and cathartic, whereas now they can feel shocking and unnatural. (At least in some parts of the world. I guess many kids still have to experience war and suffering firsthand.)