The Horror Theory Reader

A comprehensive guide to horror's timeless and paradoxical appeal. Why do we enjoy horror? The emotional responses that this type of film elicits - fear, horror, disgust - are responses that we would normally seek to avoid, so what is the appeal of narratives and artistic representations that seek to frighten, astonish, shock and disgust viewers? In The Horror Theory Reader, Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock brings together theories about the genre's appeal from ancient times to the present day to explore the "paradox of horror" that has preoccupied theorists and consumers alike for thousands of years. This carefully selected book begins with an introduction that frames the history of horror in the context of moral panic, then is divided into three sections introducing early attempts to explain the magic of horror; It presents perspectives from horror writers, filmmakers, and researchers; It provides nuanced analyzes of the intersections of horror with disability, gender identity, race, and sexuality. The book includes classic commentaries on the genre by H. P. Lovecraft, Alfred Hitchcock, and Stephen King, along with insightful essays from philosophers, literary and film scholars, cultural critics, and others. The Horror Theory Reader is an indispensable reference for scholars, and will be of interest to anyone who questions our contradictory enjoyment of the macabre and frightening. Contributions from: Joseph Addison; Aristotle; Anna Letitia Barbauld; Danny Bethea; Edmund Burke; Noel Carroll, CUNY Graduate Center; Brigid Cherry. Matthias Claassen, Aarhus U; Douglas E. Cowan, Renison U College; Megan Downs, Monash U; Pierce Gaut, University of St Andrews; Julian Hanisch, University of Groningen; Sherry Marie Harrison, Missouri State University; Matt Hills, University of Huddersfield; Alfred Hitchcock; David Hume; Mark Jankovich, University of East Anglia; Stephen King; Petra Kupers, University of Michigan; HP Lovecraft; J. Neil Martin, Regent's University London; John Morrell, College of William and Mary; Monica Negra; Nina Neseth; Anne Radcliffe; Friedrich Schiller; Walter Scott; Tim Snelson, University of East Anglia; Christopher St. John Sprigg; Susan Stryker, University of Arizona; S. Trimble, University of Toronto; Kendall Walton, University of Michigan; Linda Williams, University of California, Berkeley; Robin Wood.