Nightmare Fuel

As long as it’s within the safety of a movie theatre or on our couch in front of a screen, some of us love being terrified and spooked. But why? What are the neurobiological components of enjoying a good (or not-so-good) horror movie, and what does this say about the individual, generational, and societal experiences surrounding a particular film? Nina Nesseth’s Nightmare Fuel tackles these questions in a sprawling, deep-diving overview of the horror film genre. Nesseth explores the horror genre in all of its span, giving horror fans and beginners alike a deep glimpse into what terrifies us and why we like it.

Nesseth’s conversational and enthusiastic narrative voice allows the reader to fully sit with her findings and ideas comfortably; the book as a whole reads almost like a podcast or even an after-movie analysis with a friend/fellow horror fan. It’s clear from her careful analysis of each horror subgenre and its history that she is not just presenting this work as a cold study but rather speaking from the inside as an honest horror fan. Nightmare Fuel is a riveting study of horror as a biological and sociological phenomenon — all packaged in compelling prose and an endearing, nerdy love for all that is gory and spooky.