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The Art of Darkness
- Meditations on the Effect of Horror Fiction
- Narrated by: Greg Beastrom
- Length: 1 hr and 4 mins
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The Art of Darkness
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Summary
What makes Horror literature horrifying? What primordial fears resonate within (and attract us to) stories of the macabre? In this insightful volume, W.J. Renehan explores the complex interrelated traditions of Horror fiction, and the human psychology that fuels them.
In the course of his analysis, Renehan puts everything from the ancient vampire legends to Lovecraft's cosmic Horror of the unknown into compelling cultural context.
Renehan discusses monsters both supernatural and man-made, and explores the dark landscapes created by the likes of Shirley Jackson, H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, Stephen King and other masters.
Overall, Renehan's book provides a rich introduction to that vital genre of literature which we allow to take us from the safety and light of our firesides into random, demonic, incoherent territories of terror - and seeks to explain why we so willingly return to those unsettling environs again and again.
About the Author: W. J. Renehan serves as Editorial Director for Horror and Sci-Fi publisher Dark Hall Press. He is an alumnus of Dean College, SUNY New Paltz and the University of Rhode Island.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Squeaky Joe
- 04-09-19
Very much a book for students of the genre
Exploring the essence of what it is that makes horror literature frightening, Renehan discusses monsters, the supernatural and all things terrifying. Referring to the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, Stephen King and Shirley Jackson this is an introduction to the popular genre and our eternal fascination with scary stuff.
Subtitled, 'Meditations on the Effect of Horror Fiction', this is very much a book for students of the genre, so it's hardly surprising that I found the tone a little scholarly at times. However, Renehan’s use of examples from classic horror writers helped illustrate his points and while he doesn’t go into as much detail as I’d have liked, he does provide an overall idea of why horror fiction continues to hold our attention.
Less appealing than I expected, this book left me feeling that I’d missed something, so not one I’m likely to return to any time soon.
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