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Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature

Author: Becky Siegel Spratford

A love letter to the horror genre from many of the most influential and bestselling authors in the industry.

For twenty-five years, Becky Siegel Spratford has worked as a librarian in Reader Advisory, training library workers all over the world on how to engage their patrons and readers and to use her place as a horror expert and critic to get the word out to others; to bring even more readers into the horror fold.

Why I Love Horror is a captivating anthology and heartfelt tribute to the horror genre featuring essays from several of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers including:

Personal Reflections on Horror

I kicked off this year reading the fantastic Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature edited by Becky Siegel Spratford.

I'm often asked "What's the scariest book you've ever read?" And this is a very valid question. But it's also a loaded question as well, because what is scary to me may not be scary to you. This is because horror is subjective.

What Scares Me

What scares me? I think what gets under my skin the most is bleak horror. When there's no hope. One book that does this well is The Ruins by Scott Smith. It's a survival horror about four friends that take a vacation to Mexico and wind up getting stuck in some ancient ruins. One by one the characters are picked off, with hope dwindling with each life lost. While the characters annoyed me in this book, the hopelessness really got to me.

Where My Love for Horror Started

As stated in my Instagram post, watching my dad play Resident Evil One really stuck with me as a kid. The scene with the giant snake truly traumatized little me. Looking back on it now, it makes me laugh. Everything was so cringy. But it's a classic for a reason and I still love it dearly. "You were almost a Jill Sandwich!"

Another instance was when I was flipping through the channels and encountered Stephen King's IT. My young mind believed that someone would make a movie involving kids playing Tag Your It... So you best believe I was in shock when I see a clown holding balloons, inviting children to float.

Transitioning from Scaredy Cat to Horror Lover

So what made me stop being such a scaredy cat? Honestly, I think playing Resident Evil 4 made me start appreciating horror more. I slowly started building myself up until I could handle movies like Sinister and Final Destination.

The Books That Introduced Me to Horror

Of course, Stephen King kickstarted my love for reading horror. One of my first and favorite works is Misery. When I joined bookstagram, my world was opened to various horror novels and authors.

Some of the wonderful books I've discovered and will forever recommend include:

I love that horror has a little bit of something for everyone. If you love romance, how about a gothic horror with a dash of romance on the side? If you love thrillers, many horror books toe the line of thrillers. Your favorite genre has a place in horror. There is a horror book out there for everyone! Want a recommendation? Ask for one on my profile page.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk!

Why I Love Horror

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Conclusion

I hope sharing my experiences and book recommendations helps others appreciate the horror genre as much as I do.