Welcome to the first semester of Fear Academy, Scriptophobic’s newest column. I’m editor-in-chief, Zack Long, and I’m excited to be bringing all you Scream Scholars discussions on the best, most entertaining and educational studies to tackle the horror genre.
If you’re familiar with Grim magazine then you’ve probably seen my Haunted Library column, in which I do two short reviews about horror film studies. While I love Grim magazine to death, these reviews are only 350 words each and I only get to cover a handful a year. Considering I read dozens of these books every year and they provide plenty of room for discussion, I thought it best to bring the subject over to Scriptophobic. While these books are rarely focused on Scream Writing, they are usually jam-packed with useful information and insight analysis that serve to deepen the Scream Writer’s appreciation and understanding of the genre.
The studies we explore will range from classics to new releases and take topics as varied as locational gothics, gender/sexuality, the role of family, subgenres, religion, the avant-garde and more. The number of books on horror film (and the genre as a whole) have simply just been exploding in the last couple decades. The ’80s saw several important releases but ever since the digital revolution it has become clear that the horror genre is absolutely ripe for analysis. Hell, Scriptophobic was started with the intent of continuing this tradition so it’s only right that we explore as much of the academic work on the genre as we can.
So make sure to grab your schedule and supplies, class in now in session.
