Why people recommend it
Danse Macabre is a non-fiction critical overview of the horror genre by Stephen King that surveys horror across literature, film, and television from the mid-twentieth century through the 1970s. On The Book Review podcast in an episode titled Joe Hill's Scary Book Recs and Victor LaValle on The Haunting of Hill House released on October 24, 2025, Victor LaValle discussed Stephen King's non-fiction book Danse Macabre as his primary introduction to the horror field, explaining that it functioned as King's 1980s summary of the genre and actually began his journey prior to reading Shirley Jackson. LaValle had previously shared a very similar reflection on The Book Review in an episode titled Victor LaValle Talks About Horror and Lone Women broadcast on July 18, 2024, where he similarly recounted that his exploration of horror literature began with Stephen King's comprehensive 1980s summary of the field. Across both podcast appearances, LaValle underscored the vital role the book played in shaping his understanding of horror history and guiding him toward foundational authors who heavily influenced his own trajectory as a writer within the genre.
Who recommended it
- Victor LaValle Discussed
Victor LaValle — 2 mentions
“It actually begins before Shirley Jackson. It begins with Stephen King and his book Dance Macabra, which was his 80s summary of the horror field in general.”
“it begins with Stephen King and his book Dan macabra which was his 80s summary of the horror field in general”