Why people recommend it
Why Horror Seduces by Mathias Clasen is a non-fiction exploration of the psychological and evolutionary reasons behind humanity's enduring fascination with frightening stories and cinematic terror. On an episode of The Book Review titled Two Horror Authors on the Scary Books You Should Be Reading, published on October 26, 2024, guest Joe Hill discussed essential literature within the horror genre. Hill recommended How Horror Seduces by Mathias Clasen, identifying the author as a Dutch writer who produced a remarkable study on the mechanics of fear. The horror author praised the work as one of the absolute best non-fiction books written about the genre in the last quarter century. The conversation highlighted how evolutionary psychology explains why audiences willingly subject themselves to terror, seeking emotional regulation, safe thrills, and catharsis through art. Hill pointed readers toward this specific academic yet accessible volume to deepen their appreciation of why dark storytelling resonates so deeply across human cultures, providing a rigorous intellectual framework for understanding the visceral appeal of scary books and horror films.
Who recommended it
- Joe Hill Recommended
Joe Hill — 1 mention
“there is a writer from a Dutch writer named Matias Clawson who's written a book called How horror seduces that's one of the better non-fiction works on the genre in the last quarter century”