There are almost as many books about horror movies out there as there are horror movies themselves. Actually, that's not remotely true, but there have certainly been a fair few in recent years.

Nina Nesseth's offering, Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films is both a love song to the horror movie genre and a fairly in-depth look at the science behind why we love (or hate) horror movies, and especially at why certain elements of horror film really get to us. Covering everything from different types of monsters to the "magic" of music and sound editing, and delving into the emotional and psychological impact that all the myriad parts of horror have on the human mind, this book is at times technical (but explained as simply as possible) and also fascinating. There are also sections on the history of horror films (with interesting looks at how real-world events informed the horror of each decade) and on the long-term effects and likely future of the horror film industry.

This is definitely not one to breeze through quickly, but if you have a little time to devote to it (and of course, if you love horror movies), then it's a good read and an excellent addition to your Macabre Nonfiction shelf.

Nightmare Fuel is SUCH a cool book. As a diehard horror movie enthusiast, I was immediately interested in the psychological look behind why I'm so passionate about these movies, and I wasn't disappointed. Nina Nesseth is a great writer who's introduced a fascinating, overlooked part of human psychology. What is fear? Why do we find something scary, but then someone else will find it boring? Nesseth tackles all of these questions with easy to follow psychological history and context along with some of the best horror movie references I've read. I highly recommend this book, especially for people who love horror like myself, or for people who just want to know more about why we feel fear.

I had a difficult time reading this one. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get through it. I think pop psych just isn’t for me. My mind kept wondering, and I kept finding that I wasn’t really paying attention.

Reads as just a bit too pseudo-science to me. I know this stuff has its captivated audience, but I’m afraid I’m not it.

i liked the premise of this as ive been so obsessed with horror films the past year or so but it ended up being a bit different, a bit more science based than i was expecting which isn;t the book's fault! i just like my horror full on and while this look at why i like that was interesting, it just wasnt for me

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I think that was fun. I had a few issues but not enough to detract from the book as a whole. I think this would a good addition to a collection that had similar titles.

This was okay. Not quite what I wanted it to be, but informative enough. I learned a lot and can now talk about science in its relation to horror intelligently. The problem with a lot of these pop-science nonfiction books is that they just could've been an extended article

Okay, it's time to confess a weakness of mine. I love books that dive into the science of my favorite genres. So, naturally, I had to pick up Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films. I was too curious not to!

This is the book for every horror fan that has questioned why they love the genre so much. Nightmare Fuel breaks down the science of why we love to be scared and how these things successfully scare us.

“Anecdotes—and we’ll see a few more in this section—are not evidence.”

As one might expect, Nightmare Fuel is a highly informative read. It delves into the how's and why's of horror fiction, gleaning insight from years of personal and professional experience. Given the nature of this book, it's naturally perfect for all horror fans.

That being said, I can see readers that aren't obsessed with the genre enjoying this read. As I said, it's very informative and interesting. And since the goal isn't to scare us, it will probably appeal to a larger audience.

What sold me on Nightmare Fuel is how carefully researched it is. There are proper citations, not to mention so much attention to detail. It makes it easy to understand how the author is connecting the dots. Better yet, it is quite easy to follow along and understand their train of thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the investigation for this reason.

Horror buffs should consider diving into Nightmare Fuel, even if they don't usually read non-fiction novels. This one should be an exception to the rule, as it covers a subject many hold dear to their hearts.

Divided into eight chapters, Nightmare Fuel is a comprehensive examination of how horror films impact and shape us. More than the science of films, it dives into the chemistry behind fear and how it manifests in our bodies.

The first chapter, “This is your Brain on Horror,” describes the regions of the brain and the types of fear that affect them. The information is scientific, but explained in a clear and concise manner using examples from well-known films to explain the concepts.

From there, the book moves into Chapter 2, “A Brief History of Horror”, which was one of my favourite sections of the book. Beginning with the 1890s and working its way to the modern day, it was interesting to read how each time period has its own trends and dominant fears. While the book is mostly Western in its focus, Nesseth does briefly look at horror in other cultures, such as Japan. Like most sections of this book, I wish this one were expanded.

The next two chapters break down aspects of horror films by looking at the monsters and the use of sound and music. Monsters and villains are key in any film genre, but more so in horror films. While there are memorable heroes, it’s the antagonists that truly stand out in this genre. Using data gathered from various studies, Nesseth examines why certain monsters appeal to us and how filmmakers enhance their stories with sound. These two sections are probably the most interesting to a horror author like myself. Even though I do not write screenplays, looking at how filmmakers create iconic monsters and build atmosphere by engaging the senses is beneficial.

Building on the first chapter about the science behind our fear, Nesseth then examines why some scares impact us emotionally and culturally. In “Violence and Mayhem,” she tackles the argument that violent games and movies make violent people and then looks at the role of gore itself in horror. Then, in the final section, Nesseth explains how horror is for everyone, by looking at the people who love it and what they gain from the experience.

This book is full of information, more than I expected when I agreed to review it, and I haven’t even begun to digest everything I’ve learned from it. My little summary/review has failed to do it justice. Anyone with even a passing interest in horror can get something out of Nightmare Fuel and it is an excellent addition to my library.

Nightmare Fuel is a nonfiction book that delves into the science and psychology of horror films. I’ve read books like this before, specifically The Frighteners by Rev. Peter Laws and Danse Macabre by Stephen King.

There are plenty of people who find joy in horror, but why is that, exactly? What’s so enjoyable about terrifying monsters, gross and gory murders, and stories based on actual crimes? A lot of it comes down to the thrill. Nina Nesseth explores this through eight chapters, where we begin with a small exploration of the science of fear. We then move into the history of horror, and how we’ve got to where we are today. Then, chapters on different subgenres within the horror genre, such as monster movies and slashers.

I am a person who enjoys horror for selfish reasons. I don’t want any of these things to happen in real life, but through fiction, it is a safe way to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, so to speak. Or being hunted. As with The Frighteners, Nesseth also explores how watching or reading horror is healthy for us. Crime may be blamed on the sick and macabre, but horror may actually reduce crime.

I’d love to see more studies on this, and other people’s opinions on the science of horror movies. A lot of people into horror are seen as monsters, but in reality are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. I believe horror is to thank for some of it.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

CW for mentions of rape, violence, blood, and gore

This book delves into the science behind why we like horror movies, how we react, why we react how we do and why people love/hate them. If you are interesting in the science of horror this is definitely a book you should pick up.

It is a fascinating read that is packed with film references, deeper understanding of the brain regarding horror, movies and podcasts. The author even lists movies at the end of the book that got a mention within. Being a horror lover, I have watched 90% (now I have to watch the other 10%).

I will be gifting to some of my horror loving friends this book. I cannot wait to discuss it with them!
I want to thank NetGalley, Nina Nesseth and Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, Tor Nightfire for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

For those of you who love horror movies, have you ever wondered why? Why do you find thrill in something so gruesome? Why do you keep coming back for more when they scare you so much you can’t sleep? Nightmare Fuel dives into that question by breaking down the science of fear.

Reading Nightmare Fuel I was hooked from beginning to end. Nesseth does an incredible job outlining their research and providing sources for this book. The breakdown was done so well and really tapped into the physical experience of watching a horror movie.

Interviews with academics to directors to composers and film editors completed this books purpose. Movie spotlights included movies from The Exorcist to Hereditary, encapsulating a range of horror titles. This is truly a love letter to horror movies. If you’re a fan - you need it!

Thank you, thank you @tornightfire for sending me a copy for review! I loved this so much, 5 stars!

An accessible, educational romp through how the emotion of fear ties to horror films. This was not only informative, but illuminating and an interesting tool for self-discovery into how why people attach to horror and experience fear differently--myself included. WIll be purchasing a copy and including this book in my Nonfiction November round-ups.

I liked how this book gave a good overview over the genre and mentioned many different horror movies as examples over the decades. Plus, I had had absolutely no idea of the many horror research studies that had been made over the years.

I absolutely loved this book. Nonfic explorations of things that I find frightening are usually a hit for me- I’m curious even when it’s to my own detriment! If you’ve ever wondered why what creeps you out does, or if your wired differently as a result… this is an excellent choice.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @tornightfire for the eArc!

I love horror movies. Zombies. Ghosts. Serial killers. Monsters. Aliens. Whatever. I've watched it all. Now I can't say that I haven't covered my eyes at particularly creepy bits, screamed occasionally at jump scares, and even turned the volume off to survive really gory parts......but I still love the genre!

This book pulled me right in. Of course I want to know what makes horror movies horrific! I'm all over that immediately! And this book delivers. I had such a fun time reading my review copy of this book. And, to kick off my Halloween season reading this year, I even checked this book out of my public library to read it again! My son says he gets to read it when I'm finished. I can't wait for the discussions after we've both read it. I'm sure we will be talking horror movies and our reactions to them for some time afterwards!

This book is divided into 8 chapters and delves into some really cool aspects of horror itself, why we find it scary, and why people are attracted to entertainment that scares them. So interesting! There is also a list of horror movies in the back of the book, plus a list of books for further reading on the topic.

Loved it! I can't wait to read what this author comes up with next!

If you like horror movies, NIGHTMARE FUEL by Nina Nesseth is a fantastic read. The book is a semi-deep dive into what makes us love the movies that give us the heebie-jeebiees.

The book's description is spot-on: "With the affection of a true horror fan and the critical analysis of a scientist, Nesseth explains how audiences engage horror with both their brains and bodies, and teases apart the elements that make horror films tick. Nightmare Fuel covers everything from jump scares to creature features, serial killers to the undead, and the fears that stick around to those that fade over time."

Nina gives more than 40 examples of horror movies in her book. I enjoyed reminiscing about the way certain movies brought me terror. Like when my parents took me to see Jaws at the age of three. I'm still not quite comfortable swimming in the ocean, but that's the power a horror movie had over me.

I became lost off and on throughout the book with dissections of the way the brain works under stress. There was too much medical terminology that was difficult to follow (you could argue I'm not that smart).

I also thought some chapters made points already brought up before. I felt like some of the terms used regarding men were too negative, particularly when at least half, if not more, of horror fans are men. It felt like a point was being made regarding social issues rather than movie stats.

However, if you are a fan of horror movies, you will enjoy learning more about horror movies and the affects it has on our mental and physical states.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, Tor Nightfire for an e-copy of NIGHTMARE FUEL to review.

I rate NIGHTMARE FUEL three out of five stars.

I was SO excited when I came across this book because it combines two of my favorite things: horror movies and science!

As the title suggests, this book goes into the science behind horror movies, why we like them, why our bodies react the way they do, that sort of stuff. And I just found all of that so interesting! I mean, why do we come back for more horror instead of staying away from these terrible scenarios? The book pointed out one thing: when recognizing a scary situation in a horror movie, the buildup of your own anticipation for that situation is half the fun—and that is SO true! That is one of my favorite things about watching horror movies—just waiting for the spooky thing to happen 😆 AND recent research has shown that oxytocin (the “love” hormone) can be released during stressful situations... including horror movies! That I did not know!

And I actually learned a lot about myself and my relationship to horror from reading this book. One thing about me is that even though I love all things horror, I actually startle really easily. It’s embarrassing! 😂 But I also have anxiety, and apparently that makes me more sensitive to spooky things and thus I have a bigger startle response. Yay anxiety 🙃 Lol. However, they say that people with anxiety disorders have a harder time distancing themselves from the horror in movies, but I find that I don’t have that problem. I’ve never had an issue distancing myself from the fictional horror of movies. I can literally fall asleep to a horror movie and not have a nightmare 😆 Lol.

But just because I love horror and can handle a bit of violence and gore, it’s not the same with real-life stuff, which this book talks about a little. I’ve read one true crime book, and at the moment of writing this review I’m reading another, but while reading these types of books I am so acutely aware that this terrible violence happened in real life, that I could obviously not take it as lightly as I do movies/fictional books. In fact, it took me MONTHS to read that first true crime book (even though I loved it). The media loves to blame horror movies for terrible acts of violence that happen in real life, saying that these types of movies desensitize the people committing these awful crimes. But no. I've watched so much horror that I might be a little desensitized when watching other horror movies, but never when it comes to violence that happens in the real world.

The book also talks about the brain in relation to horror movies, like how the amygdala is generally accepted as the primary brain center for fear processing, and just what goes on in the brain when fear is triggered. I liked the way the book talked about what happens to your brain as you go through these frightening scenarios, from potential threat to actual threat, what hormones are released and how your body reacts. AND they used movies as examples! I loved that! I also learned that there are more responses than just flight or fight! There are in fact MANY Fs! Lol. It was so interesting!

Another thing I found interesting was that loving horror COULD be in the genes! I have no idea how, as neither of my parents like it 😆 My dad loves his Hallmark Christmas movies, meanwhile I’m over here like, “Ew! Get them away from me!” 😂 I have three brothers and only ONE is a horror fan too! So in my case, it’s definitely not hereditary, but it is contagious. Lol. I’m honestly not sure where exactly my love for it came from... I mean, I used to watch things like Goosebumps and I remember once Child's Play was on tv and it scared the ever-loving crap out of me and made me hate dolls 😆

Ironically, it's one of my favorite movies now! Lol. One experience I remember vividly is when my twin brothers were born. It was MLK day and my younger brother and I were staying with an aunt while the twins were being, well, birthed 😆 Me, my brother, and our cousins (I was 12, my brother 6, one of my cousins maybe 10 or so, and my other was also 6) were watching The Ring, and the scene where Samara came out of the TV scared us SO badly, we literally ran down the stairs 😂 That being said, we apparently found it fun because we came back to finish the movie 😂

This book talked about so many interesting things that I could not possibly touch on them all... I feel like I’ve already rambled on long enough 😆 But two more things I wanted to note before I wrap things up, is that if you take a look at horror movies throughout history, horror movies made during certain time periods actually correlate with what's going on in the real world and what scared us during those times. And that maybe watching and enjoying horror movies could be... almost a coping mechanism/a way to deal with our own terrible in-real-life issues. For example, during the pandemic, I watched All of Us Are Dead, which is a Korean zombie show (which I highly recommend! It is SO good!) where the characters had to deal with an even worse virus than we have now. It’s almost like a release for the things you’ve been feeling.

Oh man, that is one long-winded review 😅 But I really enjoyed this book! I love how all the science was explained and then horror movies were used as examples or spotlit in relation to whatever topic was being discussed. It was just a fascinating read! Although I will admit, my eyes glazed over in certain parts 🙈 Usually when they talked about movie production. I guess I just don't care about that 🤷‍♀️ But give me ALL the science! 😆 But I definitely recommend this book if you’re a fan of horror! And even if you’re not, I think you might find it interesting as well!

I am a horror movie fan and a psychology fan. While some other reviewers are saying that this book is "too academic" but I found it very accessible. The chapters deal with concepts that you've probably already heard of: uncanny valley, fight or flight, etc. Honestly, I kind of wanted a more deep dive into the scientific studies, and the shortcomings of the studies, done to understand fear by showing people horror movies, but the bibliography in the back allows for further research (and further streaming horror movies). I also appreciated the authors' asides and relating their own experiences to those shown in other studies.

If you’re a horror/terror movie fan, Nightmare Fuel will probably be good candidate for a bedside book. With a good writing style and careful composition of several variables that impact on how this film genre is perceived and received by the spectators, Nina Nesseth delivers a fascinating reading which will keep you interested throughout the book.

Starting with a very complete and necessary contextualization about the history of horror films through the World, Nesseth puts to the page what are the main aspects and what helps horror, suspense and movies alike be one of the most compelling types. The author explains the effects horror films have on the human brain, how people feel when watching them and what genetic aspect makes us seek to be afraid, even if “just for fun”.

In other chapters, the writer brings all about the elements which have made horror movies successful in the past and continue to work like so, also about the many different subgenres that permeate this incredible and intricate world of fear and apprehension. With just the right amount of scientific vocabulary, Nesseth dives deep into this universe and shows us what makes it so fascinating and almost impossible to look away from.

If you are a movie aficionado, this book might be the right reading to entertain while you also expand your knowledge.

This is a fascinating read if you're into horror movies, even to a small degree. It explores what attracts people to the genre, from psychology to emotions to physical effects. It's not overly scientific to the point of confusion for the average reader, primarily leaning on various studies as explanations. And it covers the gamut of horror subgenres and movies. As a bonus, at the end of the book there are lists of the movies the author watched as background for each chapter, so readers can check them out for themselves.