Why I Love Horror by Becky Siegel Spratford is a heartfelt, geeky celebration of all things creepy. It’s packed with essays from horror heavyweights like Grady Hendrix, Tananarive Due, and Stephen Graham Jones, each sharing what makes the genre so irresistible.

4 stars

A wonderful collection of essays from prominent horror writers answering the title question, which becomes a series of meditations on the purpose of the horror genre, the nature of psychology and trauma, the transformative power of literature itself and horror as a part of that, and the crossover between scary and fun. This is a collection that I found myself taking my time with, not feeling the urge to rush through all of the author’s ideas in order to get to the aggregate but rather wanting to enjoy as a multi-course meal.

I’d highly recommend this collection to horror fans and novices alike, but definitely to anyone interested in the question of why we do art and literature in the first place.

Thank you to Saga Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley!

4.25 stars!

I loved this collection of essays. While I didn't necessarily connect to every single one as I don't know all of the authors yet, I still appreciated their view and opinion on why they love horror. My favorite essay was Gabino Iglesias's! He just has such a way with words and it really comes through even in non-fiction writing!

It’s almost Spooky Season reading time, and what better way to kick it off than with a collection of essays written by some of the most influential modern horror writers? Including essays by Jennifer McMahon, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, Rachel Harrison, Stephen Graham Jones, and other modern masters of the genre, Why I Love Horror gives readers a glimpse into the psyches of some of our favorite writers as they delve into the importance of horror in their lives and careers. And their experiences are as vast and varied as their novels.

The collection is edited by Becky Siegel Spratford, who writes an introduction to each essay connecting it thematically to the others. A world-renowned librarian, Spratford recommends a starting novel for readers unfamiliar with each writer, as well as another author whose books are similar. I came away from this collection with so many new additions to my TBR – both due to Spratford’s recommendations, and because of the various books mentioned by the authors in their essays.

My favorite essays were the ones by Clay McLeod Chapman and Gabino Iglesias – both authors I have yet to read, believe it or not – and I can’t wait to delve into their bibliographies. But really, every single essay offered a thought-provoking, unique perspective that really made me appreciate horror (already my favorite genre) even more.

Why I Love Horror also, of course, made me consider my own relationship with the genre and why I’ve always gravitated towards it, beginning with Fear Street and Christopher Pike and, later (around the mature age of nine), Flowers in the Attic and The Shining. I suspect it had something to do with some real-life horrors my little mind was trying to cope with, so it felt comforting to escape into someone else’s traumas and fears for a time. Whatever the reason, I’m so glad I picked up those first scary books, and it was rewarding to see my own love for horror reflected in the essays of some of my favorite writers.

Why I Love Horror by Becky Siegel Spratford is not a horror book, and it is not just for horror fans. It is for horror fans, of course, but it’s also for everybody else who likes stories.

It’s for everyone who likes personal stories that make you feel.

Some have humorous or nostalgic moments like when John Langan reminded me of how afraid we all were of quicksand when we were kids. And others nearly moved me to tears (“I’m not crying, you’re crying!”) such as when Cynthia Pelayo talked about the importance of breaking cycles of abuse. Others touched on shared experiences like when Clay Chapman mentioned the Challenger explosion; I was already inhaling every Stephen King book I could get my hands on at the time at 12, but that moment of real life horror is an indelible part of my brain chemistry.

It’s also for anyone who is interested in hearing different voices or reading different styles.

Part of what I like most about Why I Love Horror is that though the prompt is the same, the styles are very different from each other. For someone unfamiliar with the authors, it’s an interesting variety with one essay in the form of a (probably fictional) conversation with a stranger on a train and one lavishly illustrated by the author’s daughter, for example. (Fans could make a game of hiding the author’s name and guessing who it is by their distinctive voice and style.)

Speaking of fans - everyone will learn something and fans will get new insight into the author from the thoughtful introduction from Spratford for each essay - and her “similar author” recommendations are sure to create even more fans of more authors.

I am sure almost every horror lover has been asked this question in some form at some point or even be called to defend the genre’s existence outright depending on how likely your step-mamaw is to think you have the devil in you because you’re wearing red. That’s probably not an example that will apply to a lot of people, but you get my point.

My “why” is similar to some in this book, as a child, I retreated into books because I was (and still am) shy and introverted. I was drawn to the darker stories which in some ways were reflecting my reality - but over which I had control. Now, decades later, horror has been my most trusted companion, it continues to be a balm from the world when I need it but has opened up so many new worlds - both fictional and real.

Why do you love horror?

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Big thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Beck Siegel Spratford’s amazing collection of horror writers’ essays on their love of horror appropriately titled Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature. This book was amazing! I loved hearing from so many incredible writers whose work I admire, have wanted to read, or just discovered because of this incredible anthology. First, this book is a must read for any horror fan—whether you are a horror literature fan or even a horror movie fan. Many of the entries from the authors provide background and motivation for why we are attracted to dark, forbidding stories that challenge and frighten us. I was nodding my head in agreement while reading many of the essays, finding commonality among the different perspectives that all pointed to outsider status, anxiety and fear, social ills, dysfunction, and especially in finding horror through early experiences with scary stories, comics, television shows, and films. While I try to find something that I can relate to in every book I read, I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered a book where I felt like I was saying “That’s me!” after every page.
Becky Siegel Spratford, the editor of this anthology, has done an incredible job of assembling an all-star cast of horror writers, but more importantly, she’s expertly arranged the essays into a compelling order that progresses from early encounters with monsters to real life terrors and horrors to acknowledging how horror can help us through horrible times. Siegel Spratford is a librarian by training who eventually started working with the Readers’ Advisory, a program that suggests books to readers. Maybe it’s something we take for granted when we go to the library, but I’ve always thought it was cool to see what the librarians were reading and recommending for readers. I usually don’t have a problem finding books I want to read, but it is a great service for my kids. Interestingly, Siegel Spratford recognized the importance of asking why—not just recounting what the book was about, but rather what made the book so enjoyable and readable. She gives a great example of how this question functioned for Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians, probably my favorite book by him (although The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a close second). She explains that exploring the why led her to create the Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, and her interest in horror led to asking writers to share entries for an October blog on “Why Horror?” She provided these authors with a simple prompt and word length, and then includes a great introduction and recommendations for these authors’ books—for which I am so grateful.
The book is easily read, and it’s one that I will definitely want to revisit. I also see some of these essays as being great teaching tools in asking students to think deeply about their own personal interests or “Why” questions. It’s an assignment I’ve taught before, trying to craft my own examples—why running? Why horror movies? Why metal? – as well as using student samples. However, I loved the variety and creativity in these essays. Grady Hendrix’s “Why I Love Horror” was so strange and unsettling about a discovery in his father’s freezer—I’m not sure how true it is, but that was the whole point of why horror. This sounds like something that could happen. Did it? That’s what makes horror so unsettling. I also loved Clay McLeod Chapman’s “Why I Am Horror” in which he recounts the varied examples from his younger days of why he drifted into horror, and how some experiences with horror challenged his perspective and understanding of the truth. I think that the earlier essays about monsters probably appealed to me the most. I was that kid who loved books about cryptids and creatures and watched shows like In Search Of… and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. I had these Time Life books about all aspects of the unknown and mysterious events and creatures. It was funny that John Langan brought up spontaneous human combustion, because I remember being terrified of that phenomenon when I was younger after reading about it in one of these Time Life books. I think I even saw the pictures he referenced in his essay. I was just always drawn to both being scared but also intrigued by these mysterious circumstances. Also, monster movies were definitely a big part of my young life, something that I watched with my dad when I was really young, and continued to stay up late on Saturday nights after Saturday Night Live to watch Saturday Night Dead. Like a lot of the writers, these movies led to other worlds of horror including comics and Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Peter Straub. I’m also not sure if it was partly a generational aspect of growing up in the 80s, but I had a used book/comic store up the street from my house where I spent a lot of time and money discovering weird tales and Poe and Lovecraft comic adaptations. There were also 2 video stores nearby, and both had pretty good horror selections. Cynthia Pelayo, whose amazing book Loteria I recently read (and loved), talked about how the video store provided her with an early entry to horror, in which she ended up exploring the entire selection. Similarly, Clay McLeod Chapman talks about how “Each sleeve had its own horror story to tell.” I remember one summer trying to rent all of the banned films with a friend—Make Them Die Slowly, I Spit on Your Grave, Faces of Death…. Just trying to really push boundaries. However, there were all kinds of great covers and boxes that called out to perspective viewers to dare themselves to be scared for a few hours. I could totally relate to this, and it’s something that I feel like younger generations really missed out on. Even as an adult, I miss that time where I could just spend a summer day binging on different horror movies.
One of the more powerful essays was more like a story by David Demchuk. I was blown away by the story he recounts hearing from his uncle. It’s a powerful kind of allegory, but also illustrates the didactic power of horror and how its visceral nature allows us to feel a broad range of emotions. Similarly Stephen Graham Jones who ends the anthology, presents some humorous yet compelling reasons why he chose horror, noting how it might be the oldest of the genres. I also loved how many of the authors noted how important horror is for society—to serve as like a barometer and a kind of critique of society, where it can help us to recognize not only the horrors that are happening, but also what might come if we don’t make changes. Alma Katsu, who worked in intelligence tracking genocide and atrocities around the world acknowledges the power of horror and darkness to teach us important lessons. Other authors also offered the necessity of horror as a way to help us acknowledge and appreciate the light and good in the world. There were so many great ways to consider horror and what we can learn from it in this collection. I loved reading other pieces by authors whose books I’ve read within the last year or so—Gabino Iglesias, Tananarive Due, Alma Katsu, Clay McLeod Chapman, Victor LaValle, Nuzo Onoh, Grady Hendrix, Cynthia Pelayo, and Stephen Graham Jones, as well as encountering some writers on my TBR list (John Langan, Rachel Harrison, Mary SanGiovanni, David Demchuk). This was such a great collection! I also couldn’t imagine the contributions that some writers who either couldn’t contribute or had their work cut might have added. Siegel Spratford mentions a few in the “Acknowledgements”. I hope maybe she can create another edition later to include some of these writers. Nevertheless, this was such a fun, entertaining, and enlightening read. I loved reading about all of these authors’ experiences with horror- what influenced their movement to the dark side and what has kept them there. Highly recommended!

Here we have 18 essays by contemporary horror writers who were each asked why they love horror.

It got me thinking about why I, myself, love horror. ➡️

Edited by Becky Siegel Spratford, a librarian and horror reader advisor with an intro from Mother Horror, this is the non-fiction book all horror fans need to learn what scares their favorite horror authors. Who isn’t intrigued about what scares other people?

It’s a wide range of scope for why someone is drawn to horror stemmed from childhood fears, family history, marginalization, artistic rebellion, and more.

Several essays are deeply personal. Some talk about formative experiences, trauma, how horror helped them survive, how it shapes their identity; many of these are eye-opening and rather interesting. My favorite was probably Grady Hendrix’s though because that’s true story telling there! 😅

It’s not just a fan-gush though. Many consider what horror is, what it does, how it interacts with literature, with society, with real fears. There’s depth.

Spratford includes introductions to authors, groups them in a somewhat theme and recommends similar authors and books. Not only is it a reading experience, but it becomes a gateway for discovering even more horror.

Some essays are more moving than others and stand out stronger like any typical anthology, but each brings something interesting to the table.

It’s a love letter to the genre. It humanizes horror authors and shows their vulnerabilities, their fears, how very “ordinary” terrifying things often drive what we think is paranormal or monstrous.

It helps in validating horror as literature and art—not just pulp, not just entertainment, but a genre capable of insight, catharsis, social commentary.

Horror seems to surge in cultural relevance when society is under stress. The genre needs stories not just of why we love horror, but also of what we fear in ourselves and what parts of us are the monsters.

Why I Love Horror is a series of essays from some of the greatest authors of our time on why they love horror. While it does present the value behind horror, it also reminds us that horror is a deeply personal genre. Every person approaches it differently; faces their fears differently; sees the monster differently. That is its strength.

In this essay series, I enjoyed getting to know each author in their approach to explaining that love, each as unique as the books they write. The flow of the arrangement of essays is excellent, each leading naturally into the next in an evolution of form that is fitting and provides the reader a journey rather than just a collection. Spratford’s introductions, title suggestions, and additional author suggestions show her prowess as a librarian, spreading the love of books. I’m so grateful we have someone like her in the corner of horror.


Alright to get a bit personal now: Reading horror in literary spaces feels to me like being the kid scared of judgemental monsters in their TBR closet. My English degree backed legitimizing arguments are a blanket over my head to hide the pulp I hold to my heart at these meetings. Even as I proclaim that all reading is worthwhile, I often blush as I present my indie splatterpunk to readers of Dostoevsky or Murakami in reading circles in NYC. This collection made me feel seen, in a way that makes me less afraid to share my own love of horror in reading and writing clubs. I’m so grateful to have read this book, and look forward to tackling the reading list within it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

I loved getting to read the background of all of these horror authors and what got them into this genre. I've read at least one book of majority of the popular authors, but this book will help me branch out outside my comfort zone in the future. I did feel like some of the authors got off topic in their essays, which would make me lose a little interest. I wish some of them had talked more about their books. Kind of like a pitch as to why I should read their book, and what type of horror to expect from them. This is why i would give it 3.5 stars. I can't wait to check out some new authors in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley, Becky Siegel Spratford, and Saga Press for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press, and Author Becky Siegel Spratford for the eArc copy of "Why I Love Horror," in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Spratford has collected a series of essays by some of the most renowned and celebrated horror authors to date. Her collection has provided insight into the minds to these authors and the draw of the horror genre itself. Among this journey, a reader can discover recommendations for more masters of fear should they dare.

All my life horror has been a staple for me. From the behind the scene film creations to the writing, horror has been there. It explains the world around us, shows us the fear within the known and unknown. It gives us ways to deal with the true horrors of reality.

This book is a heartfelt love letter to the genre. While some author's I am familiar with, there are other authors within this book that I have been toying on picking up. Rachel Harrison, Stephen Graham Jones, and Nuzo Onoh are all horror authors that I know I will devor. I guess I should get that book shelf ready for some more horror.

If you want to understand horror, learn about your favorite authors, or perhaps find some new authors then this is the book for you. "Why I Love Horror" is one I will be turning if someone asks for recommendations.

These essays by great horror writers about why they love horror are amazing. They are so good at articulating what horror means to them from personal anecdotes, when they were first introduced to horror, and also their personal spooky experiences.

Brian Keene's essay made me cry. It was beautiful. Horror as an escape from the real-life horror going on today.

Gabino Iglesias' essay made me laugh and then cry.

And Stephen Graham Jones' essay was so satisfying and heartfelt, I sighed deeply and then cried.

Reading their essays introduced me to some new-to-me horror authors and made me want to run out and get their books because I also love horror and really want to read their stories. Many of the reasons the writers give for loving horror are the reasons that I also love horror. Horror as an escape from the real-life horrors of the world. Horror as release. Horror as a catharsis. Horror because it's fun. Horror because it's exciting. Horror to feel. Horror, because it's fun to be scared when you know that nothing really bad will happen to you.

I loved this collection of essays! My favorites were from Gabino Iglesias and Grady Hendrix. This definitely made me want to check out some new authors in the genre. I also really appreciated the preface that came with each essay.

An excellent collection of essays that delve into the decision to read and write horror.

The guest authors did a great job describing the impact this literary subgenre has had on their lives, as well as its current cultural and social influence.

4.5/5: Why I Love Horror

If you are picking up this book, you are probably its right audience: a horror lit fan curious about WHY this genre is #thebest

And the essays don't disappoint. They are written by standout authors in the genre, and their reasons for loving horror made me want to fist pump in the air while reading it:

1) horror helps process trauma
2) horror gives us space to yell and scream and rage
3) horror makes us FEEL, in our bodies, in our hearts, in our minds
4) horror lets us face the darkness and survive
5) horror gifts us community: a place where we are not the outsider, the weirdo, or even the Monster.

Some of the essays that particularly stood out to me include Josh Malerman, Grady Hendrix (which honestly was a scary story in itself!), Rachel Harrison (who I literally DM'd on Instagram to say GIRL ME TOOOO), Alma Katsu, Gavin Iglesias, and Sadie Hartmann.

(In transparency I did skip two of the essays; one because the format on my Kindle made it difficult to read (this was an ARC so hopefully this will be fixed before the final copy is released), and one because the content matter was too dark/difficult/out of my personal comfort zone.)

Whether you are already a fan of the genre or just curious about WHY people love this (often looked down upon) genre: give this a read.

“When they said horror couldn’t eat at literature’s table, we horror folks built a table from the bones of our enemies and welcomed everyone who wanted to join.”

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.

A fantastic little non-fiction anthology from some major names in horror today, which explores just what horror means to those who love it. Whether you're a reader or writer, new to the horror scene or a seasoned walker of the dark pages, this book is guaranteed to make you smile as you see just how much this most ancient of genres resonates across age, gender, and society to nail exactly what it means to be human in an inexorably scary world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed reading this book about a bunch of authors I already know and love, and learning why they love, connect, and write horror. This is definitely the book for modern horror lovers.

I appreciated the bios beforehand for authors that were new to me and recommendations of what to read by them or a similar author.

My favorite essays were Grady Hendrix, Rachel Harrison, Paul Tremblay, and Stephen Graham Jones. However, they were all wonderfully written.

If I ever turn down the opportunity to read a bunch of essays by horror writers, strike me down. That ain't me no more. This was so good. It was really honest and revealing about some authors that I truly love, and all the recommendations for others has me shaking my head at a seemingly endless TBR. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys essays, full stop, but especially if you're curious about what makes some of the biggest names in modern horror who they are.

This was a well done collection of essays from popular horror authors describing the varied reasons for why they love the genre. I often found myself agreeing with the essays, and realizing reasons for why I like horror myself that I had not realized previously.

I suspect that the main audience that will end up reading this will be readers already invested in the horror genre, but I hope that readers not familiar to the genre also pick this up.

For the Paul Tremblay section I wish the font hadnt been so small. Embedding the pictures by themselves and making the essay regular font would have made it easier to read

Thank you NetGalley and SagaPress for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why I Love Horror by Becky Siegel Spratford is a collection of essays written by popular horror authors such as Grady Hendrix, Rachel Harrison, Gabino Igelesias, Jennifer McMahon, Stephan Jones Graham, and many more. These authors share why they love the horror genre and what inspires them to write. Some themes these authors touch on are using horror as an outlet to understand the evil in the world, working through traumatic events, and creating morally gray characters to understand the complicity in people.

Each essay Spratford writes a little summary of what the essay is about along with note on who the author is. She also suggests similar authors to check out that are similar to the author writing the essay.

All of the essays are unique in their own ways, but a few stood out to me. "Brian Keene's Giant-Size Man" by Brian Keene focuses on his fear of monsters and how he uses his horror writing to fight for good against those monsters. "My Long Road to Horror" by Tananarive Due uses supernatural to work on Black horror through themes of racial discrimination, family, and ancestral traditions. "Why I Love Horror" by Grady Hendrix shares how the horror genre helps him work through his childhood trauma and to process it. "Permission to Scream" by Rachel Harrison uses horror to explore themes of being a woman in modern society and to explore different types of relationships such as family, friends, and romantic partners.

I am someone who does not read much horror, but when I do, I appreciate reading through the evil side of the human experience that helps me work through my own trauma and fears. Many people misunderstand the horror genre to be "satanic," but it is much more than that, and this collection of essays can help showcase that to society.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

You will most definitely find something that you’re looking for in here. These are all so good. I loved seeing everybody’s different writing styles, different types of essays and I couldn’t pick a favorite. So many amazing authors that you’ve grown to know and love. These are all fairly quick to read which is nice to everybody reading this type of book. This book will feed on your thoughts, dreams and fears. This is a must read for the spooky season!!!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Friends to Lovers, Witches x Devils, Second Chance, Forbidden Love, Small Town, Spooky, Drama, Mystery, Magic

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press