I truly enjoyed this collection of essays! It felt like a love letter to my personal favorite genre, horror. I really loved the author introductions and recommendations written and I have now added more books and authors to my TBR. My favorite essays were from Gabino Iglesias, Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, Victor LaValle, and David Demchuk. Thank you NetGalley! I really enjoyed this! This book will be published on September 22nd of this year- pre order now! It will be an excellent spooky season read.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

Fun and found some new horror authors!

I always love when NetGalley has ARCs for books I was already planning to read, I was so excited to get my hands on this essay collection. I love that the authors are a mix of old heads and rising stars, there were a couple names I had not heard of and I was happy to add their books to my TBR. I also appreciated the variety in the essays, it wasn't just "when i was 6 i saw 'Halloween' and it changed me forever", the authors gave a lot of different reasons to like horror and there was a lot of variety and nuance in the stories they told and the way they told their stories. As always, Stephen Graham Jones was a standout (there's a reason he always gets put last to finish out a collection) but everyone was engaging enough that it felt like I flew through this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eighteen of the most influential authors active today write short essays to explain why they love horror. Sometimes seen as a lesser genre, it is probably the most diverse and inclusive. The authors here are proof of this, and they all provide very personal accounts about their lives and struggles. Everything that made them devote their lives to making people scared. I was surprised at how many of their stories resonated with my own personal experiences (the scene in Deadly Friend that marked Clay McLeod Chapman traumatized me to a degree that I still remember it). Maybe that’s why I love horror too. The sleepless nights fearing what hides in the darkness. Watching scary movies that were not appropriate for my age at the time. More than one of the authors shared scarily similar experiences. Others struggled with worse (racism, abuse, alienation). They all embraced it and used it. The styles will seem familiar if you’ve read their books, and are also very varied. Josh Malerman sets a scene on a train. Nuso Onoh shares a day in her life. Tanarive Due reminisces about her parents, who took part in the Civil Rights movement. Paul Tremblay uses illustrations by his daughter. Some are more political, others more personal and a few are heartbreaking (Cynthia Pelayo’s is truly horrific). Horror lovers are all a community and these people are our leaders. If you want insight into what makes them come up with these stories that give us nightmares, don’t miss this.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Saga Press.

With introductions by Becky and essays from contemporary horror writers, _Why I Love Horror_ is a great resource for library staff and horror fans. Becky’s intros describe the authors and their contributions to the genre along with her recommended reads. The essays get to the heart of why horror is such an important genre and why it speaks to such a diverse audience, with personal and entertaining passages from current authors. If you’re a horror reader or looking for ways to recommend horror, this is an invaluable book is for you!

I heard Becky Siegel Spratford speak at the American Library Association conference, and I knew I had to read the book she'd edited. Spratford is a self-described “horror librarian,” which, just, wow, talk about cool jobs. She’s trained librarians all around the world in how to pitch books in ways that get readers excited, and she works with Reader Advisory to get more horror books into the hands of library patrons.

I loved how Spratford talks about books: passionately, sensitively, and with a keen understanding that tough books help us heal and process the real world. Something about her was just inherently inspiring, and when she spoke, it felt like I was being welcomed into a world where authors and readers alike have very intelligent things to say about this much misunderstood, neglected, and maligned genre.

These essays cover a range of perspectives and voices, some necessarily more interesting than others. Grady Hendrix absolutely knocked it out of the park; I'll need to share his essay with horror readers I know once this book is published. It might be one of my favorite essays that I've ever read.

Many of these felt more like blog posts than essays, though, and since one writer mentioned writing his contribution on an airplane, I'm thinking that some authors had more casual approaches than I would have liked, perhaps because "Why I Love Horror" did start off as an online blog series. I felt that this was a great opportunity for authors to show off their writing skills and prose styles (as Grady Hendrix did), but many of the essays were bland and prosaic. Spratford set them up for success by writing wonderful biographies for each author, recommending a place to start with their books, and offering a readalike writer to explore as well. I wish more of the writers had written a little more thoughtfully; too many of these just didn't hold my interest.

Loved this non fiction (or was it) novel from some of my favorite authors in horror.

I loved how the book was organized based on what type of essay we were getting. All focused on why each author loves horror.

My favorites were Rachel Harrison’s feminist take, Grady Hendrix’s personal trauma, and Stephen Graham Jones’s “because horror lays dark eggs in the audience’s head that don’t hatch until two in the morning.”

In this collection of essays, we hear from well-known horror writers, their take on “why horror” and how it helped shaped them into some of the best in the genre. Things I enjoyed the most:

✔️Getting to know the authors better
✔️The introduction from the editor of the book before each essay, which includes better known works by the authors, suggested “first-read” by each author and a recommendation on similar authors
✔️Learning some new books and authors to add to my very-growing horror tbr list
✔️Gaining insight as to what horror means to different people

In short, I LOVED IT!

Do your self a favor and pick this one up when it launches in September - perfect timing for spooky season!👻

Thanks to Saga Press and Netgalley for an Arc of this book

This collection of essays was compelling, beautifully written and at time heart wrenching.

As to be expected of a group of writers who are masters of their craft.

They are edited with such care that the book doubles as a compendium for new voices to explore.

The highlight for me was My Mother was Margaret White by Cynthia Pelayo and author I have yet to read but instantly added to the tbr.

Perfect for genre fans and for new hopefuls exploring the genre

An absolutely wonderful love letter to horror, these essays hit all the high points on why horror is one of the most popular genres!

In ‘Why I Love Horror’, 16 of horror’s well-known authors tackle the forever-asked question - why do you love horror?

As an avid horror lover, it was interesting to read the authors’ “origin stories,” and I liked to line up our experiences to see if there was any universal thing that turns someone into a horror lover. From Stephen King to the horrors of reality, there was a lot of overlap between my horror-loving origin and the authors’, and it makes me love horror even more as a genre that brings people together.

There were some essays that dragged or I didn’t personally enjoy the writing style. Unfortunately, that’s just how anthologies go sometimes, but overall, I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Becky Siegel Spratford, Saga Press, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Really solid mix of essays on why these legends of contemporary horror write horror. Some really hit home, some are entertaining, some are informative. It’s perfect for the horror booktok lover in your life. Feels like a fan service as well as a love letter.

Book: Why I Love Horror
Editor: Becky Siegel Spratford
Publisher: Simon & Schuster’s Saga Press
Publication Date: 23 September, 2025
Capone’s Rating: 5 of 5 ⭐s
Let’s start this review by stating what might be obvious to you by just reading the list of contributors, whether or not you’re familiar with “horror librarian” Becky Siegel Spratford and her Good Works: Why I Love Horror is a must-read for any horror fan. This anthology of essays will appeal in particular to those wanting to get in the heads of favorite authors or, in the case of us horror writers, our heroes as well as favorites.
One point Stephen Graham Jones makes in his set-closing essay stands out among the rest: Horror is inclusive. We love it together, and our shared interest improves us and binds us. How deep does the binding go? How much blood would have to be spilled to break the curse—er, blessing? One can only guess. Thankfully, we know our shared kismet pulls us together in a welcoming community. I’ve felt that as a reader, writer, and publisher.
A few others remark in their essays that they came to horror somewhat late in life after making a start in the academy writing proper literary fiction (or attempting to do so) after realizing doing so felt hollow and untrue to them (my words, but that’s the gist). What struck me was how common my malady was in these writers whom I so admire. See, I also dismissed horror as uniformly dumpy schlock—I was as annoyingly pretentious as they come when the topic was literature. I read “only the classics” and avoided modern writing, in so-called genre fiction especially. Today, I realize that, while it was edifying to read all of that proper stuff, what really hits home today is the exploration only possible through that which is horrific. Some of that literary fiction appeals to me, sure, but mostly it feels stilted and contrived. The reins come off in horror, though, and we get to the meat of things much more clearly and directly—and clear and direct writing is good, right? It’s the best.
Writers like Tananarive Due talk about representation in horror, and for me, horror is an exercise in empathy without which I would see less of the world and those who inhabit it with me. Her work (see The Good House or The Reformatory, for example) has widened my own understanding of the world, and here I get a glimpse into her why. Malerman takes a less personal and more narrative approach, and his oddness definitely comes out in his essay. (Does the stranger on the train exist? Does Malerman?) Cynthia Palayo’s essay is heart-wrenching in its honesty, and I related strongly to her using horror and books and her comfortable writing office to stave off the outside. I get it, and though our experiences and perspectives are not the same, there’s so much she’s had to say that reaches me directly that I’m grateful to have read her essay and her fiction. Getting takes on horror from Hailey Piper, Jonathan Langan, Gabino Iglesias (who GETS IT), Jennifer McMahon, Paul Tremblay, and Grady Hendrix, among others (did I mention this crazy lineup?) was a treat.
This is a 5-of-5-star review because this book didn’t exist before and needed to exist. And here it is. September 2025. I've pre-ordered it for excerpts in my horror literature class this fall. Thank you, Horror Librarian!

My own why, dashed out in one sitting:
About six years ago, while I was amid writing my second or third young adult historical fiction novel, I had a conversation with the proprietor of my favorite local bookstore—The Printed Garden. We talked over our love of reading horror. We shared how intimidating horror was, as a genre, to write. It was hypothetical for me, as I had, in fact, never tried writing it.
As I always had done, I had been writing the sort of thing to which I was closest: at that time, it was spy stuff from the Cold War. I had been teaching mostly history to middle schoolers and was about a decade into an obsession with history, so it made sense that I connected with younger readers and was writing what essentially were historical adventure stories.
Horror was far from that, right? But it turns out—and I can only see this in hindsight—that I was secretly writing horror even then. My protagonist in Max in the Capital of Spies faces insurmountable odds and (spoiler alert) loses to the forces of totalitarianism in the end, though he saves himself. In so doing, he sacrifices his moral commitments for the sake of a love interest and his own more surface-level self-conception. This was intentional, and the turn at the end was a knife-twist, for sure.
What I didn’t realize was that this was a classic horror setup: protagonist faces insurmountable odds, is overwhelmed by them, and sacrifices something morally important for the sake of a desire. And while the book could never be marketed as straight-up horror, I seemed then as now to sneak horror elements into all that I do, just as I sneak philosophy and ethical questions into all that I do. I just can’t help it. It’s in my blood.
But I don’t like to be scared, and I swear I don’t know what horror is or how I write it. Sure, I have ideas, but it’s more of an aspiration than an understanding. I don’t set out to terrify readers, whether I’m writing my own stuff or editing a collection of others’ writing: I set out to communicate bizarre and curious circumstances, to see a character who we care about either making it through or failing to make it through those circumstances, and to run through thought experiments that parallel reality without being quite so scary as the real deal.
I live and have always lived my life in my head.
The people closest to me quake at the notion of living a day up there, and though I wouldn’t trade it for anything, I get it. My brain is a spooky place. I went through a period of psychosis when I was a teenager, and I believed—truly believed—my parents were government agents running tests on me and observing results. While the psychosis is long gone, I still have flashes. Every time I touch the doorknob to my house, I secretly pray the family inside hasn’t been switched out for strangers (to me) who think I’m someone I’m not or who don’t recognize me at all. Each night when I stand in the bathroom and peer into the back yard, I expect to see someone standing there, staring back at me. When I climb into bed, I pull up my feet and never let them dangle. I always check the backseat of my car at night. When I’m crossing the street, I hope I’m not hallucinating a clear pathway to the other side. These are real thoughts that I have on not only a regular but a consistent basis.
Horror books and movies are nothing compared to what I’m really thinking, most of the time.

As many of the authors in this anthology express, I escape in a safe way through horror. If you do, too, you’re part of our community. If you’re in it for the chills, you’re part of our community, too.
To quote an excellent forthcoming Michael Wehunt novel: You belong.

Becky Siegel Spratford might as well be America's Horror Librarian. The thoughtful, engaging essay collection she curates in Why I Love Horror is a love letter to the genre, the craft, and at times, a brilliant treatise on the psychological allure of the macabre. The Introduction by Sadie Hartmann, Mother Horror herself, adds credibility to her mentor's work and prepares readers to geek out on the thoughts from a Who's Who of today's horror novelists. Stephen Graham Jones. Tananarive Due. Paul Tremblay. They're all in there and more. A small but particularly effective touch is the brief introduction that precedes each essay, where Siegel Spratford dons her librarian's badge to offer starting points for readers unfamiliar with the work of the essayist. For example, to paraphrase her, "If you're not familiar with Jennifer McMahon, start with The Winter People. For a similar author, try Simone St. James." These are right on the money each time. Her recommendations are sure to give horror fans new and old someone new to read.

The essays themselves give insight into how many of these writers got started. If you enjoyed the memoir portion of Stephen King's On Writing, you will devour Why I Love Horror and leave with a better understanding of why we care about things that go bump in the night. This deserves a spot on any horror-lover's shelf.

I'm clearly an outlier here but this book is making me reconsider horror as one of my favorite genres. I've read almost all of these authors. Some are favorites and some I will never read again. The saying "never meet your heroes" applies here. Yes, they are creative geniuses but they imagine themselves as great defenders of justice. What a load of crap. You write fiction and it does resonate with some people but you're not shaping the future. This is escapism. Full stop. All of the authors have unique past experiences that made them love horror. I really enjoyed reading about those experiences and "hooks". This book is also trying too hard to justify the horror genre as quality and important. Who cares? I like what I like. I don't need to justify what I read and for that reason I am not the target audience of this book. This book comes off as pompous and preachy. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This very enjoyable and diverse series of essays does exactly what it says on the tin – gives an overview from many horror authors’ perspectives about what got them into the genre. Some essays I enjoyed more than others, but all were insightful and witty, some funny, some heartbreaking. Highly recommended to fans of either the authors or the genre itself as there was much I related to.

I loved the varied essays in this book written by amazing horror authors. It was entertaining to read why some of my favorites love horror. They shared how they got started in horror, what started their love for the genre. I found some of the essays relatable and some of them showed why they are some of our favorite horror writers. I hope there will be a Vol II in the future.

Not even going to lie, I only requested this for the Grady Hendrix piece but I found myself locked completely in to a few of these other essays (namely Malerman and Due). A must read for any horror fan!

If you're a horror fan this is a most. A varied collection of authors surely to have a few of your favorites included. Some authors discuss the books and films that influenced then. Others tell about life events. It's a great read and I found it very relatable.

A love letter to the horror genre from many of the most influential and bestselling authors in the industry. A captivating anthology and exacting tribute to the horror genre with essays featuring several of the most influential contemporary horror writers including Grady Hendrix, Stephen Graham Jones and Rachel Harrison. Will definitely be easier to bring more readers into the fold of the horror genre after reading this essay which perfectly puts into words how one feels reading these works of gothic literature.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐒&𝐒/𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝