Why We Crave Horror Movies

Born in 1947 in Portland, Maine, Stephen King is a best-selling author who has written novels, short stories, novellas, screenplays, nonfiction books, and essays. King writes “Why We Crave Horror Movies” from the perspective of an author of seven horror novels—several of which had been made into films—at the time of the essay’s publication (1981), though he was not yet known as the master of horror that he is today. His first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, and as of 2023 he had written more than 60 novels, including several published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman (and short stories and a children’s book published under other names) and had collaborated with other novelists. His genres include horror fiction, science fiction, fantasy, crime, suspense, and supernatural fiction, and his books have been turned into films, television series, miniseries, and comics. Another key text of nonfiction by King is On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), in which he addresses his writing, influences on it, aspects of his life, and the elements of writing—and provides advice for other writers.

King’s work has garnered several awards, including Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, British Fantasy Society Awards, the National Book Foundation’s 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the 2007 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, as well as the National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2014. His work addresses various themes, such as the supernatural, the macabre, vampires, ghosts, “insane” killers, “crazed” dogs and cars, obsession, and science and technology. The essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies” is a subject that he addresses in other works too, including Danse Macabre (1981), which includes autobiographical anecdotes that illustrate how he has been a fan of the horror genre since childhood. His analysis in this book and “Why We Crave Horror Movies” demonstrates his love of horror films as not just a critic or writer but a fan.