On Horror

I've been reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre for longer than I care to admit. He wrote this essay on horror about thirty years ago, and I must confess I haven't enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. There are lots of autobiographical information, and that is great. (Let's not forget On Writing is my favorite book of all time.) However, most of the book deals with old sci-fi and horror movies, old sci-fi and horror books, old sci-fi and horror radio shows, and old sci-fi and horror TV shows, and this, even though it sounds like something that'd be right up my alley, gets tiresome after a while.

I think there are two interconnected reasons for this. (1) The works King discusses were created in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, which means (2) I haven't seen or read most of them, and I find it hard to care about his in-depth analysis when I don't know the characters, the plot, or even the authors he is talking about. Still, I can see all the thought and passion he's put into this, and it certainly is a sprawling enterprise packed with information and amusing sidelines which are worth reading --if you are familiar with the books and movies and stories he comments on. And still, for the most part, I had a good time reading the book, but I wish I had been more knowledgeable in the field to better enjoy the book. I guess I could always go watch all those films and read all those stories and then come back and re-read the book, but I doubt that will ever happen. However, if you consider yourself an old sci-fi and horror connoisseur, by all means pick up this book: you will absolutely love it.