In Danse Macabre, Stephen King turns his attention to the horror stories, films, television programs, radio shows, and cultural fears that shaped the genre during the second half of the twentieth century.
King examines how horror works and why people are drawn to frightening stories, while looking at the books and media that influenced both his own writing and the wider genre. His discussion ranges from classic monsters and supernatural fiction to science fiction, psychological horror, and the fears reflected in popular culture.
Part criticism, part cultural history, and part personal reflection, Danse Macabre offers King’s perspective on three decades of horror and the writers, filmmakers, stories, and ideas that helped shape it.