The Pleasures of Horror [Paperback]

Pleasures of Horror is a stimulating and insightful exploration of horror fictions-literary, cinematic and televisual-and the emotions they engender in their audiences. The text is divided into three sections. The first examines how horror is valued and devalued in different cultural fields; the second investigates the cultural politics of the contemporary horror film; while the final part considers horror fandom in relation to its embodied practices (film festivals), its reading formations (commercial fan magazines and fanzines) and the role of special effects.

Pleasures of Horror combines a wide range of media and textual examples with highly detailed and closely focused exposition of theory. It is a fascinating and engaging look at responses to a hugely popular genre and an invaluable resource for students of media, cultural and film studies and fans of horror.

Preface: Towards a (performative) micro-physics of pleasure
Introduction: The 'Problem' of the Pleasures of Horror
Part 1 Theorizing the Pleasures of Horror
Chapter 1 Philosophies of Horror: Cognition.... And Affect
Chapter 2 'Fantastic' Horror: Hesitation.... and Shock
Chapter 3 Psychoanalysing Horror: Restoration...and Repetition
Part II The Pleasures of Horror in Fan Practices
Chapter 4 Displaying Connoisseurship, Recognizing Craftsmanship
Chapter 5 Challenging Censorship
Part III Para-sites: Beyond 'Generic' Horror
Chapter 6 TV Horror
Chapter 7 True Horror
Chapter 8 Theory-horror
Part IV Scare Quotes: Beyond 'Postmodern' Horror
Chapter 9 Intertextuality in the Contemporary Field of Horror (I): The 'Postmodern' Fictions of Kim Newman
Chapter 10: Intertextuality in the Contemporary Field of Horror (II): The 'Postmodern' Scream Franchise
Conclusion Theorizing the Displeasures of Horror