See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334052114 Why Horror Seduces Book · October 2017 CITATIONS READS 12 574 1 author: Mathias Clasen Aarhus University 32 PUBLICATIONS 162 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Evolutionary Literary Theory and Criticism View project Horror, Evolution, and Cognition View project All content following this page was uploaded by Mathias Clasen on 27 June 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. NEW FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Why Horror Seduces Mathias Clasen 30% OFF! F rom vampire apocalypses, shark attacks, witches, and ghosts, to murderous dolls bent on revenge, horror has been part of the American cinematic imagination for almost as long as pictures have moved on screens. But why do they captivate us so? What is the drive to be frightened, and why is it so perennially popular? Why Horror Seduces addresses these questions through evolutionary social sciences. Explaining the functional seduction of horror entertainment, this book draws on cutting-edge findings in the evolutionary social sciences, showing how the horror genre is a product of human nature. Integrating the study of horror with the sciences of human nature, the book claims that horror entertainment works by targeting humans' adaptive tendency to find pleasure in make-believe, allowing a high intensity experience within a safe context. Through analyses of well-known and popular modern American works of horror--Rosemary's Baby; The Shining; I Am Legend; Jaws; and several others--author Mathias Clasen illustrates how these works target evolved cognitive and emotional mechanisms; we are attracted to horrifying entertainment because we have an adaptive tendency to find pleasure in make-believe that allows us to experience negative emotions at high levels of intensity within a safe context. Organized into three parts identifying fictional works by evolutionary mode - the evolution of horror; evolutionary interpretations of horror; the future of horror - Why Horror Seduces succinctly explores the cognitive processes behind spectators' need to scream. Features Explains horror across different types of media, from films to video games Integrates cutting-edge research on human behavior with horror studies Looks to the future of horror based on past and current trends October 2017 Paperback | 200 pp. 25 illus. £19.99 £13.99 | $29.95 $20.97 9780190666514 Mathias Clasen is Associate Professor of Literature and Media in the Department of English, Aarhus University. Order online at global.oup.com/academic and enter promo code AAFLYG6 View publication stats