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Recent Press for American Scary
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Season!
― Goodreads and
the Washington Post
"America is the world's biggest haunted house and American Scary is the only travel guide you need. I loved this book.”
― Grady Hendrix, author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group
"American Scary—a rigorous history of American horrors, real and fictional—is clear-eyed, unflinching, comprehensive in scope and detail, and entertaining as hell. A remarkable achievement."
― Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Vividly written and encyclopedic in scope, American Scary traces the history of horror through sources both classic and surprising, from Washington Irving and Jordan Peele to Emily Dickinson and the literature of the Holocaust. Jeremy Dauber uses his engaging style and deep knowledge of the genre to illuminate the question that lies beneath the gore: the way the things we fear reflect who we are, as individuals and as a nation.”
― Ruth Franklin, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
“American Scary reveals an essential part of the American soul. Dauber masterfully integrates history, myth, religious beliefs and the inner lives of the American people from different times, under various circumstances. A must read for students of American literature, history, and culture and a fascinating book for all who love the scary.”
― Bora Chung, author of National Book Award Finalist Cursed Bunny and Your Utopia
“Scary-smart, scary-deep. Dauber understands and captures that the true threat of American horror is us, the audience. His book is equal to the best of the genre it chronicles.”
― Joshua Cohen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Netanyahus
“Dauber serves up a lively, vivid examination of American history through the chilling lens of the horror genre—or perhaps it's an examination of horror through the twisted lens of American history. Unmatched in its scope and brilliance, American Scary is a vital and wildly entertaining chronicle that will keep you hooked—and maybe a little scared—in the best way possible.”
― Robin R. Means Coleman author of Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present
"The American character defies description in many cases, but we are an obvious nation when it comes to our fears. With depth and dexterity, Dauber gets at the heart of our delusions of damnation, our obsessions, and confessions. American Scary synthesizes for both scholar and fan what it is we're afraid of, and why we always come back for more. A must-have for any horror completist."
― Meg Elison, author of Number One Fan
“America likes its scary stories. But why? That’s the simple but fascinating question in this expansive survey of the history of horror in American popular culture.”
― Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated Books of Fall"
"A meticulous chronicle of the American horror genre across mediums... a provocative expansion of the genre’s pantheon... largely rewarding."
― Publishers Weekly
"A scholarly study of the horror genre’s cultural roots and meanings... [Dauber] takes his subject very seriously, emphasizing the psychological and cultural issues that underlie the genre... Dauber’s knowledge is unquestionably extensive."
― Kirkus Reviews
“Casually magisterial, endlessly erudite… This is a book that could launch a thousand reading lists... [Dauber] is the best kind of cultural historian, one who does an epic amount of research to make the big picture accessible... I'm not sure whether anyone has approached the task with Dauber's combination of thoroughness, lucidity and wit... expansive and revelatory.”
― Los Angeles Times
"American Scary is a fascinating examination of the horror genre’s connection to the events that inspire its continued use and popularity. It is an engrossing read, and a welcome reminder to take the temperature of the world we live in every so often; especially as we consume its gruesome byproducts."
― Chicago Review of Books: Must-Read Books of October
"American Scary’s greatest success is making readers consider what art may be born of our late-night anxieties."
― BookPage
"an entertaining, enlightening, and engagingly written look at the uniqueness of American horror. Reading it, you’ll learn a lot about the good ol’ U.S. of A — and quite possibly, yourself."