Welcome to Litsy!

This essay collection leaves me feeling seen. Like the authors here, I have loved horror from a young age, and in their essays I see many of the things that keep me returning to the genre. They also give me a sense of community as a horror lover, or at least the kind of connection that my father-in-law has with other Corvette drivers---a little secret wave that indicates our shared idiosyncrasy (or weirdness. I'm cool with being seen as weird).

This collection gets all the love for the essays I truly enjoyed, but I will say there's a variance, in the quality of the writing, in how the author's chose to address, or seemingly not quite address the topic suggested by the title of the collection.
I don't know if it's a matter of understanding or not understanding the assignment, I think it's more accurate to say that there are essays 1/?

...a historical war... And I hope it stays there. 😮‍💨

From “Permission to Scream “ by Rachel Harrison.

Spirit bar in the bathroom, with 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' vibes. The visual! 🤩

Wh- Hey! I want that story, too! 👀

“Now you know how I feel. And if you already felt it? Then you know you aren't the only one.“ ♥️

Aspects of my personality, also well-represented communities on Tumblr...😏

Curated by Becky Spratford, a respected horror expert and librarian, this essay collection is a celebration of horror in all its chilling, cathartic, and emotionally resonant forms. The book features essays from some of the most influential and diverse voices in contemporary horror. I loved nearly every essay in this one

I loved this a lot. Becky Spratford has collected 18 essays from some of today‘s best horror authors on why they love horror. My favorites came from Brian Keene, David Demchuck, Paul Tremblay, and Grady Hendrix. Really wtf, Grady? His was soooooo good. He starts his essay talking about the time he found the severed arm of a small child in his father‘s refrigerator. It is wild. And sad. Most of these are how made up horror allows them to👇🏼