Horror has an established tradition in both fiction and film. From books such as Frankenstein and Dracula to films such as Seven and The Blair Witch Project, the genre holds an irresistable appeal for modern audiences. But why? Is horror an anti-establishment force and an argument for social revolution? Is it a liberating expose of human nature and a peek at the dark side of the unconscious? Or is it pure evil, solely designed to corrupt and deprave? Starting from such questions about the nature of horror, this book offers an accessible history of the genre. Using examples from key Gothic texts of the Romantic period, as well as more recent popular novels and films, it approaches its subject thematically. It includes chapters on horror, religion and identity; "mad science," vampires and the undead; madness and psycho-killers; forbidden knowledge and books; narratives of invasion and pestilence; Satanism and demonic possession; ghosts and the ghost-story; and body-horror and metamorphoses.