All Kinds of Scary

Book excerpt: Horror fiction--in literature, film and television--display a wealth of potential, and appeal to diverse audiences. The trope of "the black man always dies first" still, however, haunts the genre. This book focuses on the latest cycle of diversity in horror fiction, starting with the release of Get Out in 2017, which inspired a new speculative turn for the genre. Using various critical frameworks like feminism and colonialism, the book also assesses diversity gaps in horror fictions, with an emphasis on marketing and storytelling methodology. Reviewing the canon and definitions of horror may point to influences for future implications of diversity, which has cyclically manifested in horror fictions throughout history. This book studies works from literature, film and television while acknowledging that each of the formats are distinct artforms that complement each other. The author compares diverse representation in novels like The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, Fledgling, Broken Monsters and Mexican Gothic. Horror films like Bride of Frankenstein, It Comes at Night, Us and Get Out are also examined. Lastly, the author emphasizes the diverse horror fictions in television, like The Exorcist, Fear the Walking Dead, The Twilight Zone and Castle Rock.