Nightmare Fuel, Nina Nesseth
Nightmare Fuel, Nina Nesseth
2 Rating(s)
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Nightmare Fuel
The Science of Horror Films

Author: Nina Nesseth

Narrator: Raquel Beattie

Unabridged: 10 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/26/2022


Synopsis

Do you like scary movies? Have you ever wondered why?

In Nightmare Fuel, Nina Nesseth explores the strange and often unexpected science of fear through the lenses of psychology and physiology. How do horror films get under our skin? And why do we keep coming back for more?

Horror films promise an experience: fear. But how exactly do filmmakers pull this off? The truth is, there's more to it than just loud noises and creepy images.

With the affection of a true horror fan and the critical analysis of a scientist, Nesseth explains how audiences engage horror with both their brains and bodies, and teases apart the elements that make horror films tick. Nightmare Fuel covers everything from jump scares to creature features, serial killers to the undead, and the fears that stick around to those that fade over time.

With in-depth discussions and spotlight features of some of horror's most popular films—from classics like The Exorcist to modern hits like Hereditary—and interviews with directors, film editors, composers, and horror academics, Nightmare Fuel is a deep dive into the science of fear, a celebration of the genre, and a survival guide for going to bed after the credits roll.

About Nina Nesseth

Nina Nesseth is a science communicator and writer based in Sudbury, Ontario. She is the coauthor of The Science of Orphan Black. Her writing can be found across the web, usually digging deeply into the intersection between horror and science. Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films is her solo debut.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Laurie (barksbooks) on December 04, 2022

“So you like scary movies? Have you ever wondered why?" Author and scientist Nina Nesmith uses this space to help us figure out the why and it’s fascinating if you’re a horror movie fan. She mixes in studies and ties them to films and a few of them have some whopping spoilers so if you haven’t seen t......more

Goodreads review by Alan on July 26, 2022

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley. Generally speaking, this was a reasonably interesting book. Being a huge horror fan, the description led me to want to read it: "Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth is a pop-science look at fear, how and why horror films get und......more

Goodreads review by Milana on September 15, 2022

For those of you who love horror movies, have you ever wondered why? Why do you find thrill in something so gruesome? Why do you keep coming back for more when they scare you so much you can’t sleep? Nightmare Fuel dives into that question by breaking down the science of fear. Reading Nightmare Fuel......more

Goodreads review by Becky on June 02, 2022

Review in the May 15, 2022 issue of Booklist and here on the blog: [URL not allowed] Three Words That describe this book: conversational, thought provoking, comprehensive Notes: This books works because Nesseth is both a fan and a scientist. It is a mix of scientific research,......more

Goodreads review by Horror on September 29, 2024

3,5* First of all let me tell you, if you have not seen many horror movies yet, this book is going to spoil a lot of the plot twists and endings. Luckily for me, I have watched so many horror movies that it did not spoil me. But readers be aware. This book is also based on science and it doesn’t focus......more