Primal Roots of Horror Cinema: Evolutionary Psychology and Narratives of Fear - Paperback

by Carrol L. Fry (Author)

Why is horror in film and literature so popular? Why do viewers and readers enjoy feeling fearful? Experts in the fields of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology posit that behaviors from our ancestors that favored survival and adaptation still influence our actions, decisions and thoughts today.

The author, with input from a new generation of Darwinists, explores six primal narratives that recur in the horror genre. They are territoriality, tribalism, fear of genetic assimilation, mating rituals, fear of the predator, and distrust or fear of the Other.

Author Biography

Carrol L. Fry spent his university teaching career at Minnesota State University, Mankato and Northwest Missouri State University, where he was English Department chair and professor and now professor emeritus. He has published three books and numerous articles on film, American and English literature and science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Maryville, Missouri.