annieb123's Review of Horror for Weenies

by Emily C Hughes

A smart, funny crash course in 25 iconic horror movies, from Psycho to Hereditary, for people who love getting the reference but hate being scared.

You don't have to miss out just because you don't like to be frightened! Stop trying to read nonsensical Wikipedia plot summaries (we know you’re doing it), and let an expert tell you everything you need to know about the most influential horror films of the past 60 years—without a single jump scare or a drop of gore.

With a rundown of the history and significance of horror cinema, explanations of common tropes, and detailed entries on 25 important movies ranging from Night of the Living Dead to The Blair Witch Project to Get Out, Horror for Weenies will turn even the scarediest of cats into a confident connoisseur.

Each entry includes:

A detailed plot summary, with enough jokes that it won’t freak you out
Smart, illuminating analysis of the film’s themes and cultural significance
Descriptions of iconic scenes you definitely do not want to look at
Talking points for impressing even the biggest scary-movie buffs

Horror for Weenies is the first installment in the Outsider’s Guide series, which offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal. Never get left out of a conversation again!

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Horror for Weenies is a well written and curated guide by Emily C. Hughes containing synopses for the "outsiders", readers who can't stomach the horror stories their friends and loved ones consume with glee. Released 3rd Sept 2024 by Quirk Books, it's 272 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

It's not fun to feel left out of conversations about things we don't understand and haven't experienced. Examples abound: sports, music, culture, current events, politics, science fiction, gaming, popular TV series, etc etc. This is the first volume of a new series to give readers who don't like/can't tolerate horror media to understand and be part of the conversation without actually having to have sat through hours of scary and squishy STUFF.

Wonderful concept, and in this case, pretty well executed. The author has done a good job of showcasing a number of classics (arranged into chapters by decades) without unnecessarily graphic descriptions. Additionally, she's added a lot of neat trivia and background info which non-wussy horror fans will enjoy as well. Win/win.

Each entry contains a description, bio info for director/author/etc as well as a short precis. There is also specific detailed plot full of spoilers (fair warning if you intend to see the movie), and highlighted text boxes with trivia and analysis (tropes, genres, etc). Lots of the trivia about the sets, background, etc will impress readers' horror genre loving friends.

Graphically, it's very simple and almost monochrome ("neo-xerox" in scarlet, black, and white) with simple line drawings and cutouts. There are no photos, and nothing scary.

Four and a half stars. It's a cool concept for a series and this first volume is pretty comprehensive and well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

31 October, 2024: Started reading

31 October, 2024: Finished reading

31 October, 2024: Reviewed