Emily C. Hughes (she/her) wants to scare you. Formerly the editor of Unbound Worlds and TorNightfire.com, she writes about horror and curates a list of the year's new scary books. You can find her writing elsewhere in the New York Times, Vulture, Reactor Magazine, Electric Literature, Nightmare Magazine, Thrillist, and more. Emily lives in crunchy western Massachusetts with her husband and four idiot cats. Her first book is Horror For Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You're Too Scared to Watch and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for Horror for Weenies?
So there's a meme that I've been seeing on and off for years now, where scaredy cats will talk about reading the Wikipedia plot synopsis instead of seeing the horror movie all their friends are talking about, and for a long time that was me, too. I thought horror movies were just off-limits for me, but I couldn't shake that curiosity, that FOMO, and besides, anyone who's tried to go the Wikipedia route knows how dry and clinical those synopses can be. They tell you the plot, but there's no color, no flavor, nothing about the artistry and filmmaking techniques involved, and beyond that, they're often maddeningly vague about the context surrounding a movie—what it's in conversation with, what cultural background you need to understand subtext and themes, and so on. The idea behind Horror for Weenies was, basically, a remedy to this problem: a plot synopsis with some editorial commentary, plus analysis of why and how the movie matters. Also, jokes. Lots of jokes.
How did you determine the films that would be included and examined? Did you have a specific set of criteria that each film had to have/not have to be included?
I would love to tell you that I had a fully developed list of measurable criteria that each film had to meet to be included in the book, but I have to be honest—it was mostly vibes-based. The single most salient point of consideration, as I was going through the list of potential inclusions, was influence—could I make the argument that this movie had a lasting influence on horror, cinema more broadly, or even pop culture as a whole?
How did the book evolve and change as you all wrote and revised it? Are there any films that you wanted to review that you were forced to leave out? Films that you didn't plan to include, but upon review felt you needed to? Were there any other surprises?
When I did my initial brainstorm of movies to include, the list came in somewhere around 45 films, and as you'll see, there are only ("only," hah) 25 in the final book. The more movies I included, the less detailed I could get about each movie, so I was trying to strike a balance there. I had to make some truly brutal cuts—Alien, Jaws, The Descent, Evil Dead, The Silence of the Lambs, the list goes on—sheerly in the interest of keeping the book at a manageable length. And honestly, if I were to sit down today and make a fresh list of 25 movies for inclusion, it would probably be a different list than what ended up in the final TOC!
We did end up cutting The Omen, which is one of my personal favorites but didn't do enough to distinguish itself from The Exorcist, and we also cut Friday the 13th—my editor (correctly) pointed out that my dislike for the film was showing through in the entry, and besides, it wasn't doing much that Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street weren't doing better. Hell, Jason is the single most memorable thing about the franchise, and he's barely in the first movie.
How did you approach the research for Horror for Weenies? How long did it take you to do the research and then write the book? What was the most interesting or surprising thing that you learned during your research?
Because of the way the book is structured, I was able to do the research and writing more or less concurrently, and watching the movies themselves was the single biggest piece of that in terms of time spent. I watched each movie at least twice, sometimes three or four times—the first watch was to get the viewing experience, and the vibe cemented in my head, especially if it was a movie I hadn't seen before. The next watch was for very detailed notes and usually involved a lot of pausing and rewinding, and then the third watch usually came in fits and starts as I was actually writing the entry. And there was a lot of supplemental reading as well—W. Scott Poole’s books, especially Dark Carnivals, were incredibly helpful. I included a full list in the back of the book, but let me list a few more standouts: Also invaluable were The Black Guy Dies First by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D, and Mark H. Harris, Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth, The Monster Show by David J. Skal, Darkly by Leila Taylor, Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Carol J. Clover, and Shock Value by Jason Zinoman.
I learned so much while writing this book! Honestly, doing the plot synopses was a cool exercise in writing descriptively—I feel like I'm a stronger narrative writer for having done those. In terms of the movies, though, I think my favorite single tidbit was Tony Todd negotiating a per-sting bonus for the scene in Candyman with all the bees—he walked away with an extra $23k on top of his salary!
Horror for Weenies includes a wide range of films released over a period of almost 60 years, and while you include films that include zombies, aliens, ghosts, and other types of paranormal threats, there is a decided lack of more "traditional" monsters (vampires, werewolves, etc...). I'm guessing there must be a reason...why is that?
Honestly, great question! The answer mostly boils down to "the most influential movies made about those monsters were made before the scope of the book," with a dash of "it just kind of shook out that way." The "classic" monsters had been pretty well-explored by 1960, which is where the book begins, and right around that time, filmmakers who were embracing the New Hollywood turned away from that mode of filmmaking for a while. That's not to say there weren't vampire and werewolf movies from 1960 onward—they just didn't generally rise to the level of influence I was looking for.
In your introduction, you describe how horror, and its many sub-genres, can appeal to people for many different reasons. What is your favorite "flavor" of horror?
I'm a sucker for folk horror, always. I generally gravitate toward supernatural horror over humans being horrible to each other, and I like horror that shows me something unknowable, whether that's a strange local spirit or an eldritch god. But I'm equally enticed by deft, confident, smart filmmaking or writing regardless of what subgenre or style it inhabits—I'm a horror omnivore.
You also mention horror fiction as a good alternative for people who are unable/unwilling to watch horror films, and you provide book recommendations with each film you discuss. Do you remember what the horror novel was that caused you to want to read more? Can you name a few favorite horror titles? Some favorite authors?
Honestly, I've always been drawn to the weird and macabre in fiction, but as an adult, it was definitely Bird Box by Josh Malerman. That book hit me like an electric current and awoke something in me. Suddenly, I couldn't get enough.
As far as favorites, well, how much time do you have? Sofia Ajram's debut novella Coup de Grâce should really put them on the map. Andrew Michael Hurley is writing some of the finest folk horror in the contemporary landscape and doesn't get a lot of attention on this side of the Atlantic. Stephen Graham Jones is a modern master. Hailey Piper is writing these beautifully chaotic queer horror novels I can't get enough of, and CJ Leede is writing novels that feel like a punch to the throat. Rivers Solomon writes psychologically rich character studies of people on the margins. Matthew Lyons is doing this really cool crime-horror-thriller hybrid thing in his books, and Clay McLeod Chapman is pushing the boundaries of form and structure in his. Gretchen Felker-Martin is a stone-cold genius. Tananarive Due should have statues built to her. Rachel Harrison is writing the definitive contemporary horror about the lives and friendships of women. Chuck Tingle is bringing this irresistible raucous joy into the genre. I could honestly go on for days.
What are some of your favorite films, and who are some of your filmmakers?
Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers, Gareth Evans, Karyn Kusama, Coralie Fargeat, Damian McCarthy, Demián Rugna, George Miller, Ridley Scott… I'm also all in for Ari Aster (yes, even Beau is Afraid), and I'm a total Alex Garland—head (pretty sure I'm the only person who liked Men). Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen was one of my favorites of 2024, a movie so damn stylish that I'm first in line for whatever she makes next. Ryan Coogler has a horror movie called Sinners coming next year that I'm really excited about.
In terms of specific films: Jaws, Zodiac, Shaun of the Dead, Midsommar, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Raid, When Evil Lurks—again, I could go on for days here.
Do you like or attend other types of horror entertainment like haunted houses or mazes?
Oh, absolutely not. Part of the appeal of horror for me is that it depicts events that are happening—and this part is very important—in a room I am not in. I absolutely loathe being scared in real life and will act like a real baby about it.
After all of your research and efforts to become comfortable watching horror films, is there still something that you find too scary to watch or read?
I haven't come across anything that's too scary for me to read (yet, at least). There are certainly books that disturb or disgust me deeply and stories so scary I've had nightmares, but there hasn't really been a hard line. Movies, on the other hand, yeah—I have a much harder time shaking a visual image than one from the page. There are certain extreme horror films that are a no-go for me, usually due to content—ones with particularly extreme gore and graphic sexual violence in particular. But I'm still testing those boundaries and learning where the line is—I'll report back after I finally see The Substance.
What's currently on your nightstand?
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle, Woodworm by Layla Martinez, Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia, This is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller, and The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (I love romance as a palate cleanser when I need a break from horror, and Casey is the best in the game).
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
I can certainly try! George Saunders: A man who, I'm convinced, has a window into the human soul that the rest of us lack. Karen Russell: An imagination like no other. Toni Morrison: A peerless and inimitable writer. Shirley Jackson: The doyenne of psychological horror. Tana French: Simply a modern master of the mystery novel.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I had so many! Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, all the John Bellairs books, Tamora Pierce’s Tortall Universe, the Redwall books, Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess, on and on. Clearly, I was a speculative fiction fan pretty much from the time I was able to read.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
Luckily, no. I have two book lovers for parents and was never once told I wasn't allowed to read something. They read to me and recommended things to me but always let me follow my own taste. I think my mom may have looked a little askance when I pulled an Anne Rice book off the shelf circa age 12, but all she said was "As long as you feel it's appropriate for you," which was very politic of her, hah.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
Ah, well, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
Anytime I'm in a used bookstore, I make a beeline for the sci-fi/fantasy/horror section and peruse the old mass-market paperbacks—I'll usually buy one or two just for the covers. Most recently I snagged a battered mass market of Nerves by Lester del Rey.
Is there a book that changed your life?
There have been a few books over the years that have completely blown apart and reshaped my ideas about what fiction can do: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, The Fisherman by John Langan, Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, and many more. The most concrete answer is probably Tar Baby by Toni Morrison—my parents met in a bookstore, and that was the book they talked about that day, so in a sense, I wouldn't be here without Toni Morrison.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins! It was criminally underappreciated when it came out in 2015 but pretty quickly gained a cult following. It's the kind of book that you read and then press into the hands of as many loved ones as you can because you need them to understand so you can talk about it. The world-building is peerless, and the story is epic and focused, funny and devastating, opaque and accessible. I don't know how Hawkins did it, and I'm just waiting for him to come back to fiction.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
Beloved by Toni Morrison. I first read it as a college sophomore and it blew the top of my head off—it is a monumental book, foundational, essential. It's my desert island book. I'm glad I read it when I did, but I would love to experience it fresh now as an adult, with a different perspective on Sethe's journey.
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
I recently watched Tigers Are Not Afraid, Issa López's 2017 horror fairy tale about the children left behind by cartel violence in Mexico—it hit me much harder than I was expecting. And of course, Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow, a remarkable work, which I'm still thinking about months later.
What is the question that you're always hoping you'll be asked but never have been?
"Would you like to join us in the VIP Lounge?"
What is your answer?
"Only if I can bring my iguana."
What are you working on now?
Fiction, God help me. I've had a sci-fi horror novel idea brewing for years now, and as soon as I get past Halloween, it's time to buckle down on it…
