First published 1971
Peter Haining examines how classic horror literature becomes cinema. He gathers tales ranging from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Lunatics" through H.P. Lovecraft's "Monster of Terror" and analyzes their movie adaptations. Haining chooses stories that directly sparked film productions, then investigates how directors converted written terror into visual storytelling. He displays each source text next to its cinematic counterpart, revealing how filmmakers interpreted the original material and what alterations they made during adaptation. This comparative method exposes the techniques that both authors and directors use to frighten their audiences. The book shows how literary works shaped horror movies by following the creative journey that transforms written scares into moving images that reach global audiences.
Genres: reference, self-help, non-fiction, how-to
Vibes: informative, instructional, practical
Tropes: how-to
Setting: Alabama, Amazon Rainforest, Owl Creek Bridge, Ship-Trap Island, Tibet, United States
Period: 1861-65, 20th Century