First published 1971
Peter Haining investigates how classic horror literature became the foundation for memorable films. The collection covers works from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Lunatics" to H.P. Lovecraft's "Monster of Terror," tracing their journey from page to screen. Haining chooses stories that directly spawned film adaptations, then examines how directors converted literary terror into visual storytelling. Each piece comes with analysis of its movie counterpart, detailing how filmmakers interpreted the original material and what alterations they implemented. The book reveals literature's role in establishing horror cinema, presenting both source stories and the artistic choices that determined their cinematic forms. This approach illuminates both mediums, demonstrating the evolution from written scares to moving pictures that gripped audiences globally.
Genres: 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