Danse Macabre

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Holter Graham

NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIO!

Before he gave us the “one of a kind classic” (The Wall Street Journal) memoir On Writing, Stephen King wrote a nonfiction masterpiece in Danse Macabre, “one of the best books on American popular culture” (Philadelphia Inquirer).

From the author of dozens of #1 New York Times bestsellers and the creator of many unforgettable movies comes a vivid, intelligent, and nostalgic journey through three decades of horror as experienced through the eyes of the most popular writer in the genre. In 1981, years before he sat down to tackle On Writing, Stephen King decided to address the topic of what makes horror horrifying and what makes terror terrifying. Here, in ten brilliantly written chapters, King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre—from Frankenstein and Dracula to The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone, and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.

With the insight and good humor his fans appreciated in On Writing, Danse Macabre is an enjoyably entertaining tour through Stephen King’s beloved world of horror.

A horror review for those who like horror!

A horror review for those who like horror!… and sci-fi. The reader definitely should have at the very least seen and read some of the classics in the genre, or you will likely be listening with the references. But for a true fan, you may realize that you have seen & read many of the works referenced. I find myself as someone who has respect for the genre, and coincidentally, had seen & read enough of the references to understand most of the material… and now I have a list to reference to read and see more!

Interesting perspective on a genre that has a tendency to get dismissed in literature circles.

The narrator was great, he really sounded like what I thought Stephen King should sound like.

well worded bit not to the point of droning

Stephen King turns a list of movies and novels into an insightful journey into history and horrific entertainment

Excellent listen

This was a gem of a listen and an updated recording on Audible released in the latter part of 2024. This was King’s first foray into nonfiction, originally released in 1981, and his take on three decades of the horror genre in various media forms across three decades. If you’re interested in what King thinks of as ‘scary’, you should consider reading/listening to this one. Excellent work and really well narrated by Graham.

Outstanding history of horror writers and their work.

Great narration, super interesting and informative. There are many books that are now on my future reading list.

A celebration and explanation of the horror genre

This is great for the horror fantasy fan. If you have ever wondered why you enjoy stories of terror and the fantastic, then you may feel as I did that the audio version especially feels like sitting with a good friend and hearing all about some of your favorite movies books and tv shows - while also hearing about dozens I have never heard of that are amazing. The 2010 addition he made is very helpful since the original text came out so long ago. Mr King does an outstanding job of describing many legendary horror stories, their plots, why some work and others don't, and my favorite section includes props for B movies, and so-bad-they're-good movies. Every bit of Danse Macbre made me even more excited about horror and he gives a lifetime's worth of recommendations that are very fun to find and watch or read . I have a printed copy which is great for reference, and currently on my 2nd time listening to the audio.