The Rise and Popularity of the Horror Genre: A Journey into our Deepest Fears We are getting ready to put out a table of "halloween-ish" books, and it made me question again why people like things that scare the bejeezus out of them. I've wondered this before, out loud with my friends who love horror movies and books. I figured there must be a psychological reason, so I did a little digging. I wondered if people's love of horror is similar to my love of stuff so hot that I have to eat yogurt for 30 minutes just to settle the fire in my body. Is it the same reason people free-climb without ropes? Why in the world would people do these kinds of things to themselves? The horror genre has been an integral part of storytelling across cultures for centuries. From ancient mythologies to ghost stories around the campfire to modern cinema, humanity has always been drawn to tales that invoke fear and fascination. But why do we seek out stories that are designed to terri