Be Scared of Everything: Horror Essays

An incredible voice in horror, Tor Nightfire presents horror essays that read like Chuck Klosterman through the lens of H.P. Lovecraft.

Slinging ectoplasm, tombstones, and chainsaws with ease, Be Scared of Everything is a smart celebration of horror culture for both die-hard fans and casual viewers. Blending pop culture criticism and personal memoir, Counter’s essays explore and dissect film, TV, video games, true crime, and his own eerie experiences, revealing meaning in the occult, depth in Ouija boards, poetry in madness, and beauty in destruction.

These essays cover a wide range of horror media like Silent Hill, Hannibal, Hereditary, Alien, Jaws, The X-Files, The Terror, The Southern Reach Trilogy, Interview with the Vampire, Misery, Gerald’s Game, The Sixth Sense, Scream, Halloween, The Blair Witch Project, The Babadook, H.P. Lovecraft's works, Slenderman stories, and topics such as nuclear physics, cannibalism, blood, Metallica, ritual magic, nightmares, and animatronic haunted houses.

This book shows that everything is terrifying—from Pokemon to PTSD—proving that horror can be honest, vulnerable, funny, and frightening.

Be Scared of Everything is a thoughtful mix of memoir and critical essays, offering deep, discerning reflections that remain warm and entertaining, as noted by Paul Tremblay. Rue Morgue calls it a poetic and insightful look at how horror touches all aspects of our lives.