Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. is an associate professor of theatre at Loyola Marymount University, the author and/or editor of ten books including The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films, and a contributor to numerous volumes on sci-fi, pop culture and religion, including essays on Godzilla, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica.

This provocative and engaging study maps the transformation of the horror genre in the aftermath of 9/11, arguing that the hopelessness characterizing contemporary horror reflects the psychological and social impact of terrorism on American culture. Wetmore makes important links between the fear of terrorism and horror films, and he demonstrates—quite compellingly—that the horror genre has been one of the most effective tools for making sense of real terror. --Thomas Fahy, editor of The Philosophy of Horror and author of Sleepless and The Unspoken

• Acknowledgements; Introduction: Terror and Horror; Chapter One: 9/11 as Horror; Cloverfield vs War of the Worlds; Chapter Two: Documenting the Horror; Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, REC, Quarantine, Paranormal Activity; Chapter Three: "Because you were home": Anonymous and Random Death; The Strangers Chapter Four: "Torture Porn" and What It Means to Be American; Saw and Hostel; Chapter Five: Hopeless Bleak Despair; The Mist Chapter Six: Fear of Religion; End of the Line, House of the Devil and The Last Exorcism; Chapter Seven: Horrific Nostalgia: Remaking the Slasher Film; Conclusion; Bibliography and Filmography; Index.

Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. is an associate professor of theatre at Loyola Marymount University, the author and/or editor of ten books including The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films, and a contributor to numerous volumes on sci-fi, pop culture and religion, including essays on Godzilla, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica.

This provocative and engaging study maps the transformation of the horror genre in the aftermath of 9/11, arguing that the hopelessness characterizing contemporary horror reflects the psychological and social impact of terrorism on American culture. Wetmore makes important links between the fear of terrorism and horror films, and he demonstrates—quite compellingly—that the horror genre has been one of the most effective tools for making sense of real terror. --Thomas Fahy, editor of The Philosophy of Horror and author of Sleepless and The Unspoken

• Acknowledgements; Introduction: Terror and Horror; Chapter One: 9/11 as Horror; Cloverfield vs War of the Worlds; Chapter Two: Documenting the Horror; Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, REC, Quarantine, Paranormal Activity; Chapter Three: "Because you were home": Anonymous and Random Death; The Strangers Chapter Four: "Torture Porn" and What It Means to Be American; Saw and Hostel; Chapter Five: Hopeless Bleak Despair; The Mist Chapter Six: Fear of Religion; End of the Line, House of the Devil and The Last Exorcism; Chapter Seven: Horrific Nostalgia: Remaking the Slasher Film; Conclusion; Bibliography and Filmography; Index.

Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. is an associate professor of theatre at Loyola Marymount University, the author and/or editor of ten books including The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films, and a contributor to numerous volumes on sci-fi, pop culture and religion, including essays on Godzilla, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica.

This provocative and engaging study maps the transformation of the horror genre in the aftermath of 9/11, arguing that the hopelessness characterizing contemporary horror reflects the psychological and social impact of terrorism on American culture. Wetmore makes important links between the fear of terrorism and horror films, and he demonstrates—quite compellingly—that the horror genre has been one of the most effective tools for making sense of real terror. --Thomas Fahy, editor of The Philosophy of Horror and author of Sleepless and The Unspoken

• Acknowledgements; Introduction: Terror and Horror; Chapter One: 9/11 as Horror; Cloverfield vs War of the Worlds; Chapter Two: Documenting the Horror; Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, REC, Quarantine, Paranormal Activity; Chapter Three: "Because you were home": Anonymous and Random Death; The Strangers Chapter Four: "Torture Porn" and What It Means to Be American; Saw and Hostel; Chapter Five: Hopeless Bleak Despair; The Mist Chapter Six: Fear of Religion; End of the Line, House of the Devil and The Last Exorcism; Chapter Seven: Horrific Nostalgia: Remaking the Slasher Film; Conclusion; Bibliography and Filmography; Index.