Included in a post on my newsletter, Crooked Reads:

If you want to be in the know about all the popular horror movies of the world, but are too afraid to watch them yourself, have no fear. Emily C. Hughes did the work for you in Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch, an excellent new book that gives a plot summary, an analysis of the film and its cultural significance, some talking points if you have someone you want to impress, and a list of recommended readalikes. It also serves as an excellent refresher for movies you may have watched ages ago but have no interest in revisiting.

https://crookedreads.substack.com/p/horror-scaredy-cat

Do you like watching horror movies? If you answered yes, you might want to skip this book. However, if you answered No, this book may be for you! Especially if you have friends who like watching horror movies and you are feeling left out. Emily Hughes in Horror for Weenies offers a guidebook to influential horror movies from the 1960s to 2010s.

Emily Hughes opens with a essay on why horror matters and why people enjoy watching horror movies. She follows that up with a brief history of horror movies before the 1960s before getting into the meat of the book - twenty-five films with short overviews, a plot synopsis, and fun facts to tell at parties. She starts Horror in Upheaval (The 1960s and 1970s) with Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary's Baby, The Wicker Man, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Carrie, and ends with Halloween. In Doom and Boom (The 1980s and 1990s), she includes The Shining, Poltergeist, The Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Fly, Hellraiser, Candyman, Scream, and The Blair Witch Project. Then in Toward the Unknown (The 2000s and 2010s), she provides The Ring, 28 Days Later, Saw, The Conjuring, The Babadook, It Follows, Get Out, and Hereditary with their time in the spotlight. She finishes up with a list of horror resources for the reader.

So if you need a refresher on one of these movies or just want to find out why these movies are important in the horror genre, pick up a copy and read Horror for Weenies! Just remember to keep the lights on!

Thanks Netgalley and Quirk Books for the chance to read this title

Horror for Weenies is a well written and curated guide by Emily C. Hughes containing synopses for the "outsiders", readers who can't stomach the horror stories their friends and loved ones consume with glee. Released 3rd Sept 2024 by Quirk Books, it's 272 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

It's not fun to feel left out of conversations about things we don't understand and haven't experienced. Examples abound: sports, music, culture, current events, politics, science fiction, gaming, popular TV series, etc etc. This is the first volume of a new series to give readers who don't like/can't tolerate horror media to understand and be part of the conversation without actually having to have sat through hours of scary and squishy STUFF.

Wonderful concept, and in this case, pretty well executed. The author has done a good job of showcasing a number of classics (arranged into chapters by decades) without unnecessarily graphic descriptions. Additionally, she's added a lot of neat trivia and background info which non-wussy horror fans will enjoy as well. Win/win.

Each entry contains a description, bio info for director/author/etc as well as a short precis. There is also specific detailed plot full of spoilers (fair warning if you intend to see the movie), and highlighted text boxes with trivia and analysis (tropes, genres, etc). Lots of the trivia about the sets, background, etc will impress readers' horror genre loving friends.

Graphically, it's very simple and almost monochrome ("neo-xerox" in scarlet, black, and white) with simple line drawings and cutouts. There are no photos, and nothing scary.

Four and a half stars. It's a cool concept for a series and this first volume is pretty comprehensive and well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a great tool to hand to your scaredy-cat friends who have no idea what you're blathering on about when you talk about iconic horror movies. It provides an overview and an in-depth spoilery discussion of the plot, as well as fun facts one could interject at party conversations.

Hughes has a light tone and is often very amusing (describing Mia Farrow in "Rosemary's Baby" as "80% eyes by volume", for example.) Brilliant addition to our library collection.

I actually really loved this book. Watching horror movies usually makes me physically sick so I appreciate that I was able to read a full synopsis with out having to watch. I appreciate that the descriptions were detailed but not incredibly gory. I loved how funny some of the comments regarding the movies were. I also really enjoyed the explanations on why so many of these movies were important to modern cinema.

This is such a cute book!! I love it and it was so fun to read through all the movies! This is such a great gift book for anyone!

horror for weenies was such a fun read! I appreciated the review of various horror films and i can skip some of them now!!

I was not the target audience here and yet I loved it. I have seen every horror movie summarised in this book but I’m the type of person to watch documentaries about horror movies and will just ingest anything I can about them (hello 4 hour+ Shudder specials, I love you!)
I laughed out loud multiple times at the author’s astute observations about terrible characters and their stupid mistakes. I even decided to rewatch ‘Get Out’ and now I want to rewatch ‘Hereditary’ but you really need to be prepared for that one, which is why it was a great movie to finish on.
I can imagine pre-teen me would have loved a book like this when I couldn’t necessarily watch the movies but really wanted to know everything about them! I also learned a few things along the way.
This was a really fun way to spend a Sunday, reading about my favourite horror films.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

(For those who have not read the book, take note that this review follows the exact same structure, even if it is not as interesting or enjoyable as the book itself)

·The basic idea:
Author Emily C. Hughes does a deep dive into horror movies in order for you, you weenie, not to watch them.

·You might actually want to read if:
People around you are talking about that scene from Carrie or that other chase sequence from the Chainsaw Horror Massacre and your only notion is the Simpsons’ adaptation of the aforementioned moment.

·But you should definitely avoid if:
You should not, trust me.

·Trope spotlight: the Wikipedia author
The Wikipedia author is someone whose vast knowledge of the theme (in this case, horror genre in movies and literature) makes you wonder how is this even possible. They are what our ancestors called an encyclopaedia. But in person.

·Why it matters:
Horror genre is not a niche hobby anymore. Movies like The Exorcist or Hereditary are an intrinsic part of our culture (nerdy or not), and this essay is a much-needed alternative for those who do not want to be left behind when a certain quote is said (and everybody laughs) or when the notion of a particular movie is intrinsic to what is being talked about.

·Say this at a party:
Did you that Emily C. Hughes has an amazing website called Jump Scares (readjumpscares.com) , where she makes lists about all the new horror books by month, makes weenie reports about movies she just watched and also rises money for local bookstores?

·Iconic moments:
I laughed out loud in some of the movie descriptions (I love comments in parenthesis, because the author’s voice really comes through), I found myself reading some of the information to my partner and I enjoyed the book so much my reaction to reaching its end was like “noooo it’s oveeer” (literally, and I do know how to use that word)

This book was fantastic! I am definitely a weenie when it comes to horror. I'd only seen two of the films covered and I only saw them out of peer pressure! Now I feel like I will "get" a lot more cultural references going forward. I also remain firm in my belief that I do not need to see any of those films, if I want to continue sleeping at night! My thanks to Emily C. Hughes for letting me peek behind the curtain but not force me to watch the screen!

A great review and recap of 25 of the most noteworthy and iconic horror films from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) to Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018). Hughes, a reformed horror “weenie” who found her love of the film genre by first reading horror books, gives summaries of what happens in each film, why it matters, and fun facts. She provides reading recommendations for each film if you’re too afraid to watch them. In between covering each film, there are short sections on popular horror tropes and subgenres. Beware: this book contains spoilers!

I absolutely love that this book exists. I love horror but my friend doesn't so when I showed her the cover she cracked up. The author gives a run down on what happens in some of the most popular horror movies of all time so you don't have to watch them yourself. Even as a horror fan, I still haven't watched every horror movie so this allowed me to learn why the movies were popular without having to watch them. The author give bits of trivia about each movie as well as recommendations of books similar to the movies so even if you've seen all the movies, you can still learn more about them and find more material to read.

Horror For Weenies was a whole lot of fun to read, and I can see this book going down a storm with both seasoned and ‘aspirational’ fans of Horror cinema. Critically, it's a book that knows exactly what its target audience is after. If you’ve ever tried to look up a decent plot summary of a horror film on Wikipedia and been left wanting, this book has you covered! It guides you through detailed plot summaries of some of the biggest and most influential horror films ever made with a witty and engaging writing style, and clearly demonstrates the author’s passion for horror cinema. It does a brilliant job of sharing an appreciation of each film and highlighting what made them so influential - I have since sought out and watched several films off the back of this book! (though the cushion to hide behind remained a fixture, of course).

As a complete package, the book doubles up as a nice little history of horror cinema - the segments in between chapters discuss the direction the film industry was going in, and the origins of some of the tropes we’ve come to love and hate today. These segments aren’t overly long or in too much detail, which felt like the perfect balance. I’m not much of a film buff, so hadn’t watched the majority of films included in the guide. Given the entertaining write-up for each film though, I can see this book working just as well for readers who’ve watched much more than myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Quirk Books for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!

Are you too scared to watch iconic horror movies? Do you wish you knew why Rosemary’s Baby and Psycho are so famous? But not enough for you to actually sit through the movies? If so, Horror for Weenies is for you.

The book contains chapters about 25 legendary movies from Psycho to Hereditary. Each chapter contains a brief non-spoiler blurb, why you might like it, why it might not be for you (basically trigger warnings), and a detailed plot summary. The plot summaries are great fun with plenty of snarky asides about the characters, the settings, and even the plots themselves. A brief but cogent analysis of why the film is important and a briefer what to say about the movie at a party follows. Finally, the film’s iconic moments are listed along with why they resonated so well with audiences. There is also a section of book recommendations that include the source material and a couple of related later novels.

While I don’t characterize myself as a complete weenie, I have never made it past the first killing in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I also had nightmares for years after watching The Phantom of the Opera as a child. However, Horror for Weenies also made me realize that I missed a lot of nuances in the horror classics I did watch. Were my eyes closed during some pivotal scenes? Maybe so. But I also truly didn’t see some of these movies as microcosms for the times when they were released. In the sixties, sex outside marriage resulted in some very bad things, especially in showers. Non-consensual sex within marriage sometimes resulted in a baby with eyes just like his father. Even virginity was fair game resulting in torment both mental and physical.

This book is highly recommended for all film fans— not just the weenies. I had seen most of the movies, some several times, and still found some new and intriguing insights about each film. Leatherface and/or his family is based on a real serial killer? OMG, no wonder The Texas Chainsaw Massacre creeped me out so much! Plus the plot summaries are genuinely funny (that Guy!) even when what they are describing is horrific. Horror for Weenies is highly recommended and my favorite non fiction book this year so far. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

While Horror for Weenies is designed as a starter guide to iconic Horror Films for people who find horror a bit to0 scary, it is also a great resource for die hard horror hounds. Emily C. Hughes commentary throughout the film summaries is entertaining and provides a humorous tone to balance out the scares. Like most Quirk non-fiction books, the design of the pages is visually striking, keeping readers interested by promoting a fast pace for the chapters. Each chapter has pop-outs for Trope Spotlights and facts about the production of each film, with many sections ending with an overview of the movie’s sub-genre or another related topic. One of my favorite features was the “Can’t watch it? Read these instead:” sections which select read alike titles that are great for both fans of the movies looking for more and folks that are too scared to watch, but still want to engage with the themes explored. Editor Jess Zimmerman introduces this book as the first in a series of “Outsider’s Guides” with the goal of making these pop culture discussions accessible for people who might not be ready to commit to a deep dive, but still want to understand the impact of the subject. While I was an “insider” for this particular book, having seen all of the movies that get a dedicated chapter, I still feel like I came away with a deeper appreciation of the genre and learned a good bit along the way. I am excited to check out future releases in this series (the introduction teases the topics reality shows and romantic comedies) to explore some areas of pop culture I am less familiar with.

Thank you Quirk Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was really a fun, easy read! I am unabashedly a horror weenie (some of the descriptions in the book had me noping out) but I appreciate the overview of some of the classics of the canon and why they're classics. The writing was engaging, funny, and although I won't watch any of the movies, I at least know some more trivia.

I am a certified weenie. EVERYTHING is too scary for me. Forget Stephen King; I was terrified by the giant robot spider in <i>Jonny Quest</i> when I was 5. (Check it out on YouTube, and you’ll see what I mean. Shudder! I’m 66, and it still freaks me out a bit.)

So I was absolutely the target audience for this book. And, to my amazement, author Emily C. Hughes is so right! Reading what happens in a scary movie is tolerable, even if watching the movie would give me nightmares and sleepless nights for a week. Who would have thunk it? And Hughes generously provides pointers on what to say when others discuss these movies that have become staples of pop culture and receive homages in other films. Thanks to Hughes, I won’t have to miss pop-culture references anymore. In addition, Hughes’ humorous and sarcastic commentary on seven decades of horror movies will please readers, whether weenies or hard-core.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly a really great guide to the horror genre for those who might be new to the genre, or who have trepidations about reading horror due to being too afraid. This could go hand in hand with Sadie Hartmann's book "101 Horror Books to Read Before You Get Murdered". Definitely recommend.

Thank you Quirk Books and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

This was the most fun I have had reading about horror, as each entry is delivered with anxiety-easing humor. You are told who wrote and directed the film, the basic idea of it (a single sentence description of the film), why you might actually want to watch it (this is usually especially humorous), why you might want to AVOID watching it (trigger warnings), an exact play-by-play of the film in an extended summary, why the film matters so much, and a list of its iconic moments. We're also treated to trivia in the form of "Say this at a party" sections (I love that so much) and a list of read-a-likes if you're not ready to take that step into watching the film but want a more controlled thrill to build yourself up to watching it (this is so important to us library workers who do reader's advisory).

It's not just an in-depth guide to the most influential and iconic horror movies, it's also a history book covering the 1960s to the 2010s regarding why certain horror is created and why it matters. Several books and documentaries that discuss horror and its impact at an academic and cultural level are referenced, adding to my never-ending to-be-read/watched list. While not every arguably influential/iconic film has an entry (for instance, The Amityville Horror is not included, because it's " too boring for this book"), they are talked about in relation to the films that are included, and repeat horror film writers/directors have their other movies mentioned.

If you do reader's advisory, this is going to be indispensable for you (I cannot emphasize that enough--you're given the whole movie, tropes, and books that are similar!). If you really want to know what your friends or the Internet are going on about when they talk about certain scenes or lines, you'll finally get in on the sensationalism or meme. Instead of reaching for Wikipedia for individual (and frankly dry) entries (sorry, Wikipedia), you'll likely reach for this instead, especially since they're all in one convenient place. As someone who experiences FOMO but knows their limits, it was helpful for me to be able to read exactly what happens and why it's influential instead of having to traumatize myself by watching it. On the flip side, some films I was unsure about watching I now want to watch because I have a better understanding of what I'm getting into.

I cannot wait to see this book expanded on in the future to include more decades, as horror continues to evolve. I'm for sure getting a copy for myself to keep handy!

I loved this book. As a big horror fan I really enjoy horror recap podcasts and this is the first book I've picked up with the same concept. The author does a great job of thoroughly recapping the films while also peppering in some really interesting and compelling facts about the horror genre and maintaining a great sense of humor. I often think that horror and humor go hand in hand and this book walks the line in a delightful way, both managing to creep me out once in a while and make me laugh throughout.