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This is the time of year when people grab a spooky book, attend chilling events, or screen a scary movie. Right now, fans of chills and thrills are flocking to the movies, but it’s not just seasonal interest anymore. So far this year, horror films conjured up 17% of all North American ticket sales, surpassing a billion dollars at the box office.
The horror genre isn’t just contained to the Halloween season. A newly opened brick and mortar bookstore is banking on the craze lasting year-round. “Horror connects us with some of our very base emotions. Fear is something as all humans understand. And so that doesn’t go away just because it’s no longer October,” points out Lauren Komer, who co-founded ‘The Twisted Spine’ in Brooklyn – New York City’s first bookstore to exclusively sell only horror and dark literature. Speaking of its broad appeal, she says, “One of the things that people who aren’t in the genre might not realize is all the different subgenres of horror. So, it’s not just blood and guts, you can find something for everyone.”
“Her Wicked Roots” author, Tanya Pell, agrees it’s that wide-reach and the inclusive nature of the genre that draws readers for a reason – not just the season. “Horror is incredibly welcoming,” says Pell, “We are seeing more diversity in horror than other genres where it is far more difficult to find the representation.”
Publishing industry sources report horror book sales are increasing year over year. And the growing interest is not just on the page or the screen – ‘Summerween’ was more popular than ever this year, with retailers, restaurants, and consumers getting in the spirit of the spooky season in the heat of summer. “You’re seeing people doing things just because it brings them joy and other people see that oh well, you know what? That also brings me joy. There’s other people out there that enjoy it like I do,” Pell adds.
Fright fans, like Rebecca Bermudez, are not surprised the trend is spanning the calendar because it mirrors our real-life experiences and our desire to face the things that scare us, head on. “Horror speaks kind of like to the human soul almost and what we’re afraid of and even what our society fears at a certain point in time,” Bermudez points out.