So I just finished reading the last book in my library… okay, that might not be entirely true. Or even close. But I do know that I have plenty of wonderous volumes just waiting for me to dig into when I do have the time. Plus, these numerous tomes all there when I need to do a little research, so just like they say, you can actually learn things from them!

Anyway, I was scrolling through McFarland’s website and came across several new book titles that are (hopefully) coming out this year that immediately got my interests. None of these have any release dates, and some don’t have a lot of information about the actual book, such as page count, but I think you’ll be able to get an idea of what the book is about.

The first one is Global Horror Cinema Today by Jon Towlson, which according to the cover, it represents 28 films from 17 different countries, with each chapter focusing on a particular country, looking into what frightens the native people there, and how it can cross over to an international audience. Some of the films covered are It Follows (2014), Grave aka Raw (2016), Busanhaeng aka Train to Busan (2016), and Get Out (2016), as well as discussing another 100 titles.

The thing that I really love about the concept of this book is to show horror fans how big the genre is and that to limit oneself to only films from our own country, or in your own language, makes you missing out on some amazing cinema. Especially with all the films available online in different streaming outlets, it gives fans even more opportunity to see some incredible cinema. So I really look forward to this title to maybe show me some titles I have missed, as well as hearing what Towlson has to say about these films and the countries where they are from.

It is priced at $39.95 and is in softcover format.

The next book is one that I’m very proud to mention here because not only is it on a subject that I think really needed to be put out there, but it was written by a good friend, Gavin Schmitt. The book is Karl Freund: The Life and Films. I’ve known Gavin for quite some time, and I know his way of digging into a topic to enlighten those around him. Can’t wait for this one.

For those that might not know that name, you know the films he’s worked on. He mainly was a cameraman who worked on a lot of the Universal classics, such as Dracula (1931), but before that he was the cinematographer on Paul Wegener’s The Golem and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927). He would even direct two amazing films himself, The Mummy (1932) and Mad Love (1935), which would be his last job as a director.

There really hasn’t been too much written about Freund, so thankfully Mr. Schmitt has taken this task for us and will be able to enlighten us all. I’ve always said, the more you know about a filmmaker, the more you will look at the finished product a little different.

This will be in softcover format, and is priced at $39.95.

If you already have the previous editions to this series by John Kenneth Muir, than you know how entertaining they are. Continuing his series, Muir is now giving us Horror Films of the 2000s.  If it is anything like this 3 previous volumes, it will be massive. And priced at $75, I would hope so.

Muir has covered the ’70s, the ’80s, the ’90s, and now is tackling the latest decade, at time when a lot of fans think things had changed quite a bit. From torture porn to a resurgence of creepy tales of ghosts, and so much more, I know it will be filled with interesting comments and notes on the movies that we love, hopefully even pointing out ones that we haven’t heard about. Those are always the best gems in books like these, when you get to discover something amazing that had been hiding under your nose.

I do find it amusing to have Sid Haig, from House of 1000 Corpses on the cover, since Haig really could have been the cover of all of the previous volumes, and including one if Muir did one on the ’60s!

Lastly, we have Faith Horror: Cinematic Visions of Satanism, Paganism and Witchcraft, 1966-1978, by LMK Sheppard. This is another softcover edition that will run you $45. But one of the things that I really like about McFarland’s books are the wide variety of interesting topics. I’m not sure if this is going to be one of those psycho-babble books, or a series look at the types of films that go to the other side of religion, those that worship the old ways. Plus, covering the period from 1966 to 1978, there will be plenty of titles to cover since that was a great era of horror films, covering all sorts of religions subjects and topic.

And isn’t that a beautiful cover?!?!?

For the latest updates and more in-depth details about these titles (once they update them on their site), as well as being able to scan through the rest of their upcoming titles and the ones they already have available. Be careful. It could get expensive. But knowledge isn’t always cheap, right?