I’m not sure what worries me more, the fact that I’m going to run out of room for all these books I want to add to my library, or just how the hell am I going to pay for all of them! I know I’ve stated before that if they stopped making movies now, I still wouldn’t be able to see them all before I’m gone. It’s really same for these books. With each movie offering you something we haven’t seen or experienced before, these volumes below, as well as so many more, are just waiting for you to read and absorb the knowledge within, which then in turn is going to help you see those films in a different light. It really is a never-ending path, and one I intend to continue to travel down as long as I can!
We have new books, updated and revised volumes, covering classic British horror films, horror in the USA, Lewton horrors of the ’40s, and much more. Take a look below and start that Want List or add to the one you’ve already started!
Bride of a Vault of Horror – Back in 2004, author Keith Topping gave us A Vault of Horror: A Book of 80 Great British Horror Movies from 1956-1974, which we reviewed HERE, and had a lot of fun with it. Then in 2024, he published a sequel, Return to the Vault of Horror, giving us reviews of another 58 titles of British horror films, following the same format and fun. Then last year, he switched to Science Fiction to give us Island of Terror (A Guide to 60 Great British SF and Fantasy Movies From 1936 – 1984). One would think that Topper has really kept himself busy, but apparently not. Because now we get Bride of a Vault of Horror: A Book of 72 Great British Films of Mystery and Suspense from 1933-1986! Taking a little different direction on the sub-genre but still covering plenty of horror titles and more here. Within the 600+ pages, this volume covers titles such as The Ghoul, Hell is a City, The Flesh and the Fiends, Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, The Shuttered Room, and many more.
This is coming from Telos Publishing at the end of October, priced at £24.99 or $33.40. You can head over to their website by clicking HERE.
Next up is one revised edition and one brand new one from author and film historian Jonathan Rigby. Coming the second half of next year (so you have time to save money), we first get a “significantly expanded” edition of English Gothic. Not much details other than that, and due out in August of 2027. But the next title is a brand-new book called Nightmare States: American Horror Cinema 1960-1985. This is basically a sequel to his 2017 volume, American Gothic. This new volume covers films from Psycho to Psycho II and more, which should be another interesting volume. Rigby stated he’s still putting the finishing touches up but it is scheduled to be out in September of next year. That’s all the info we have at this time, but I’m sure we’ll bring it back up once they are able to be ordered.
The next two titles are coming from McFarland, and while a bit pricy, they both sound like they are going to be must-reads. McFarland’s site doesn’t give much information on these two, other than the prices and that they are both due out this year. The first up is called Hammer’s Masterpiece: A Complete History of Horror of Dracula. I’m sure this is out to tie-in with the upcoming release of the new uncut 4K edition coming out from Hammer Films next month. The book cover shows Anthony Hammond as the author, but the details show it’s “Compiled and Edited by Thomas J. Ebert and Allen Carden.” I guess we’ll wait and see. This one is priced at $49.95.
The next one is Val Lewton’s RKO Horror Thrillers: A Comprehensive Production History, 1942-1946, by Clive Dawson, and priced at $55! Again, no real information about the book other than the period and subject matter from the title, I know I’m going to want to read this.
And last but not least, we have a book on a person that I am shocked it has taken this long for someone to tackle, since he was essential in the early days of helping create what we now know as the Universal Classic Monsters. But now we have it. John L. Balderston: Architect of Horror by Christopher Lock. Does that name Balderston ring a bell? If you’re a fan of the Universal classics, then you definitely know his work. He was a journalist, playwright, and screenwriter who worked on titles like Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and a few other notable ones. I’ve read and enjoyed, not to mention learning a lot from several of Lock’s books, so I am very excited to get to this one at some point. It’s one of those things that being a serious fan of the horror genre and always wanting to learn more about this strange passion we love, makes you see and understand more about the films, as well as the history of the genre.
This 205-page paperback is available now and is only priced at $19.95, a bit cheaper than the ones listed above! You can see it on Amazon by clicking HERE.
If that isn’t enough books for your Want-List, just wait a little longer. With Halloween right around the corner, I’m sure there will be a few more getting released or at least announced. All I can say is that I need to get a second job before too long!
