**Before he gave us the “one of a kind classic” (** The Wall Street Journal **) memoir** On Writing **, Stephen King wrote a nonfiction masterpiece in** Danse Macabre **, “one of the best books on American popular culture” (** Philadelphia Inquirer **).** From the author of dozens of #1 *New York Times* bestsellers and the creator of many unforgettable movies comes a vivid, intelligent, and nostalgic journey through three decades of horror as experienced through the eyes of the most popular writer in the genre. In 1981, years before he sat down to tackle *On Writing* , Stephen King decided to address the topic of what makes horror horrifying and what makes terror terrifying. Here, in ten brilliantly written chapters, King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre—from *Frankenstein* and *Dracula* to *The Exorcist,* *The Twilight Zone* , and *Earth vs. The Flying Saucers*. With the insight and good humor his fans appreciated in *On Writing* , *Danse Macabre* is an enjoyably entertaining tour through Stephen King’s beloved world of horror.