Dark Carnivals: Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

By W. Scott Poole

Book Overview

The panoramic story of how the horror genre transformed into one of the most incisive critiques of unchecked American imperial power

The American empire emerged from the shadows of World War II. As the nation's influence swept the globe with near impunity, a host of evil forces followed--from racism, exploitation, and military invasion to killer clowns, flying saucers, and monsters borne of a fear of the other. By viewing American imperial history through the prism of the horror genre, Dark Carnivals lays bare how the genre shaped us, distracted us, and gave form to a violence as American as apple pie.

A carnival ride that connects the mushroom clouds of 1945 to the beaches of Amity Island, Charles Manson to the massacre at My Lai, and John Wayne to John Wayne Gacy, the new book by acclaimed historian W. Scott Poole reveals how horror films and fictions have followed the course of America's military and cultural empire and explores how the shadow of our national sins can take on the form of mass entertainment.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1640096124
• ISBN13: 9781640096127
• Release Date: October 2023
• Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Not what I was hoping for

I expected the relation between America and horror media to be much more heavy handed than it turned out to be. However, I did learn a lot about American history, which seemed to be the bulk of this book. There are definitely very interesting connections between well known horror and the social state/politics of America through each decade. Not quite what I anticipated but still a good read.