Encyclopedia Horrifica
by Joshua Gee
Scholastic, 2007
144 Pages
Young Readers (7-10)
A unique look at a myriad creeping nightmares, this Encyclopedia of Horror approaches its subject like a DK Eyewitness Book, in small sections with lots of pictures designed for a generation with attention deficit, but it manages to maintain a level of interest that is normally lost on this type of book. The lack of originality in its “overview of scary things” angle is overcome by the focus on imagination-grabbing topics like a Special Investigation of the ruins of a cursed colonial settlement, an inset balloon with the lyrics from the Ramones’ Pet Sematary, and a segment on the phantom black dogs like the Black Shuck that abound in UK myth.
Examples of this book’s index entries include:
- Zombie Schoolgirls
- Cthulhu Monster
- Feejee Mermaid
- Ghost Photo
Subjects range from a page on The Bell Witch to one on giant squids, a comparison between the werewolves of Hollywood and those of historic mythology, and a tour of stunning curiosity shops.
Some of the images are truly disturbing, like a two-headed baby skeleton, but this book is suitable for younger readers who have an interest in the supernatural from those who want a thought provoking introduction to ghost hunting to experienced fear fans looking for a shiver. In fact, writers of strange tales would easily be inspired to visions of things that slither and -schlupp!- in the night by perusing these pages.
An entire section on ghost hunting tells how you might make your own ghostly orb photographs, and a chapter on Zombies discusses Wade Davis’ ethnographic work that discovered the drugs that can make a man into a true zombie. The compendium examines the ESP studies undertaken by major world governments and explores hoaxes, from P.T. Barnum to the War of the Worlds radio broadcast.
This is a fun book, filled with facts and pictures that stand up to re-reading numerous times. The Terrifying Truth About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters, and More also contains something that has always held the interest of horror enthusiasts, the study of fear itself: a list of phobias and their nomenclature. It can also laugh at itself. The introduction to Part Three might be an anthem of Awake at Midnight:
Leave on your costume. Who cares if the neighbors stare? From now on, the candy spills eternal from the jolly plastic pumpkin, and the Horror Channel is the only channel. November 1 will never come because… every day is Halloween!
