New review of The Oxford Handbook
The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters has received a positive review in Laval Théologique et Philosophique journal. It’s in French, of course. https://revues.ulaval.ca/ojs/index.php/LTP/en/issue/view/229](https://revues.ulaval.ca/ojs/index.php/LTP/en/issue/view/229
Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters is a Stoker Award finalist
I am honored to announce that The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters (Oxford University Press, 2025), is a Horror Writers Association finalist for a Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in the Category of Long Non-Fiction. I had the privilege of co-editing this volume with Brandon R. Grafius, and working with a great […]
Diabolic: Forthcoming LDS religious horror
Latter-day Saints may not be happy with how their tradition is incorporated into horror films. In 2024 Heretic debuted with a psychological horror tale involving two female LDS missionaries. Now we have Diabolic, a film where “fundamentalist” LDS practices are said to be tapped into to help the traumatized psyche through experiences with the divine.
Brandon Grafius discusses “Scared by the Bible”
Brandon R. Grafius is the guest who discusses his new book Scared by the Bible: The Roots of Horror in Scripture (Morehouse, 2025). You may know the Bible as a testament of faith. But within this sacred book are also the world’s first horror stories. Conventional wisdom has it that the origins of the horror […]
Horror Comics and Religion available
I’m tardy in promoting one of my own books. Horror Comics and Religion: Essays on Framing the Monstrous and Divine (McFarland, 2023), co-edited with Brandon Grafius and featuring a number of great contributors, is now available. Here’s the description: While many genres offer the potential for theological reflection and exploration of religious issues, the nature […]
Ryan Duns and Theology of Horror
Ryan G. Duns, SJ, is my guest in this conversation. Ryan is an associate professor of theology at Marquette University. We discuss his new book Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films (University of Notre Dame Press, 2024). From the description at Amazon: Theology of Horror explores the dark reaches of popular horror […]
ABIGAIL film fun
It has been quite a while since I last blogged here. I’ve been busy the last year planning major revisions and expansion to some of my nonprofit and have been content to share TheoFantastique thoughts on Facebook. But I thought I’d make a few posts in light of recent films and comics, for what it’s […]
Forthcoming “Be Afraid” podcast
I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Fuller Seminary on Friday announcing a forthcoming podcast addressing horror and spirituality. Given evangelicalism’s hesitancy to embrace horror out o concerns for evil and its alleged incompatibility with a respectable expression of faith, it will be interesting to see how horror is treated in this series. […]
Steve Wiggins on The Wicker Man
Steve Wiggins is the guest to discuss his new book The Wicker Man. From the publisher’s website description: Many fans of Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973) may know that this classic is considered a fine sample of folk horror. Few will consider that it’s also a prime example of holiday horror. Holiday horror draws […]
Two Forthcoming Titles
I’m pleased to announce two forthcoming titles that look great. I know both authors and they have made appearances on this blog previously, which makes it even more exciting, and the subject matter is wonderful. First, on the fiftieth anniversary of The Wicker Man film, Steve A. Wiggins has written The Wicker Man as part […]
