A New Heritage of Horror

Winner of the Dark Fest Film Festival Award for Best Genre Author 2024

David Pirie's acclaimed history of British gothic film and television has long been regarded as a foundational study of the roots of British horror, identifying it as 'the only staple cinematic myth which Britain can properly claim as its own.'

This edition of A New Heritage of Horror has been revised and updated to include discussion of films and TV dramas that have been newly discovered, restored, or released since the publication of the previous edition in 2007, as well as addressing newly-emergent screenwriters, directors, and genres.

Drawing on insider accounts and archival sources, David Pirie investigates the notion of horror versus realism in popular fiction and analyses the horror boom that developed around films including The Others and 28 Days Later. He chronicles British horror cinema from its origins in Gothic literature, traces the rise of Hammer Films, its key directors and films, as well as its battles with the censors. He explores major horror subgenres including comedy horror and sci-fi, and brings the story up to the present day, where horror is flourishing in new ways, with films such as Shaun of the Dead, Under the Skin, and Censor.

The book also delves into the rise of genres such as folk horror and films that tackle questions of race and gender. It highlights the emergence of a new generation of writers and directors including Prano Bailey-Bond, Ben Wheatley, and Edgar Wright.