Published by Lividian Publications
Please Note:
Unfortunately, special offers or discount codes cannot be applied to this item.
Lividian Publications is proud to be publishing a deluxe signed and slipcased Limited Edition hardcover of Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature edited by Becky Siegel Spratford, the most recent Bram Stoker Award winner for Superior Achievement in Long Non-Fiction. This special edition includes exclusive full-color wrap-around artwork by François Vaillancourt for the dust jacket, making this production a true work of art.
Retail Price: $125
Publication Date: December 2026
Page Count: 248 pages
Status: Forthcoming
Deluxe Production Features:
• Full-color wrap-around artwork by François Vaillancourt
• Offset printed on an acid-free archival quality paper stock
• A fine cloth binding
• Hot foil stamping on the front cover and spine
• Smyth-sewn to create a more durable binding
• Twine head and tail bands
• High-quality endpapers
• Sewn-in satin ribbon page marker
• Custom-made slipcase stamped with hot foil and featuring a unique die-cut window
• Limited to 600 copies signed by Becky Siegel Spratford and François Vaillancourt
About the Book:
For twenty-five years, Becky Siegel Spratford has worked as a librarian in Reader Advisory, training library workers all over the world on how to engage their patrons and readers, and to use her place as a horror expert and critic to get the word out to others; to bring even more readers into the horror fold.
Why I Love Horror is a love letter to the horror genre from many of the most influential and bestselling authors in the industry. A captivating anthology and heartfelt tribute to the horror genre featuring essays from several of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers including, Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Rachel Harrison.
For devoted horror readers, Why I Love Horror is a celebration of the books, fears, monsters, and midnight obsessions that shaped them. For the horror-curious, this very special edition is an open door into the genre’s bloody, beating heart, guided by the writers who know exactly why we keep coming back to the dark.
Table of Contents:
"Introduction" by Sadie Hartmann
"Why Ask Why" by Becky Siegel Spratford
"Brian Keene’s Giant-Size Man-Thing" by Brian Keene
"The Giant Footprint of Horror" by Hailey Piper
"In the Bermuda Triangle with Sasquatch, Flesh Smoldering" by John Langan
"What You Can Learn from Horror: Don’t Run from Darkness; It’s Trying to Teach You a Lesson" by Alma Katsu
"Horror Is Life: A Blood-Soaked Love Letter" by Gabino Iglesias
"My Long Road to Horror" by Tananarive Due
"Monster Girl: How Horror Gave Me a Place to Belong" by Jennifer McMahon
"On the Amtrak, Heading Home" by Josh Malerman
"Why Horror?" by Paul Tremblay (Drawings by Emma Tremblay)
"Why I Love Horror" by Grady Hendrix
"My Mother Was Margaret White" by Cynthia Pelayo
"Why I Am Horror" by Clay McLeod Chapman
"A Day in My Psychedelic World" by Nuzo Onoh
"Permission to Scream" by Rachel Harrison
"Horror Saved My Life" by Victor LaValle
"Tales from My Crypt" by Mary SanGiovanni
"Of Men and Monsters" by David Demchuk
"Why Horror" by Stephen Graham Jones
About the Authors
Acknowledgments
Reviews:
“Spratford, well-known in the library world as a horror expert, has gathered the most important voices in the genre today…The results are illuminating, moving, and inspiring.”
—Booklist, starred review
"A big, squishy blood-soaked love letter to horror that fans of the macabre and the dark should devour."
—Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic
"A wonderful autopsy of both the horror genre and the current batch of hell-scribblers and fear-junkies who are guiding it. Essential reading for both the jaded horror experts and the fresh-blood newbies who are peering out from behind barely-parted fingers."
—Chuck Wendig, bestselling author of The Book of Accidents
“One of the genre’s true tastemakers, Becky Spratford has gathered in this book of essays the perfect rogues gallery to address the question all horror lovers are asked—‘why horror?’ Horrors top stars and brightest lights dig into the question with passion, insight, and profound empathy, all of which are genre hallmarks perhaps even more vital than terror, evil, and gore. Don’t believe it? Read this book!”
—Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and The House of Last Resort
"Everyone in the horror biz knows Spratford is the genre's Van Helsing—the truest of all monster hunters, but one who wants to share her monsters, not destroy them. Her collection of deranged masterminds have things to say about horror that I've never heard, and that's not easy to do. A celebration, an incantation, and a revelation."
—Daniel Kraus, author of Whalefall
“The essays collected here are probing, insightful, and deeply intimate. There’s a quivering, bloody heart rooted at the center of this book and shared by all those who partake in the sacred communion of fear. A truly remarkable achievement."
—Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
"A joyfully effusive love letter to the genre. If you've ever needed a reason to dip your toes into horror or wondered why it has so many aficionados, this beautifully curated book presents a multiplicity of reasons."
—Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
“You can call this book a 'love letter' because of the powerful affection thrumming through it, but rarely has a love letter also been so instructive and insightful. With its marvelously curated array of personal stories and insights, Why I Love Horror functions as a tonic in this era of depersonalized, artificially intelligent art, as well as a subtle blueprint for crafting genre fiction that matters (hint: it's gotta matter to you first). To borrow a phrase from Becky Spratford herself, this book is a must-own for all libraries - and that includes personal ones.”
—Nat Cassidy, author of When the Wolf Comes Home and Mary
"Becky Spratford is your favorite horror author's favorite librarian. Whether you already have your reasons or whether you can't fathom loving such a fraught genre, the essays in Why I Love Horror will shine a light on the answer.”
—Jenny Kiefer, author of This Wretched Valley and Crafting for Sinners
"With the world crashing down around us, horror is more relevant than ever, and Why I Love Horror explores just why the stories that terrify us matter so much. A true love letter to the genre, this is one book you don't want to miss."
—Gwendolyn Kiste, Three-time Bram Stoker Award Winner of The Haunting of Velkwood and Reluctant Immortals
"Why I Love Horror is a thought-provoking, emotional, and creative exploration of what draws us to the dark. This unique anthology gathers some of the greatest living horror authors to answer a deeply personal question: Why horror? The result is a powerful collective love letter to the genre—an intimate glimpse into the inspirations, obsessions, and haunted beginnings of the storytellers who’ve shaped our modern horror. Like a cozy campfire surrounded by the genre’s finest voices, Why I Love Horror invites us to sit close and listen to the tales behind the tales. Addictive!"
—Yigit Turhan, author of Their Monstrous Hearts
"Why I Love Horror reveals the heart and soul of literature’s most misunderstood genre, showcasing its power to stir, heal, and connect its readers. These essays aren’t just for fans, either—Spratford has tapped some of the most talented writers publishing today, sharing experiences that will move, inspire, and even unsettle you. If you don’t come away loving horror, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this book!"
—Wendy N. Wagner, author of Girl in the Creek
“Spratford, a highly skilled RA, who has empowered librarians with her incredible Readers' Advisory Guides, now has a fantastic new book, Why I Love Horror, which takes us into the minds and souls of eighteen top horror writers. Each author’s honest and captivating answer reveals poignant times in their life that awakened their hunger to write horror. There is an invaluable introduction about each author, including the name of one of their books to read and a similar writer to check out. This collection is a must-have for any reader of the authors included and to anyone curious about what inspires creators of horror literature in general.”
—Linda D. Addison, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master
"An essential for any horror lover's bookshelf, or the perfect gift for the spooky person in your life, Why I Love Horror is a treasure. Expertly curated as only Spratford could do, this anthology shows the joy and comfort that horror readers find in this genre, and the beauty they find in the darkness. It will make you feel seen, and warm the cold corners of your black little heart."
—Mallory O'Meara, bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon
“A macabre treasure trove. A blood-soaked bacchanalia. A riotous celebration of horror from some of the best and brightest voices in the genre today."
—Jonathan Janz, author of Veil and Marla
About the Author:
Becky Siegel Spratford, MLIS, is a librarian specializing in serving patrons ages thirteen and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of three textbooks for library workers, most recently, The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Third Edition. She is on the Shirley Jackson Award Advisory Board and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, currently serving as the association’s secretary and cochair of their library committee. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband, where they raised their now adult children.
