The Dark Ages

A History of Horror

Where are the roots of the horror genre? How far back can we trace the figures of the vampire, the werewolf and Frankenstein's monster? What of the Gothic novel, and how did the horror of distant castles transform into that of school camps and shopping malls? Who were the visionaries (and what horrible things happened to them)? Have people always been scared of the same things? This timeline shows the stepping stones along the path from the Inquisition to the Blair Witch, from Dante's Inferno to Hellraiser. Eight centuries of great works, and the events and people behind them.

As well as the summary, many entries are linked to detailed articles giving a lot more information. There is also extensive cross-referencing and a comprehensive bibliography. Either go to the timeline itself, or choose one of the articles listed down the left hand side.