Stephen King (b XXXXXXXXXXis America’s best-known writer of horror fiction. He received his B.A. from the University of Maine. He has won many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the...

Stephen King (b. 1947) is America’s best-known writer of horror fiction. He received his B.A. from the University of Maine. He has won many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In 2015, King was awarded a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts. A prolific writer in many genres and media, King’s publications include Carrie (1973), The Shining (1977), the Dark Tower series (1982–2004), and many more. Many films and television movies have been based on King’s work, including the classics The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Stand by Me (1986), The Shining (1980), and Carrie (1976). The following selection is a classic essay that attempts to explain the causes for a common phenomenon: many people’s liking — even craving — for horror movies.

Before you read, think about the horror movie that you remember best and consider why it appeals to you (or doesn’t).

As you read, test King’s argument about the appeal of horror movies against your own experience. On first reading, how convincing are his causal speculations?