A nice exposition on the relationship between horror, as an entertainment genre, and World War I. The author’s approach is smart, scholarly and extensive; so extensive in fact that if your love of horror is utterly existential and you feel you are ready to commune with the Dalai Lama of Dread, W. Scott Poole is your man.

If there is a knock on Poole’s deductive reasoning it’s that he sometimes paints his speculations with a fairly broad brush. Sketching the connective tissue between the trenches of 1918 and the Hollywood backlots of 2018 is five parts historical referencing, three parts psychological analysis and one part blind faith. To say that ‘without Gallipoli there would be no Godzilla,’ or ‘without the Somme there would be no Salem’s Lot’ may indeed be true, but the plethora of other events within the time span dilutes the logic and throws a shadow of doubt on the interpretations.

Also, the author’s passion makes him prone to drift off topic now and again - so prepare yourself for a sociopolitical tangent* or two.

*hint, if you’re an easily offended fan of Salvador Dalí you might want to take a pass on this one.