American Scary

Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist

Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite Book of 2024

Amazon Editor's Pick, Best History Books of October

Named a Most Anticipated/Recommended Book of the Season by the Washington Post, Chicago Review of Books and Goodreads.

“Casually magisterial, endlessly erudite… This is a book that could launch a thousand reading lists... [Dauber] is the best kind of cultural historian, one who does an epic amount of research to make the big picture accessible... I'm not sure whether anyone has approached the task with Dauber's combination of thoroughness, lucidity and wit... expansive and revelatory.”

"Brisk, stylish… There’s a surfeit of treats in Mr. Dauber’s bucket, plus a few tricks tucked up his sleeve… It’s a testament to his talent… Dauber has drawn generously from his research and teaching, in all the best ways… Accomplished [and] darkly alluring."

"A satisfying, sweeping overview of the United States’ homegrown horrors (real and imagined)... offers myriad ways to understand the cultural, political, historical and psychological issues tackled by popular narratives that aim to thrill and chill... Remarkable."

“A comprehensive and continuously compelling exploration of our national obsession with horror and the legacy of the genre. Columbia professor Jeremy Dauber takes readers on a haunted history lesson for the ages... American Scary is sure to deepen your love for the horror genre or give you the push you need to begin to indulge in the terrifying delights.”

"America is the world's biggest haunted house and American Scary is the only travel guide you need. I loved this book.”

"American Scary—a rigorous history of American horrors, real and fictional—is clear-eyed, unflinching, comprehensive in scope and detail, and entertaining as hell. A remarkable achievement."

“Vividly written and encyclopedic in scope, American Scary traces the history of horror through sources both classic and surprising, from Washington Irving and Jordan Peele to Emily Dickinson and the literature of the Holocaust. Jeremy Dauber uses his engaging style and deep knowledge of the genre to illuminate the question that lies beneath the gore: the way the things we fear reflect who we are, as individuals and as a nation.”

“American Scary reveals an essential part of the American soul. Dauber masterfully integrates history, myth, religious beliefs and the inner lives of the American people from different times, under various circumstances. A must read for students of American literature, history, and culture and a fascinating book for all who love the scary.”

“Scary-smart, scary-deep. Dauber understands and captures that the true threat of American horror is us, the audience. His book is equal to the best of the genre it chronicles.”

“Dauber serves up a lively, vivid examination of American history through the chilling lens of the horror genre—or perhaps it's an examination of horror through the twisted lens of American history. Unmatched in its scope and brilliance, American Scary is a vital and wildly entertaining chronicle that will keep you hooked—and maybe a little scared—in the best way possible.”

"The American character defies description in many cases, but we are an obvious nation when it comes to our fears. With depth and dexterity, Dauber gets at the heart of our delusions of damnation, our obsessions, and confessions. American Scary synthesizes for both scholar and fan what it is we're afraid of, and why we always come back for more. A must-have for any horror completist."

“Dauber assesses expertly… [He] adds heft to material usually dismissed as lightweight and shows how the rhetoric of fictional horror has informed the wider culture… In this zestful account… Dauber summarizes nimbly the developments in horror [and] encourages us to approach fictional horror as a topical reflection of cultural hopes as well as fears.”

“A robust account of how art has reflected American dread for centuries… Dauber’s attention to the details of myriad cultural touchstones, both famous and obscure, will entice those who care to tiptoe deeper into the darkest of the dark. American Scary’s greatest success is making readers consider what art may be born of our late-night anxieties.”

"American Scary is... clearly the work of someone who adores the genre and has indefatigably excavated its American roots. Dauber particularly excels at unearthing the work of those now-forgotten writers whose short stories spooked American magazine readers before other forms of popular entertainment came along. It will delight completists."

“America likes its scary stories. But why? That’s the simple but fascinating question in this expansive survey of the history of horror in American popular culture.”

"A meticulous chronicle of the American horror genre across mediums... a provocative expansion of the genre’s pantheon... largely rewarding."

"A scholarly study of the horror genre’s cultural roots and meanings... [Dauber]  takes his subject very seriously, emphasizing the psychological and cultural issues that underlie the genre... Dauber’s knowledge is unquestionably extensive."

"Intriguing... tantalizing... Devoted fans of the horror genre will appreciate 'American Scary' for its encyclopedic scope."

Praise for American Comics:

"The first book about comics that covers events I was there for, where I’m not shaking my head at how wrong it is. A really good history of all the different strands of comics that came together over the last hundred and twenty years to become American Comics."

"An entertaining and richly detailed new history of comics . . . both opinionated and frequently funny . . . the story Dauber tells is a mighty one."

"Until now one could only dream of an engaging, analytic history encompassing the entire medium. That sounds like a job for Superman, but Jeremy Dauber has gotten there first . . . His perceptive, critical overview is enlivened by a jaunty style that bops from the political cartoons of Thomas Nast in the 1860s to the demise of an equally influential gadfly, Mad magazine, in 2018."

"An entertaining, big . . . comprehensive survey of the comics industry, from its inception in early twentieth-century newspapers to the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe megamovie crossover empire."

"Dauber lets his love for the medium shine through . . . [and] makes a compelling argument that we can view, through the lens of comics' content, how America sees itself."

“I was consistently and utterly engrossed… informative [and] entertaining.”​