"Brandon Grafius combines biblical scholarship with a fanboy's love of horror to create a fun, fascinating book you won't be able to put down. I've never read a book quite like this." --Reza Aslan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth "No matter how many times you've seen Night of the Living Dead, The Thing, or Sinister, this book will come to you as a revelation. Brandon Grafius not only knows horror--he understands the deeper questions dark fictions ask." --W. Scott Poole, author of Dark Carnivals: Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empireand Monsters in America "What a tasty book! It dives deep into what terrifies us, entertains us, and awakens the awe inside us. With a scholar's knowledge of both theology and every kind of horror movie, Grafius takes us on a tour of our soul with thought-provoking analysis, personal reflection from his own journey, and a healthy helping of humor." --Owen Egerton, writer/director of Mercy Blackand author of Hollow "Lurking under the Surfacerightly argues the hope of horror and the horror of hope within the overlapping and at times problematic circles of Western religion and the horror film.
A thoroughly engaging read." --Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghostsand The Cabin at the End of the World "Lurking under the Surfaceis one of the most impactful, poignant, and thought-provoking books on film I've ever read. Grafius's book swept me along like high tide, as it reveals how the horror genre remains a source of faith, hope, and refuge, and why the horror film is the best medium for carrying creative and compelling stories about the deep fears and anxieties that dominate our daily lives." --Victoria McCollum, senior lecturer in cinematic arts at Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland "Biblical scholar and encyclopedic horror fan Brandon R. Grafius leads the reader on a journey through meaning-making texts and experiences that show how looking at horror through eyes of faith opens up a universe of possibility. Lurking under the Surface lives up to its title--plumbing the depths of horror culture and Christian faith to find profundity, significance, and the possibilities of what the world can mean." --Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.
, professor of theatre arts, Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles "Too often, believers approach horror movies as little more than the opportunity to reinforce cherished religious views. Grafius takes his subject much more seriously than that, exploring not only why these texts are important to believers, but how their importance lies precisely in that they raise the hard questions. If horror is the genre that takes religion at its word, Grafius takes horror the same way. Highly recommended." --Douglas E. Cowan, professor of religious studies and social development studies at the University of Waterloo and author of America's Dark Theologian: The Religious Imagination of Stephen King "This generous personal account demonstrates what horror fans have always known: that in exploring, and sometimes wallowing in, the darkest recesses of the human condition, we can find resilience, understanding, and hope." --Aislinn Clarke, writer-director of The Devil's Doorwayand lecturer in screenwriting and film, Queen's University, Belfast "Grafius skillfully untangles the threads of belief, doubt, and the holy that give horror its enduring power, inviting us to reconsider both fear and faith. A book for horror fans, believers, skeptics, and everyone in between.
" --Rhiannon Graybill, associate professor of religious studies at Rhodes College and author of Texts after Terror: Rape, Sexual Violence, and the Hebrew Bible.