Horror, Fear & the Uncanny

A spine-chilling journey through the history of horror, fear and the uncanny, from prehistoric death rituals to modern-day scares. With Q&A. Why has humanity been telling itself scary stories for thousands of years? From the demons of ancient legend to the werewolves, vampires and zombies of folklore, our fascination with fear has endured for millennia. In this talk, Prof Richard J. Hand draws on his book A History of Horror, Fear and the Uncanny to journey through the dark and eerie landscapes of horror. We’ll look at Gilgamesh and the Underworld to Gothic horror and modern "creepypasta" tales – tracing the origins of our deepest terrors and how they've been reimagined through art and culture ever since. Along the way, we'll meet some of history's most infamous supernatural creatures – from banshees and changelings to Grendel, Baba Yaga, the Morrigan and the Golem – and explore the books and films that have shaped horror as we know it, from Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker and Stephen King to The Exorcist, The Shining and Alien. Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat! Follow us on IG @seedtalks Speaker Bio: Professor Richard J. Hand is a leading British scholar of horror, media, and theatre at the University of East Anglia. His work focuses heavily on how fear, suspense, and the uncanny are built across popular performance cultures, particularly through audio drama, Grand-Guignol theater, and cinematic adaptation.