Horror | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/horror/RSS feed for HorrorenTue, 03 Mar 2026 12:45:00 +0000In 'Bride of Frankenstein,' the Monster's Wife Never Speaks. Now, Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Bride!' Gives the Iconic Character a Voicehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-bride-of-frankenstein-the-monsters-wife-never-speaks-now-maggie-gyllenhaals-the-bride-gives-the-iconic-character-a-voice-180988257/Directed by James Whale, the 1935 movie and its prequel, a 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel, laid the groundwork for the modern horror genreTue, 03 Mar 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-bride-of-frankenstein-the-monsters-wife-never-speaks-now-maggie-gyllenhaals-the-bride-gives-the-iconic-character-a-voice-180988257/Have We Reached the Final Days of the Mass-Market Paperback?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/have-we-reached-the-final-days-of-the-mass-market-paperback-180988139/One of the largest paperback distributors has decided to stop supporting the format, which has been making reading accessible to the masses since the 1930sWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:42:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/have-we-reached-the-final-days-of-the-mass-market-paperback-180988139/These Creepy Dolls Are on the Loose, Haunting the Halls of a Minnesota Museum This Halloweenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-creepy-dolls-are-on-the-loose-haunting-the-halls-of-a-minnesota-museum-this-halloween-180987580/To mark its seventh annual Creepy Doll Contest, the History Center of Olmsted County is inviting its vintage toy dolls to act as "amateur curators" and roam freely through its collectionsTue, 28 Oct 2025 18:03:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-creepy-dolls-are-on-the-loose-haunting-the-halls-of-a-minnesota-museum-this-halloween-180987580/In Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' the Titular Scientist Laments His Nightmarish Creation. But the Real World Can't Get Enough of His Monsterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-mary-shelleys-frankenstein-the-titular-scientist-laments-his-nightmarish-creation-but-the-real-world-cant-get-enough-of-his-monster-180987538/In the two centuries since the Gothic novel's publication, the English writer's tale of a science experiment gone wrong has captivated audiences around the world and taken on a life of its ownMon, 20 Oct 2025 12:51:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-mary-shelleys-frankenstein-the-titular-scientist-laments-his-nightmarish-creation-but-the-real-world-cant-get-enough-of-his-monster-180987538/The Creepy Doll Contest Is Back—and It's Time to Cast Your Vote for the Most Terrifying Toyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creepy-doll-contest-is-back-and-its-time-to-cast-your-vote-for-the-most-terrifying-toy-180985315/Step right up and see the spooky circus dolls—from creepy clowns to frightening fortune-tellers—in a Minnesota museum's vintage toy collectionThu, 24 Oct 2024 17:08:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creepy-doll-contest-is-back-and-its-time-to-cast-your-vote-for-the-most-terrifying-toy-180985315/Can Experiencing Horror Help Your Brain?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-experiencing-horror-help-your-brain-180980984/The "recreational fear" that arises from visiting haunted houses and watching scary movies may provide psychological benefitsTue, 25 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-experiencing-horror-help-your-brain-180980984/Who Is the Woman Haunting A.I.-Generated Art?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/loab-artificial-intelligence-art-180980743/Now known as "Loab," she pops up repeatedly in a series of creepy imagesTue, 13 Sep 2022 15:04:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/loab-artificial-intelligence-art-180980743/How 'Scream' Explored the Exploitative Nature of the Nightly Newshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-scream-explored-the-exploitative-nature-of-the-nightly-news-180978960/Twenty-five years ago, the first installment of the horror franchise hit theaters just as a national debate about on-screen violence reached a fever pitchFri, 29 Oct 2021 16:38:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-scream-explored-the-exploitative-nature-of-the-nightly-news-180978960/Why 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' Frightened So Many Parents in the 1990shttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-frightened-so-many-parents-in-the-1990s-180978945/Launched 40 years ago, Alvin Schwartz's spooky series pitted school administrators against PTO members pleading to ban the booksWed, 27 Oct 2021 18:59:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-frightened-so-many-parents-in-the-1990s-180978945/The 1980 Slasher Movie 'Friday the 13th' Was Filmed at This Boy Scout Camp in New Jerseyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-1980-slasher-movie-friday-the-13th-was-filmed-at-this-boy-scout-camp-in-new-jersey-180978933/In the off-season, Camp-No-Be-Bo-Sco alumni bring in props and lead tours for freaked-out fansTue, 26 Oct 2021 12:52:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-1980-slasher-movie-friday-the-13th-was-filmed-at-this-boy-scout-camp-in-new-jersey-180978933/