Episode 357: Recreational Fear, Mathias Clasen

In celebration of Halloween I'm speaking with Mathias Clasen, a scholar of horror fiction and associate professor in literature and media at Aarhus University in Denmark. Clasen’s research integrates horror study with the natural and social sciences, in particular human behavioral biology and evolutionary and cognitive psychology.

In this episode we talk about classic horror tales, why we love feeling scared, and the evolution of classic horror icons. This is the great conversation for those who love horror and those who are nervous to face their fears. If you're the latter, check out Mathias' newest book 'A Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Movies'.