Book cover of Dark Carnivals: Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

Book description

The panoramic story of how the horror genre transformed into one of the most incisive critiques of unchecked American imperial power

The American empire emerged from the shadows of World War II. As the nation’s influence swept the globe with near impunity, a host of evil forces followed—from racism, exploitation,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Dark Carnivals as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Poole builds off his remarkable 2018 Wasteland to explore the tangled relationship between the American horror film and the empire.

For Poole, the most dangerous films are those that imply that we can overcome any evil if we stick together, put our minds to it, and use a little American muscle and know-how.

Through this framework, a film like Jaws is convincingly read as a movie that makes us feel better about our role as dominators of the world, and the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels fit in perfectly with the callousness and cruelty of the 1980s. And rather than…

If you love Dark Carnivals...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like Dark Carnivals?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Dark Carnivals.

Browse books like Dark Carnivals

Book cover of Horror
Book cover of 1939: The Making of Six Great Films from Hollywood's Greatest Year
Book cover of Monster: Living Off the Big Screen

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Dark Carnivals, you might also like...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Malcolm Before X

Malcolm Before X by Patrick Parr,

Malcolm Before X is about finding a way to continue moving forward after everything has been taken from you. While in prison, Malcolm Little discovered the power of reading and found a way to transform his character and become a better man. This half-biography focuses on that transformation, especially his…

5 book lists we think you will like!