Unless your publisher is good at marketing, that book you spend years on will remain unknown.That “share” button in the right hands can make all the difference.The other day while searching for reviews on Holy Horror I came across Scriptophobic.The website had started a column titled “Holy Horror,” and so I contacted them asking if they’d like to review my book that shared the title.They graciously accepted.I want to drive traffic (in as far as I can drive anything) to their website, so I’ll simply say the review may be found by following this link.It’s too early to tell if it will raise much awareness, but I’m glad to see a review at last.I suppose I should let the publisher know.
Reviews are one way to get notice about a book out there.It may not help that the idea behind the volume is a strange one: what can we learn about the Bible by watching horror?(Or, as the reviewer points out, some not-quite horror.)I’ve always had a bit of an issue, I suppose with strict genres.Movies I consider horror may not be so for someone else.I’ve read enough theory to know that even the experts have a difficult time pinning it down.The real unifying factor behind the book is actually the Bible.If I’d waited a little longer to write it I would’ve had more material to use, but I’m not getting much younger, and I needed to get the ball rolling or continue to wish I had.Holy Horror really falls into the category of reception history, and more specifically as the study of iconic books.Many biblical scholars, I’m discovering, have no interest in horror, or pop culture.
Books that bring unusual ideas together have always appealed to me.Were I in a university department I would’ve asked colleagues to comment and critique, but this was a book done solo.Appropriate to horror, perhaps, I was pretty much isolated when I wrote it.Still, all things considered, I’m pleased at how it turned out.No reviews have appeared on biblical sites, and I’ve always found the horror community to be so much more welcoming anyway.That should be saying something right there.Think about it.In any case, if you’re interested in what intelligent horror fans think of a book like my humble effort to start a discussion, I encourage you to take a look.Don’t wait for the biblical studies reviews unless you care to wait a very long time.
