لكُلِّ شيءٍ بدايةٌ، حتى الرُّعب! الأفكارُ والأساطيرُ التي تؤرِّق مضاجِعَ الملايين اليوم، لم تنشأ من العدم، ولم تولَد كأساطير مُخيفة، وإنما انبثقَت من التاريخ، بدأت كقصصٍ حقيقيةٍ تُقَصَّ حول النيران، قبل أن تتحوَّل إلى أساطير تتناقلها الألسُن، ثُم ترسَّخَت في وعينا الجمعي كأشياءَ نخشاها ونخاف منها. لكن … هل حقيقيةٌ؟ وهل هُناك ما يُثبِت ذلِك؟ ستجِد الإجابة بين طيَّاتِ هذا الكِتاب، فهُنا ستعرِف حقيقة المذؤوبين، وسترى بعينك حقيقة الزومبي، ستُدرِك السبب الحقيقي لخوفِك من المرايات، وستتعرَّف على عُقدة الدفن حيًّا التي يخافها الناس منذ بدءِ الخليقة، ماذا عن المس والتلبُّس؟ الأرواح والأشباح؟ الفضائيين؟ وغيرها من الأمور التي يخشاها الجميع. اِخلع عنك قناعاتك … وتعالَ معي! تعالَ … لا تخف!
The book primarily follows several main themes in horror literature and cinema, tracing their evolution from mere ideas to becoming essential concepts that horror writers rely on to build their novels and films. We explore historical stories for the first mentions of these ideas, track how they have developed over time, how they have matured and changed, and examine their true origins. Could it be possible that some of them are not just myths but proven facts or existing diseases?
The book begins by discussing the idea or myth of the werewolf. In this chapter, we dive into the Epic of Gilgamesh to see the earliest mention of werewolves in history.
We then move to the second chapter, which explores the origin of the zombie myth.
The third chapter discusses the human fear of being buried alive, how this idea has evolved over time, how humans have developed mechanisms to confront this fear, and most importantly, whether they have succeeded in doing so.
Next, we go to the fourth chapter, which examines the fear of mirrors. Who among us does not fear mirrors or suspect that they are portals to other, truly terrifying worlds?
After that, we move to the fifth chapter, where we discuss the existence of aliens. Are they real? Are they just a figment of our imagination? But if they are merely imaginary, why are there dozens of scientifically and historically proven pieces of evidence that attest to their presence among us?
Finally, we move to the last chapter, where we talk about spirits, ghosts, and possession in the West.
