Danse Macabre explores the various elements of individual composition and critical writings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It delves into the genre's history as far back as the Victorian era, yet primarily focuses on the years between the 1950s and 1970s. King enriches his book with informal scholarly insights, addressing hallmark examples, significant authors, typical narrative techniques, "the psychology of fear," and his key theory of "Dionysan horror."
For fans of King's renowned work The Stand, several pages discuss how King drew inspiration for the novel as well as his writing journey and its publication.
