JOHN PALISANO, A BRAM STOKER Award-winning author and president of the nonprofit Horror Writers Association (HWA), finds horror to be an empowering genre. When challenged, he cites the case of The Walking Dead fan Terra Newell, who used self-defense techniques she remembered from the TV drama to fight off her violent stepfather after he attempted to kill her in a California parking lot.
“Horror gives people tools to cope with fears about what to do if they’re attacked and what to do if there’s a home invasion,” Palisano says. “They realize, ‘Well, I can take
