Horror Noire (2nd Edition)

Name: Horror Noire (2nd Edition)
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (19 reviews)
Author: Robin R. Means Coleman

How Horror Films Reveal America’s Racial Nightmares

Written byRobin R. Means Coleman

Narrated byJulienne Irons

Length17h27m

Release dateMay 16, 2023

GenreArts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Film & TV

LanguageEnglish

★★★★☆ 4.9 (19 ratings)

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Quick Facts

Author	Robin R. Means Coleman
Narrator	Julienne Irons
Runtime	17h27m
Published	May 16, 2023
Rating	★★★★☆ 4.9 / 5 (19 ratings)
Categories	Arts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Film & TV, History & Criticism
Format	Audiobook (Digital)
Platform	Audible

About This Audiobook

*Horror Noire* isn’t just a history of Black representation in horror—it’s a forensic dissection of how the genre has mirrored, distorted, and sometimes confronted America’s racial anxieties. Robin R. Means Coleman doesn’t just catalog films; she exposes the coded politics behind why Black characters die first, why voodoo tropes persist, and how modern creators like Jordan Peele are rewriting the rules. This second edition sharpens its focus with updated analysis on *Get Out*, *Us*, and *Candyman* (2021), proving horror isn’t just entertainment but a battleground for cultural power.

Julienne Irons’ narration strikes the perfect balance between academic precision and conversational urgency—her pacing slows for the book’s denser theoretical moments (like its critique of *Birth of a Nation*’s influence) but snaps to attention during its juicier anecdotes, like the backstage drama of *Blacula*’s production. What sets this audiobook apart is its refusal to soften its arguments: Coleman names names, calls out lazy stereotypes, and celebrates the subversive genius of films most critics dismiss as exploitation. If you’ve ever side-eyed a horror trope and thought, *That’s not just scary—it’s racist*, this is your playbook.

Tags: Black horror cinema deep divefilm history with a racial justice lensacademic but accessible audiobookJordan Peele to Blacula: genre evolutionnarrated with scholarly passionfor horror fans who demand context

Why Listen to Horror Noire (2nd Edition)?

Expert narration by Julienne Irons brings every character and scene to life across 17h27m of immersive audio.
Highly rated at 4.9 stars by 19 listeners.
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Editor's Review ★★★★☆

AudioBook Atlas

I’ll admit: I approached *Horror Noire* expecting a dry film-studies lecture, but within minutes, Julienne Irons’ narration had me hooked. Her voice carries the weight of a scholar but the rhythm of a storyteller—she *leaned in* during the chapter on *Night of the Living Dead*’s Duane Jones, making his casting feel like a radical act all over again. The audiobook’s production is clean, though I wished for slightly more dynamic pacing in the early chapters, which dense with 19th-century minstrelsy context. (A 17-hour runtime demands stamina, but the payoff is worth it.) Coleman’s analysis is where this shines. She doesn’t just praise *Get Out* as a masterpiece; she dissects why its sunken-place metaphor lands harder than a hundred think pieces. The book’s boldest move? Refusing to let ‘progress’ off the hook. Even as it celebrates *Attack the Block* or *Them*, it asks: *Why are Black horror leads still so rare?* My only gripe? The second edition’s updates sometimes feel bolted on rather than woven in—*Us*’s analysis, for instance, could’ve used more time to breathe. But that’s a quibble. If you love horror *and* crave a book that treats the genre as a cultural X-ray, this is essential listening. Just maybe not before bed.

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Horror Noire (2nd Edition) by Robin R. Means Coleman is an immersive listening experience. Performed by Julienne Irons with a runtime of 17h27m, you can start with a free trial that you can cancel at any time. The audiobook remains yours forever, even if you end the trial.