Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Paperback Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction Book

ISBN: 1594749817

ISBN13: 9781594749810

Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction

Select Format

Select Condition ThriftBooks Help Icon

Recommended

Format: Paperback

Condition: New

$21.05
Save $5.94!
List Price $26.99
Ships within 24 hours
Save to List

Book Overview

Take a wildly entertaining tour through the horror paperback boom of the 1970s and '80s as Grady Hendrix unearths forgotten authors, bizarre plots, publishing history, and gloriously lurid vintage book covers.

Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby. Complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles, this unforgettable volume dishes on familiar authors like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, plus many more who've faded into obscurity.

From Satanic children and haunted houses to killer rabbits, murderous moths, flesh-eating Vikings, and other forgotten nightmares, Hendrix charts horror's evolution through two unforgettable decades with sharp commentary, bizarre plot summaries, publishing history, and an infectious love for the genre.

Packed with over 300 reproductions of outrageous vintage paperback artwork, this richly illustrated celebration is a treasure trove for horror fans, book collectors, pop-culture obsessives, and anyone who believes books really were weirder back then.

An exhaustive retrospective of the golden age of paperback horror novels from the 1970s and 1980sTrace horror crazes from occult fiction and haunted houses to slashers and killer creatures, as well as the prolific authors of the timeFeatures over 350 vintage horror novel covers Includes Grady Hendrix's recommendations on which novels are worth your time, and which should be allowed to fade into obscurityA fascinating resource for horror readers, vintage paperback collectors, artists, designers, and publishing-history fans
Descend into two decades of gloriously weird paperback horror and discover the bizarre books and forgotten nightmares that made the era unforgettable.

Customer Reviews

1 rating

If you buy horror paperbacks, you NEED to have this book.

It is exhaustive, insightful, and fun as hell.

Paperbacks from Hell Mentions in Our Blog

Paperbacks from Hell in 13 Days of Horror!
13 Days of Horror!
Published by Terry Fleming • September 30, 2023
Hello Boils and Ghouls! The Thrift Keeper here (named for my devilish ability to find the Best Bargains among Blood-Curdling titles!), and today I’d like to talk to you about the importance of OCTOBER. For the first 13 days of this most gruesome of months (yes, leading up to Friday the 13th), ReadingRewards members will get DOUBLE POINTS on ALL THE BOOKS by the thirteen authors listed below. And as a means of KICKING OFF this promotion, I decided to provide some FUN FACTS for each of our featured, sinister scribes…
Paperbacks from Hell in Staff Picks: The Best Reads of 2022
Staff Picks: The Best Reads of 2022
Published by Amanda Cleveland • December 28, 2022

While there was a clear winner for "The Best Book of 2022" after asking our staff (and we'll tell you what it is!), surprisingly when we asked our staff their favorite reads of the year too, we got different answers from all across the time stream. Check out what we read and loved this year, you might just find your next favorite!

Paperbacks from Hell in A SCARE-lariously Baleful History of Horror
A SCARE-lariously Baleful History of Horror
Published by Terry Fleming • September 27, 2022

Hello BOILS and GHOULS, and WELCOME to the ThriftBooks Grand Historical Tour of the Horror Genre! I'll be your guide for the evening, the THRIFT KEEPER (named for my devilish ability to find the Best Bargains among Blood-Curdling titles!), here to lead you towards some scintillatingly sinister selections.

Paperbacks from Hell in You Read The Final Girl Support Group, Now Find Out What's Next
You Read The Final Girl Support Group, Now Find Out What's Next
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • August 19, 2021

Grady Hendrix's newest novel, The Final Girl Support Group has been hitting all the bestseller lists and it's easy to see why! The horror thriller inspired by 1970s and '80s slasher films is certainly a page-turner. Described as having a style that is "equal part tender and terrifying," Hendrix is certainly one to watch.

Paperbacks from Hell in Days of Distance Learning and Dreaming
Days of Distance Learning and Dreaming
Published by Terry Fleming • March 20, 2020
"It was a scene both heartbreaking and inspiring—the sight of my daughter on her computer on a group chat with her 4th grade English teacher and several of her classmates." Schools all over the country are coming to terms with a new normal, e-learning for kids, meaning they and their caregivers need to make home both work and playground. Terry is facing that himself right now and shares his experience in this blog.
Copyright © 2026 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured