AIAS FORMER FELLOW
Current position: Associate Professor, School of Communication and Culture, Department of English, Aarhus University
During his Carlsberg Monograph Fellowship, Mathias Clasen will be working on the project 'The Master of Fear: Why Stephen King Became Everybody’s Favorite Boogeyman'
Stephen King is world-famous for his horror stories, yet the reason for his massive popularity remains unclear This book uses insights from cognitive and evolutionary psychology, the science of recreational fear, and digital humanities to reveal how King’s horror taps into deep psychological responses and emotional engagement, offering a fresh, data-driven explanation for his lasting success.
Project title: The Master of Fear: Why Stephen King Became Everybody’s Favorite Boogeyman
Area of research: Horror fiction and recreational fear
Fellowship period: 1 Sep 2025 - 31 Aug 2026
Fellowship type: Carlsberg Monograph Fellow
This fellowship has received funding from The Carlsberg Foundation under the monograph fellowships.
