From the American Studies Center Aarhus and the Recreational Fear Lab
Every era of American history has had its monsters. Follow three and a half centuries of the nation’s fears, from Puritan hellfire to the biggest horror hit of 2026 so far, through the stories that kept Americans awake.
Enter the timelineContents
Each moment is a story that frightened Americans, from sermons and novels to films, games, and real-life panics, set in the history that shaped it, with the fears it carries, something to watch, and research to read. Follow one fear through the centuries with the filter, or by clicking any fear tag. Or jump straight to an era. As you scroll, a light travels down the timeline and changes with the era, from warm candle flame to the cold blue light of a phone screen. On a keyboard, ← and → step from moment to moment.
From the American Studies Center Aarhus and the Recreational Fear Lab