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In 1997-ish, at Syracuse University, I took a class about the history of horror films. The weekly screening and lecture exposed me to a wide range of scary movies, from classics like “Halloween,” to truly traumatic stories like “I Spit On Your Grave,” to David Cronenberg’s “The Brood,” which gave me a lifetime fear of children wearing snowsuits (they do bad things in that movie). This horror film class taught me an important lesson about storytelling — that some of the scariest horror films were successful at causing goosebumps because they were all about love. These films explored our fear of losing people we care about. They exploited our panic about making the wrong choices in romantic relationships. They also empowered us — because usually at the end of these films, an everyday hero learns to conquer their threats and find happiness … until the sequel. Advertisement Today on the Love Letters podcast, I talk to Akela Cooper, one of the best horror writers in the business (in my opinion). Cooper’s work includes “American Horror Story,” “Malignant,” and “M3GAN,” the one about the preppy AI doll who is so invested in protecting a cute kid that she’ll destroy anything standing in her way. The 2022 release was a hit, and our critic gave it three stars. It’s also PG-13, so it’s not even that violent. Cooper talks about the inspiration for her work — and about a project in development called “It’s Over‚“ adapted from a short story by Jack Follman. Cooper drew from her own dating fears for this one. She has plenty of amusing things to say about the horror of being paired, as opposed to single. Advertisement Now that it’s Halloween week, please enjoy the interview with Cooper, who can trace her appreciation to horror all the way back to John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” To those who don’t like horror films: this is not a scary conversation. Cooper and I might even convince you to try some less-than-frightening narratives that fall somewhere between horror and comedy. There are many of them. Pair this episode with last week’s, about a woman whose boyfriend took her to a haunted house — which is when she realized the relationship might not work anymore. Enjoy these stories for your week of tricks, treats, etc. Send your own relationship and dating questions to loveletters@globe.com or fill out this form. Catch new episodes of Meredith Goldstein’s “Love Letters” podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Column and comments are edited and reprinted from boston.com/loveletters.
