Fantasy and horror invite us to explore the furthest reaches of our imagination, from the wondrous to the terrible. This gripping and in-depth illustrated companion chronicles the origins and intertwining history of the genres. Packed with timelines, illustrations, movie posters, film and TV stills, book covers and more, this book is as riveting as it is visually stunning. Prepare to be captivated as you journey to fantastic realms filled with strange beasts and supernatural terrors, charting a course from the genres’ shared roots in ancient myth and folklore, the invention of high fantasy by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and the pulp magazine powerhouse Weird Tales with Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery archetype Conan the Barbarian. Remarkable in its scope, readers will also gain new insight into the rise of visual effects, with Disney’s Aladdin and Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke paving the way for today’s animated movies. The journey ends with a look at the work of contemporary masters like Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson. Great writers and story-telling directors are often inspired and influenced by each other’s ideas and this book explores how such a collaboration creates awe-inspiring and mind-bending horror and fantasy, which reflects and challenges cultural anxieties as well as technological  and scientific developments. Every artist explored in this book has played a pivotal role in the genres’ epic form of world-building, from its earliest incarnation to the mass appeal phenomenon it is today. Both casual and dedicated fans will be bewitched from beginning to end.