The article explores the historical and cultural origins of the horror concept as a phenomenon of mass culture. The author researches the psychological background of the horror genre, as well as the historical aspects of its development. The interrelation of horror concepts, their socio-cultural meanings and forms of broadcasting in contemporary culture are analyzed. The article focuses on the works that are fundamental and significant for the culture of horror. The author also defines how the literature and cinema of this genre enrich and complement each other. The paper deals with the formation of horror literature and chronologically analyzes its historical development. The paper explains how the genre has changed and supplemented with each new creation and how its own sub-genres began to form. The author demonstrates how the genre has become increasingly popular and in demand on the market. The information on how plots and images created by literature influenced other forms of art and contributed to the integration of the horror genre into all other spheres of culture is provided. The films that were created on the basis of horror literature or on its motives are considered. The reverse phenomenon has been studied when authors of literature are inspired by cinematic plots. The article analyzes how, thanks to Hollywood's interest, the genre has become a cultural phenomenon and popularized the archetypal characters used in the genre. The author also mentions other areas in which the horror genre is firmly entrenched, such as computer games and visual arts. The results of the study can be used in scientific works related to cultural studies, psychology, history of literature, mass communications and publishing.