Stories have the power to enhance the human experience, as they offer readers the chance to explore situations they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to indulge in. The new documentary series, ‘First Word on Horror,’ is celebrating bestselling horror authors’ ability to draw their readers into such diverse, exciting circumstances.

The 15-part series profiles five of the best horror writers working today. Across multiple episodes, each author discusses their life, inspirations, philosophies and writing techniques while reading one of their short stories. As fact and fiction blend, secrets are revealed and the delicate alchemy that turns human experience into creative expression begins to emerge.

The authors profiled on ‘First Word on Horror’ are New York Times bestsellers, multi-award winners and cult favorites. They include Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron and Mariana Enriquez.

‘First Word on Horror’ was directed by Philip Gelatt. The project was produced by Will Battersby (‘The Spine of Night,’ ‘They Remain,’ ‘Trumbo). The series’ other key crew members include Director of Photography Sean Kirby, composer Peter Scartabello and editor April Merl.

‘First Word on Horror’ is now streaming exclusively via Substack. In honor of the series’ distribution, Gelatt generously took the time before the project’s premiere to talk about helming the episodes during an exclusive interview over Zoom. Watch the video interview at the top of this article.