If you’re here, you might be morbidly curious.
If you’re here and you’re not sure if you’re morbidly curious, you can take my morbid curiosity quiz to find out.
Hi, I’m Coltan Scrivner. I’m an author and behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University and in the Psychology Department at Arizona State University.
I research and write about the psychological and evolutionary foundations of why humans are morbidly curious. I investigate topics like the appeal of true crime and serial killers, the science behind the horror genre, and why stories and art throughout history are replete with terrible monsters, nefarious witches, and haunting spirits. I explore what our morbid curiosity and love of scary play says about our species and how it can benefit us.
I have a popular science book on the topic coming out in 2025 from Penguin Random House, but I’ve done a lot of thinking and writing that will never make it into that book. A lot of those thoughts and writings will end up here.
Why subscribe?
What is it about monsters, murderers, and the macabre that draws us in and inspires curiosity? What does this morbid curiosity say about us, and how is it related to our personality and well-being?
If you subscribe, you’ll find out.
All subscribers will get access to posts about the psychology behind morbid curiosity. These posts will be filled with the latest science on true crime, horror movies, and our fascination with the macabre. I’ll also write about topics that intersect with morbid curiosity, such as empathy, psychopathy, and more.
If you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll get full access to all of my posts, the ability to leave your thoughts and engage with others in the comment section, and be entered into a drawing for a free signed copy of my book. And, of course, you’ll be guilting me into producing more content, which hopefully is good for both us.
Stay up-to-date
If I’m working on a new project or writing about a new idea, my subscribers will get the exclusive first look. I’m always working on something fun, and I’m excited to share it with you all. For paid subscribers I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts in the comment section.
