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The History of Silent Hill
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Expected 30 Mar 26When the first Silent Hill game was released in 1999, horror gaming changed forever. These games became more than just shooting monsters and instead delved into your deepest fears. In the years since its release, Silent Hill has become incredibly popular among horror gamers with fans delving into theories surrounding the characters, creating stunning artwork and even cosplays. This is the history of one of the scariest horror franchises ever released, delving into its development, plots, characters, theories and meanings, even including interviews from original cast members. Grab your radios and your iron pipes…we’re about to wander into the foggy streets of Silent Hill.
216 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 30, 2026
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About the author
Samantha Morris
7 books35 followersSamantha Morris studied archaeology at the University of Winchester where her interest in the history of the Italian Renaissance began. Since graduating University, her interest in the Borgia family has grown to such an extent that she is always looking for new information on the subject as well as fighting against the age-old rumours that haunt them. Her first published book is Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell, a brief biography which aims to dispel the myths surrounding a key member of the Borgia family. She runs the popular Borgia website https: //theborgiabull.com/
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 23, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very interesting overview of all of the Silent Hill Games including the development of the game, character analysis, plot, different endings, and enemies. I wish that the symbolism in Silent Hill was touched on a bit more for the different games. However, this was a good throwback to the games and makes you feel like you're talking to that one friend (you know you more than likely had a Silent Hill buddy lol) again and reliving the things that you loved about the games. It includes pictures throughout the book as well to bring you back to crucial spots in the game and I honestly loved that, especially for the first Silent Hill which I have not played since I was a kid. Great book!
This was a very interesting overview of all of the Silent Hill Games including the development of the game, character analysis, plot, different endings, and enemies. I wish that the symbolism in Silent Hill was touched on a bit more for the different games. However, this was a good throwback to the games and makes you feel like you're talking to that one friend (you know you more than likely had a Silent Hill buddy lol) again and reliving the things that you loved about the games. It includes pictures throughout the book as well to bring you back to crucial spots in the game and I honestly loved that, especially for the first Silent Hill which I have not played since I was a kid. Great book!
November 17, 2025
I love the Silent Hill series, especially the original Team Silent games. I consider the story and the dark themes it explores one of the best examples of supernatural horror, that goes beyond the gore and the jump scares. This book is clearly written by someone with deep passion for the series, it is well-researched, and I found that dividing it in sections, individually exploring each game, worked really well. I enjoyed reading it, I wanted to love it, but I did find some setbacks that prevented it from fully living up to my hopes for a deeper analysis of the mythology of Silent Hill.
First and foremost, this is a book written exclusively for someone who has played the games, remembers the lore, and is fully familiar with the events. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone who is looking for an alternative way to experience the story, otherwise you will miss out on a lot of the nuance. My second nitpick would be the structure of the chapters. I feel that if the 'Plot' section came first with the characters, enemies, endings, and development sections following it, the flow of the book would be better, as the author references events and details that require you to have each game's story fresh in your mind to follow. Reading scattered info on a game's development and characters, and then reading the full plot, makes the overall experience feel a bit disjointed. Especially if it's been a few years since you played the games.
It is a detailed retelling of what took part in each game, but most of the time the book feels like talking to a friend who knows you are both on the same page talking about a specific subject you both enjoy, rather than a deeper analysis of the symbolism of each individual title. Not every detail is analysed, and not every term is explained, just mentioned. Furthermore, while I think the addition of screenshots from each game helped with the immersion of revisiting those settings, in many cases what the screenshot shows is totally irrelevant to what the text describes, showing different locations and characters next to a description of a totally different part of the plot, which feels a bit random.
Perhaps I was hoping for a different perspective, or something more complex than a recap of the events of each game. I did like how there was specific focus on certain characters, as I do agree with the author that the protagonists are not the only important figures in the grand plot of Silent Hill. The focus on Angela Orosco, for example, was spot-on. Angela is a character that doesn't get much screen time, but her story is one of the most impactful, dark, and memorable of the entire series. What draws her to Silent Hill isn't her guilt, but the unbearable burden of the monstrous things that were done to her that she carries with her, and that she cannot escape.
On the other hand, I really couldn't get behind the book's take on Lisa Garland. For me Lisa was always a tragic character, a young woman of 23, manipulated, abused, coerced into actions she didn't fully consent to by an older man in power who weaponised her addiction and withheld her drugs unless she did his bidding. There is a lot of complexity in her story, and on why Alessa treated her differently than all other figures trapped in Silent Hill. I feel that the book painting her as a junkie who selfishly helped Alessa just to get her next fix and assuming Alessa had no affection for Lisa, nor Lisa for Alessa, strips away that particular part of the plot from all its depth. That said, this is not something that I can hold against the book, as the kind of horror themes that Silent Hill explores are very open to interpretation, and each of us experienced the games differently. So this is not a flaw, it's just a perspective I disagree with.
Admittedly, in most other cases the book approaches characters with a lot of empathy and understanding of their trauma, especially for both Alessa and Heather later in the Silent Hill 3 section. I think approaching the Silent Hill series in any capacity requires a certain level of sensitivity and understanding of very darks subjects, and props to the author here for the way the book handles this. 'The History of Silent Hill' may not be the definitive super-complex analysis of the mythology, symbolism, and psychology of those games, but it is certainly a solid revisiting to the town of Silent Hill, written by someone with an undeniable love for the franchise.
Thank you to Pen & Sword / White Owl for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost, this is a book written exclusively for someone who has played the games, remembers the lore, and is fully familiar with the events. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone who is looking for an alternative way to experience the story, otherwise you will miss out on a lot of the nuance. My second nitpick would be the structure of the chapters. I feel that if the 'Plot' section came first with the characters, enemies, endings, and development sections following it, the flow of the book would be better, as the author references events and details that require you to have each game's story fresh in your mind to follow. Reading scattered info on a game's development and characters, and then reading the full plot, makes the overall experience feel a bit disjointed. Especially if it's been a few years since you played the games.
It is a detailed retelling of what took part in each game, but most of the time the book feels like talking to a friend who knows you are both on the same page talking about a specific subject you both enjoy, rather than a deeper analysis of the symbolism of each individual title. Not every detail is analysed, and not every term is explained, just mentioned. Furthermore, while I think the addition of screenshots from each game helped with the immersion of revisiting those settings, in many cases what the screenshot shows is totally irrelevant to what the text describes, showing different locations and characters next to a description of a totally different part of the plot, which feels a bit random.
Perhaps I was hoping for a different perspective, or something more complex than a recap of the events of each game. I did like how there was specific focus on certain characters, as I do agree with the author that the protagonists are not the only important figures in the grand plot of Silent Hill. The focus on Angela Orosco, for example, was spot-on. Angela is a character that doesn't get much screen time, but her story is one of the most impactful, dark, and memorable of the entire series. What draws her to Silent Hill isn't her guilt, but the unbearable burden of the monstrous things that were done to her that she carries with her, and that she cannot escape.
On the other hand, I really couldn't get behind the book's take on Lisa Garland. For me Lisa was always a tragic character, a young woman of 23, manipulated, abused, coerced into actions she didn't fully consent to by an older man in power who weaponised her addiction and withheld her drugs unless she did his bidding. There is a lot of complexity in her story, and on why Alessa treated her differently than all other figures trapped in Silent Hill. I feel that the book painting her as a junkie who selfishly helped Alessa just to get her next fix and assuming Alessa had no affection for Lisa, nor Lisa for Alessa, strips away that particular part of the plot from all its depth. That said, this is not something that I can hold against the book, as the kind of horror themes that Silent Hill explores are very open to interpretation, and each of us experienced the games differently. So this is not a flaw, it's just a perspective I disagree with.
Admittedly, in most other cases the book approaches characters with a lot of empathy and understanding of their trauma, especially for both Alessa and Heather later in the Silent Hill 3 section. I think approaching the Silent Hill series in any capacity requires a certain level of sensitivity and understanding of very darks subjects, and props to the author here for the way the book handles this. 'The History of Silent Hill' may not be the definitive super-complex analysis of the mythology, symbolism, and psychology of those games, but it is certainly a solid revisiting to the town of Silent Hill, written by someone with an undeniable love for the franchise.
Thank you to Pen & Sword / White Owl for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hold onto your darkest fears and prepare to walk through the fog to explore the history of the Silent Hill franchise. Since 1999 when the first video game was released, Silent Hill has been a cult icon in the horror world - its games and subsequent movies crafting a terrifying, complex lore that I’ve been obsessed with since I first discovered it.
After starting off with a little reflection on the psychology of fear and why we love all things terrifying, this bible explores the six games in detail, delving into the characters and their journeys, the different stories players can discover — everything is laid out in a clear structure, full of amazing stories not only about the rich lore, but interesting insights into game design and development from behind the scenes too. At points there was a little too much text, if you’re a big fan you might find yourself skipping sections where the plot of the games are practically explained - at times the lengthy explanations weren’t the most readable but in general it was very easy to follow, well laid out and definitely had enough discussion, reflection and speculation at points to lift it to more than a game guide and into something interesting.
If you also become instantly melancholic every time you hear an E minor chord and have a questionable response to nurse costumes, you’re going to love this book.
After starting off with a little reflection on the psychology of fear and why we love all things terrifying, this bible explores the six games in detail, delving into the characters and their journeys, the different stories players can discover — everything is laid out in a clear structure, full of amazing stories not only about the rich lore, but interesting insights into game design and development from behind the scenes too. At points there was a little too much text, if you’re a big fan you might find yourself skipping sections where the plot of the games are practically explained - at times the lengthy explanations weren’t the most readable but in general it was very easy to follow, well laid out and definitely had enough discussion, reflection and speculation at points to lift it to more than a game guide and into something interesting.
If you also become instantly melancholic every time you hear an E minor chord and have a questionable response to nurse costumes, you’re going to love this book.
November 28, 2025
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 1/30/26
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: ebook
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: The History of Silent Hill was such a fun throwback for me. I have deep nostalgia for this game, though I could never play it myself because it creeped me out way too much, but I was obsessed with watching other people play. Samantha Morris dives into all the fog soaked weirdness and behind the scenes history that made the series so iconic, and she does it in a way that feels super accessible. It’s packed with cool details without ever feeling heavy or overly technical. The screenshots added to the whole experience as well.
What I loved most is how she captures the spirit of Silent Hill through its creative evolution; the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It reminded me why the series sticks with so many fans, even decades later. By the end, I was itching to revisit the games I was too scared to touch myself. If you’re into horror, gaming history, or just love a good behind the curtain look at a cult classic, this is absolutely worth the read.
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Thank you @NetGalley and Pen & Sword | White Owl for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: ebook
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: The History of Silent Hill was such a fun throwback for me. I have deep nostalgia for this game, though I could never play it myself because it creeped me out way too much, but I was obsessed with watching other people play. Samantha Morris dives into all the fog soaked weirdness and behind the scenes history that made the series so iconic, and she does it in a way that feels super accessible. It’s packed with cool details without ever feeling heavy or overly technical. The screenshots added to the whole experience as well.
What I loved most is how she captures the spirit of Silent Hill through its creative evolution; the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It reminded me why the series sticks with so many fans, even decades later. By the end, I was itching to revisit the games I was too scared to touch myself. If you’re into horror, gaming history, or just love a good behind the curtain look at a cult classic, this is absolutely worth the read.
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Thank you @NetGalley and Pen & Sword | White Owl for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a good general overview of the entire game franchise. It is broken down into each game release and then within those sections the author details the game development process and explains the plot, all the potential endings, character breakdown and all the symbolism behind the creatures and monsters. This does feel more like a cliffnotes version of the games and you won't find a lot of in depth analysis but if you are a fan of the franchise you'll probably enjoy learning some of the cool facts about Team Silent and their development process. I did also appreciate how the author did give time and credit to talking about the social commentary the game franchise has and a lot of the hot button topics they would address in game play like religion and christianity, women's bodily autonomy and abortions, abuse, grief and ptsd.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
E-ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!
This was a very intriguing book about the history of the Silent Hill game franchise. The discussions brought up were really interesting, especially in regards to trauma, girlhood, religion, and other intense topics. I enjoyed how in-depth the author went into the characters, enemies, plot, and endings. It highlights how Silent Hill truly affected the horror franchise as a whole from its earliest rendition to the future of the series. I wished that there was some in-depth talk about the series as a whole, besides breaking it up via game, so the reader could understand it better. I also would have liked the bios of the characters weere told after the plot description, so we could understand their reasoning a bit more. Overall, this was a good book about the history of Silent Hill as a franchise, singular game, and impact as a whole in the gaming community.
This was a very intriguing book about the history of the Silent Hill game franchise. The discussions brought up were really interesting, especially in regards to trauma, girlhood, religion, and other intense topics. I enjoyed how in-depth the author went into the characters, enemies, plot, and endings. It highlights how Silent Hill truly affected the horror franchise as a whole from its earliest rendition to the future of the series. I wished that there was some in-depth talk about the series as a whole, besides breaking it up via game, so the reader could understand it better. I also would have liked the bios of the characters weere told after the plot description, so we could understand their reasoning a bit more. Overall, this was a good book about the history of Silent Hill as a franchise, singular game, and impact as a whole in the gaming community.
November 13, 2025
I'm so excited that the publisher made my wish come true!
Silent Hill is, by far, one of my favorite video game series and it was awesome to check out this book that shares the story of how it began! As someone who still plays the games from time to time, this was a great companion to the series!
If you're also a fan of the series, I highly recommend this book! For me, this was a must read!
I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Silent Hill is, by far, one of my favorite video game series and it was awesome to check out this book that shares the story of how it began! As someone who still plays the games from time to time, this was a great companion to the series!
If you're also a fan of the series, I highly recommend this book! For me, this was a must read!
I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews