In countries like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, Horrible Histories and Horrible Science are household names. These wildly popular children's book series have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and spawned TV shows, games, live tours, and more. Yet, in the US, these series remain virtually unheard of.
Horrible Histories and Horrible Science offer an irreverent, humorous look at history and science designed to engage and entertain kids. With their sophomoric humor and refusal to dumb things down, they stand in stark contrast to typical children's nonfiction books in the US. Their complexity and rigor help explain why American publishers have been reluctant to embrace them. However, for countries where Horrible Histories and Horrible Science thrive, they are beloved classics that have turned countless kids into history and science buffs.
The Origins of Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories began in 1993 with the publication of The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians in the UK. Written by author Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, these books took a comedic approach to covering historical topics. Rather than dry textbooks, they were filled with crude jokes, silly cartoons, and the type of "yuck factor" kids love.
The formula clearly resonated. To date, the Horrible Histories series spans over 150 titles on everything from the Angry Aztecs to the Villainous Victorians. Over 60 million copies of the books have been sold globally.
Buoyed by the success of Horrible Histories, Scholastic UK launched Horrible Science in 1996. Like the histories, Horrible Science books used humor and novelty to engage kids in science. Titles like Chemical Chaos and Fatal Forces detailed scientific concepts alongside funny comics and activities.
The Horrible Style of Humor
The humor and style of the Horrible books is a huge part of their appeal. Irreverent, silly, and sometimes downright disgusting, they feel rebellious and edgy from a kid's perspective. The books positively revel in topics like blood, bugs, vomit, and going to the bathroom. Nothing is considered too gross or shocking.
Yet, the books are far from dumb or dumbed down. The vocabulary and language used is sophisticated. Jokes and references appeal to both kids and adults reading together. The content itself is well-researched and educational, even as it entertains. Complex ideas like the scientific method or the French Revolution are presented with surprising nuance.
The Illuminaughty Style Humorous Illustrations
Integral to the Horrible style are the books' illustrations by artist Martin Brown. Brown's scratchy, chaotic cartoon style perfectly complements the wacky tone. Illustrations are jam-packed with visual gags, Easter eggs, funny details, and humorous footnotes. Kids can spend hours poring over the elaborate two-page spreads. Elements like madcap characters, speech bubbles, mazes, and activities make the book feel interactive and engaging.
Popular Catchphrases Like "Thou Foul Knave!"
Recurring jokes and catchphrases also keep young readers hooked. Silly insults like "Thou foul knave!" and "Hark at thee!" litter Horrible Histories, evoking the archaic speech kids associate with ye olden times. Recurring characters like the poop-obsessed Roman Emperor Elagabalus pop up across books with the same gross-out glee. Kids feel like they're part of an exclusive club by recognizing these inside references.
Sidebars Like "Stupid Deaths" Add Humorous Bite
Humorous sidebars like "Stupid Deaths" and "Terrible Timelines" pepper the pages. These short anecdotes describe outrageous and grisly deaths or insane moments in history, from a pharaoh crushed by a hippo to sleeping sickness dance crazes. They add bite-sized bits of savage, schadenfreude-laced humor that kids lap up. Yet they also cleverly flesh out historical context in vivid ways a textbook could not.
A Refreshing Change from Boring Textbooks
From fart jokes to crazy facts, the Horrible series is the polar opposite of a boring history textbook. Kids tired of rote memorization and dreary dates embrace Horrible's cheeky wit and whimsy. The books cater to pint-sized senses of humor in a way both subversive and silly. Even reluctant readers get sucked in by gross-out gags and jack-in-the-box visual comedy on every page. Yet the rigorous research translates substance behind the silliness.
UK Success Spawns a Media Franchise
Given their meteoric popularity in the UK, Horrible Histories and Horrible Science have spawned an entire franchise beyond books. A zany sketch comedy Horrible Histories TV series ran from 2009-2020 on the BBC. Spirited performances and Monty Python-esque sketches brought the books' humor to life. The show won numerous BAFTA Children's awards as well as British Comedy awards.
Live Horrible Histories stage shows likewise adapt the books into energetic interactive theater. Costumed performers sing songs and act out skits based on historical and scientific topics. Kids are encouraged to participate with voting contests and quizzes. Various games, activity books, magazines, and apps offer further ways for fans to engage. For UK families, Horrible Histories and Science have become a true multimedia juggernaut.
Educational Value Makes Them Classroom Staples
Despite the silly tone, the Horrible series have become classroom staples in the UK for good reason - they make learning legitimately fun. The books' clear visual layouts, vocabulary definitions, ideas for further research, and activity suggestions make facts stick. Jokes sprinkle in real historical and scientific context in bite-sized ways.
UK teachers lean on Horribles to turn even the driest history or science objectives into something students enjoy. They break up the monotony of stuffy textbooks or lectures. Like a spoonful of sugar, the humor helps the medicine of learning go down. Introducing gross or shocking elements also grabs student attention. Kids go home chattering about eye-opening tidbits gleaned between the jokes.
Cultural Relevance in Origin Markets
Importantly, much of the cultural resonance of Horrible Histories and Horrible Science stems from their distinctly British sensibilities. References to UK pop culture, slang, humor, and relics of the Empire abound. British children connect and take pride in these highlights of their own heritage. Figures like Elizabeth I and Isaac Newton are familiar faces from textbooks and currency. Events like the Great Fire of London or Battle of Hastings are embedded in the cultural consciousness. The Horribles put unique UK twists on these familiar touchstones from their upbringing.
For nations like Australia and New Zealand, there is likewise a cultural kinship and proximity to the British origins of the books. Their historical/scientific topics and vocabulary reflect Commonwealth ties and overlaps. The content feels familiar, even as it pokes irreverent fun. However, the books' inherent Britishness has not translated seamlessly abroad. Their regional success remains anchored to this appeal to UK/Commonwealth readers.
Attempts to Bring Horribles Stateside
Horrible Histories and Horrible Science do have small but ardent followings among Anglophile kids and educators in North America. However, widespread popularity has failed to materialize in the broader US market. The regional British references tend to go over American children's heads. Publishers perceive the content and humor as too crude or niche to translate. As a result, relatively few Horrible titles have even been released stateside.
Scholastic published 25 Horrible Histories titles in the US between 2001-2008, renaming the series Horrible Histories: Gory Games. However, they were discontinued after poor sales. An Americanized TV show, Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans, also aired briefly on Amazon Prime. But again, the odd-humor style failed to take off. While popular globally, the Horribles remain a largely unknown novelty in mainstream American classrooms and bookstores.
Why Horribles Have Struggled Stateside
Several factors have hampered the Horrible series from gaining a foothold in the US:
- Niche, regional humor does not have same mainstream appeal
- Crude/gross-out comedy considered too lowbrow or inappropriate
- Complex vocabulary/language level above average US kids books
- Esoteric British history and science references lack context
- American patriotic sensibilities prefer heroic narratives to mocking ones
- Existing brands like Magic School Bus monopolize educational niche
- Publisher perception that black comedy won't sell in US market
Cultural gulfs and barriers to entry have prevented Horrible Histories and Horrible Science from replicating their success stateside. However, their legions of devotees worldwide attest to their magic formula for making learning memorably fun. For parents, teachers, and kids in the know, their cult status on the fringes brings the ultimate inside joke.
- American patriotic sensibilities prefer heroic narratives to mocking ones
- Existing brands like Magic School Bus monopolize educational niche
- Publisher perception that black comedy won't sell in US market
Cultural gulfs and barriers to entry have prevented Horrible Histories and Horrible Science from replicating their success stateside. However, their legions of devotees worldwide attest to their magic formula for making learning memorably fun. For parents, teachers, and kids in the know, their cult status on the fringes brings the ultimate inside joke.
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