Why are stories that 'aim to scare their audience' so popular?
Horror films and stories that aim to scare are popular for one simple reason; they bring to life the things we do not encounter. The audience experience what is known as visceral pleasure. Whether curled up tight on the sofa, clawing at the cusions or sweating nervously in your cinema seat, films that scare allow us to recieve a thrill that is as close to real life as possible.
What insight can the study of horror monsters give?
Horror monsters give us an in depth analysis of anxieties, concerns and fears of contempary culture. The stories in which horror monsters are involved in also represent views and stereotypes from a certain period in time. Monsters can take several different forms according to genre and the film maker's vision, obvious examples include zombies, vampires and supernatural beings. However all are selected with intention to convey attitudes and ideologies within the film.
What did Nosferatu (1922), one of the earliest horror films use the vampire as a metaphor for?
In Nosferatu, the Vampire is used as a metaphor to present the harsh reality that post world war one Germany faced. The Vampire is an 'invader' that claims its victims through a bite. This symbolises the devastation that was present in Germany after world war one, as the vampires bite results in death or infection which was a reflection of the extreme poverty as a result of the treaty of versailles and the very real death that occured from a flu pandemic. The vampire therefore is a metaphor for infiltration and infection.
Readings of horror based upon socio/cultural contexts of the decade and the development of the genre.
Post world war two films featured a focus on monsters that invaded and infected much like the concept formed in Nosferatu. These ideas were explored largely because of the extreme horror that the world had witnessed in war and so horror films soon began to echo horrific events like the hollocaust and mass slaughter.
The 1960's saw social change and this was reflected in the horor genre. Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1960) depicts a monster that is a man who's family dynamics created an 'abnormal psychology'. The key points to take from this era are that the genre portrayed an unsettling realism, revealing to audiences the idea of the monster within. 
In the late sixties and early seventies, horror had hit challenging times. Real world horrors like the vietnam war, the assinations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King and the development of media in the form of news meant that audiences were widely aware of brutal realities in life. Film makers therefore had to come up with new ways of scaring an audience to keep their attention and so the horror genre entered an age of violence. Slasher films like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (Hooper, 1974)came about, featuring graphic horror and a more sadistic monster than audiences were used to. 
The eighties and ninties saw an overload of slasher films, replicating the same ideas. Audiences became familiar with the duplicated tricks and clichés and horror's popularity dipped a little. This brought about a change in attitude towards the genre and resulted in films such as 'Scream' (Craven, 1996) which were more self aware taking an ironic approach.
Contempary horror texts have seen the development of the torture-porn sub genre. These films and series feature extremely graphic scenes that push boundaries with the aim of scaring or repulsing the audience.
Why according to Hendry is horror still relevant to audiences?
Horror has the ability to adapt itself to represent fears and concerns from any generation. This versatility is the reason for its success, as it can be manipulated to a specific culture at any given time. 
Very interesting and informative post on the history Harry! Maybe for an improvement, highlight your key words.
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