The first volume of nCognito is dedicated to the role of negative emotions in aesthetic reception, focusing on fear and the cognitive mechanisms and emotional processes associated with it. Different media structures, genre conventions, narrative styles, story elements, and characters combine to shape the overall pattern of receptive emotions, which are then further influenced by historical and cultural factors. However, this effect may also work in reverse, in that within this complex set of conditions, certain emotions can be seen as emotions constituent of certain genres, meaning that they can determine the main features of certain types of narratives, regardless of medium and historical context. The authors explore theoretical issues related to anxiety in relation to the reception of art forms grounded in literary narratives, and of stories shaped by the interaction of film narrative and digital games. The articles in this collection of selected articles both explore the underlying issues of genre and media in relation to negative emotions and take a nuanced approach to the role of emotions relative to the reception of specific art forms and narrative modes and techniques.