Key Concepts in the Gothic - Paperback

by William Hughes (Author)

An essential quick-reference book for students of Gothic literature, theatre and literary theory
Key Concepts in the Gothic provides a one-stop resource which details and defines, in accessible language, those contexts essential for the study of the Gothic in all periods and media. The volume is divided into three sections: Concepts and Terms; Theories of the Gothic; and Key Fictional Texts. Bibliographies are provided with the last two sections. The book clearly explains the critical terms - from 'Ab-human' to 'Zombie' - as well as the main theories, including ecocriticism, queer theory and Postcolonial theory, which any student of the Gothic is likely to encounter. This book will be a reliable companion for students of the genre from school and through university.
Key Features
Covers the Gothic from the eighteenth century to the presentProvides a comprehensive survey not just of movements and theories but also of the essential terminology used in Gothic StudiesA reference work for those working with genres inflected by the Gothic, such as Romanticism, theatre studies and crime writingProvides a readily accessible resource for developing further research

Back Jacket

'Professor Hughes has created an indispensable volume for anyone interested in Gothic studies. His scholarship is rich and elegant. This is a work to be used and cherished and frequently revisited, and will not be outgrown in years of use.' Charles L. Crow, Bowling Green State University An essential quick-reference book for students of Gothic literature, theatre and literary theory Key Concepts in the Gothic provides a one-stop resource which details and defines, in accessible language, those contexts essential for the study of the Gothic in all periods and media. The volume is divided into three sections: Concepts and Terms; Theories of the Gothic; and Key Fictional Texts. Additionally, the latter two sections include bibliographies. The book clearly explains the critical terms - from 'Ab-human' to 'Zombie' - as well as the main theories, including ecocriticism, queer theory and Postcolonial theory, which any student of the Gothic is likely to encounter. This book will be a reliable companion for students of the genre from school through university. Key Features - Covers the Gothic from the eighteenth century to the present - Provides a comprehensive survey not just of movements and theories but also of the essential terminology used in Gothic Studies - A reference work for those working with genres inflected by the Gothic, such as Romanticism, theatre studies and crime writing - Provides a readily accessible resource for developing further research William Hughes is Professor of Medical Humanities and Gothic Literature at Bath Spa University. He is a leading authority on the Gothic with publications including The Historical Dictionary of Gothic Literature (2013) and The Encyclopedia of the Gothic, co-edited with Andrew Smith and David Punter (2013). He has also been the editor of editor of Gothic Studies, the refereed journal of the International Gothic Association, since its first issue in 1999. Cover image: (c) Shutterstock.com Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-0552-2 [PPC] ISBN 978-1-4744-0553-9 [cover] Barcode

Author Biography

William Hughes is Professor of Literature in English at the University of Macau, where he leads teaching in Victorian studies and Gothic literature. He is the author of more than twenty books in the fields of Victorian studies, the Gothic and medical history, including The Dome of Thought: Phrenology and the Victorian Popular Imagination (Manchester University Press, 2022), Key Concepts in the Gothic (Edinburgh University Press, 2018) and That Devil's Trick: Hypnotism and the British Popular Imagination (Manchester University Press, 2015). He has also co-edited a number of important essay collections, including, with Andrew Smith, Suicide and the Gothic (Manchester University Press, 2019) and with Ruth Heholt, Gothic Britain: Dark Places in the Margins and Provinces of the British Isles (University of Wales press, 2018).