Category Archives: Critical thoughts

Dead Letter: The Aesthetics of Horror

Posted on 1st November 2014 by William the Bloody

Dead Letter: The Aesthetics of Horror ‘An investigative essay into the value of artistic representations of gore.’ A very thoughtful essay on the ethics and aesthetics of representing the horrific and the profoundly unpleasant in art by Jude D. Russo.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sartrean Themes in Joss Whedon’s Angel: A Marxist Interpretation

Posted on 1st November 2014 by William the Bloody

A provocative article by Doug Enaa Green, interpreting Angel in terms of Jean-Paul Sartre’s later, Marxist philosophy.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Guardian’s Top Ten vampire books

Posted on 29th October 2014 by Sam George

Quite an interesting list from The Guardian re: their  top-10-vampire-books. Some unusual choices (Ann Radcliffe as vampire slayer and a vampire parrot) but many blood sucking basics too. I am lucky to have a nice reprint of Florence Marryat’s Blood … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts, Reviews | Leave a comment

In defence of horror

Posted on 24th October 2014 by William the Bloody

A stimulating essay by Darryl Jones on the literary tradition of horror, which is not confined to the Gothic mode but appears in Greek tragedy. Shakespeare, and even James Joyce.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What the historical inaccuracies in “Dracula Untold” tell us about the rise of Islamophobia

Posted on 24th October 2014 by William the Bloody

A thought-provoking article about anti-Islamic sentiments in the latest retelling of the Dracula tale, the film Dracula Untold.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The New Fairy Tale Is Trying to Escape Its Past

Posted on 23rd October 2014 by William the Bloody

. . . and more on the fairy tale, referencing Marina Warner’s book. This essay by Becca Rothfeld looks at the current popularity of reworking classic fairy tales in film and TV. I am currently researching this fascinating mode of … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Scientific Guide to Seeing Fairies. A fragment.

Posted on 19th October 2014 by William the Bloody

A fascinating blog essay by Franziska Kohlt on Lewis Carroll, Victorian science, and the perception of fairies. Franziska Kohlt is a DPhil Candidate at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford, and a graduate tutor in English literature at St … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My hero: Mary Shelley by Neil Gaiman

Posted on 19th October 2014 by William the Bloody

The fantasy writer Neil Gaiman discusses the wonder of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let me grab your soul away – Kate Bush and gothic

Posted on 18th October 2014 by William the Bloody

A fascinating article tracing Gothic themes in Kate Bush’s songs and the allusions to Gothic cinema therein.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Evolution of the Female Vampire

Posted on 17th October 2014 by William the Bloody

Jamie Spears, who is completing her PhD at the University of Sunderland, has written a fascinating account of the origins of female vampire here.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment