Category Archives: Critical thoughts

RIP Gérard Genette (1930-2018)

Posted on 12th May 2018 by William the Bloody

I am very saddened by the death of Gérard Genette (1930-2018). Genette, for me, was one of most rewarding of French literary theorists. He employed a structuralist methodology but in a way that avoided metaphysical excesses and that never lost … Continue reading →

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

Frankenstein and Counter-Enlightenment

Posted on 9th March 2018 by William the Bloody

I’m sure many will have seen the furore stirred up in social media, particularly among Gothicists, by the Sun’s article on Frankenstein, which screams, ‘SNOWFLAKE students claim Frankenstein’s monster was a misunderstood victim with feelings’. I don’t think it’s altogether … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Manderley Today: 80 Years of Du Maurier’s Rebecca

Posted on 3rd March 2018 by William the Bloody

I first read Daphne du Maurier’s haunting Gothic Romances in my early teens. In my thirties I did an evening class in Female Gothic run by the pioneering Avril Horner and Sue Zloznik. This featured Rebecca among other exciting texts. … Continue reading →

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

Big Bad Humans and Benevolent Wolves

Posted on 26th January 2018 by Sam George

Followers of OGOM will know that we have been at the forefront of debates around the cultural representation of the wolf since the Company of Wolves Conference in 2015. We went on to collaborate more fully with the UK Wolf … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts, OGOM: The Company of Wolves | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ursula Le Guin: Tributes and Analysis

Posted on 25th January 2018 by William the Bloody

Some more valuable links to material on the wonderful Ursula K. Le Guin who, sadly, died on Monday (22 January 2017). Tributes from her fellow writers in SF and fantasy: ‘The Science Fiction and Fantasy Community Remembers Ursula K. Le … Continue reading →

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

RIP Ursula K. Le Guin

Posted on 24th January 2018 by William the Bloody

Photo by Marian Wood Kolisch/University of Oregon It’s very sad to hear of the death of Ursula K. Le Guin, aged 88. For me, no other writer of SF or fantasy reaches the heights that she did. She was a … Continue reading →

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

Merpeople and Monstrous Lovers

Posted on 16th January 2018 by William the Bloody

I’ve not seen Guillermo del Toro’s film The Shape of Water yet, but it appears to be an intriguing take on the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ archetype that lies behind the genre of Paranormal Romance. With its love affair between … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

East of Eden: A Guide to Angels by Dr Sam George

Posted on 29th December 2017 by Sam George

(William Blake (1757-1827), ‘David delivered out of many waters [by angels] with God presiding over’ c.1805) Who and What are Angels? Angels are referred to in Hebrew as mal’ach, in Greek as aggelos, both meaning ‘messenger’. Seraphim, Cherubim and ‘watchers’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts, Generation Dead: YA Fiction and the Gothic news, OGOM Research | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Redeeming the Wolf / Reclaiming the (Were)Wolf

Posted on 15th November 2017 by firekrank

As I am sure you are aware, it’s only three days until our Being Human event, ‘Redeeming the Wolf: A Story of Persecution, Loss and Rediscover’. There’s still time to book if you wish to learn more about wolves. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Franck Crucifix: A Case of Family Folklore

Posted on 9th November 2017 by firekrank

Last week, I was up (across?) in Worcestershire helping my parents move into their new home. Alongside the mammoth amount of unpacking, there was a chance to wander around the local community. Like many British towns, we found our fair … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts, Fun stuff | Tagged , , | 1 Comment