Haunted Echoes: A Horror Anthology

Day: Thursdays

Dates: September 12 – October 17, 2024

Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm

Location: Carleton University

Price: $150+HST

Parking Info & Room Number will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the lecture date

**This series is not recorded**

Overview

A study of a broad selection of short stories, novellas, and a few classic novels of horror fiction with each week devoted to a subgenre or prevalent topic within the genre. Using historical contexts and journal articles to identify, discuss, and analyze these respective works. While art is rarely apolitical, horror fiction presents alternative perspectives as inherently horrific, whether of a historical event or a status quo. Unlike science fiction or fantasy that is based on available information, whether existing science or folklore, horror finds substance in the unknown. Through analyzing these texts, we will study how authors shift perspective to create horror

Topics

Week 1:  Overview & Horror Movie – For the first week, we will be reviewing expectations for the course and a few fundamentals within horror literature. For the second half, a showing of James Whale’s classic film Frankenstein.Katerina Bantinaki, “The Paradox of Horror: Fear as a Positive Emotion” from The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.

Week 2: Frankenstein and his Gaze – We will discuss Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus and her use of the male/female gaze to create horror. We will also compare Shelley’s original monster with the film and Robertson Davies’ adaptation of her idea.Mary Shelley,. Frankenstein: 1818 Text. Oxford World’s Classics Robertson Davies. “The Cat That Went to Trinity” from High Spirits. 

Week 3: Feminine Horror Then & Now –  While mostly seen as a “boy’s” genre (or at least not a genre fit for women), it is essential for us to highlight the feminine experience as told through horror stories. We will discuss the presence of women not only within the genre’s authors and characters but also within its audience.Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892). Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby (1967).

Week 4: The Uncanny Child – While different countries maintain their placeholders for symbols of innocence, the portrayal of that innocence being corrupted has become a recent phenomenon. We will discuss the “ Uncanny Child” as a symbol of growing insecurity of secure historical pasts and children as uncertain futures.Jerome Bixby, “It’s A Good Life” (1953)Ray Bradbury, “The Veldt” (1950).

Week 5: The Ghost Story –  As a foundational subgenre of horror, discussing the ghost story is instrumental in understanding the genre’s origins. This week has been amended to focus instead on the works of Poe. 

Week 6: H.P. Lovecraft Power Hour –  Standing as one of the most influential and notorious authors in the genre, H. P. Lovecraft and his stories of cosmic gods and unintelligible horrors not only created a new subgenre but also fuelled conversations about racism and its place in the horror genre. We will discuss Lovecraft’s impact in both of these regards and explore the implications of other adaptations of existential horror.Boudreau, Phoenix. “Hunger” from Never Whistle at Night. (2023)H. P. Lovecraft. “Call of Cthulhu” (1928)H. P. Lovecraft. “The Colour Out of Space” (1927)James Kneale. “From beyond: H. P. Lovecraft and the place of horror”.

About the Lecturer

Sebastian Angelosante is a recent graduate. He received his Master’s in English literature from the University of Ottawa (2024). During his studies, he focused on queer representation throughout British and American literature. He also worked with the university’s Fulcrum newspaper and collaborated with his professors to lead engaging discussions on various works of horror and science fiction. In his free time, he enjoys reading and watching all things horror and/or queer.