Category Archives: Critical thoughts

New trends in YA fiction

Posted on 30th May 2015 by William the Bloody

This article by Sue Corbett on the latest trends in YA fiction is very interesting, highlighting the genre of horror, narratives of mental illness and gender identity, and the continuing appeal of dystopias, including religious apocalypse.

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What do botany and vampirism have in common?

Posted on 19th April 2015 by Sam George

Literature and science is a field that has always interested me and Professor Martin Willis has just published Literature and Science: Reader’s Guide to Essential Criticism. This will be of interest to Company of Wolves delegates as it has a … Continue reading →

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Vampires aren’t that bad

Posted on 15th April 2015 by William the Bloody

Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, Gothic/Horror academic & lecturer at MMU, takes issue with the stance of some Roman Catholics who think that the allure of fictional vampires is dangerous (see previous post here).

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Vatican Wants Exorcisms for Teens Who Love Vampires

Posted on 14th April 2015 by Sam George

Thanks to Dr Beyer for forwarding the link to The Independent which today claimed that Exorcists Warn Vatican over Beautiful Young Vampires   Perhaps Pope Francis would like to borrow our vampire slaying kit complete with crucifix bible and holy water. … Continue reading →

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CFP Books of Blood: Collaborative Project and Funding Bid

Posted on 12th April 2015 by Sam George

*Extended Deadline – submissions by 1st November 2015* All humans ‘are books of blood—wherever you open us, we’re red’ (Clive Barker). If our bodies are books of blood, then they can be read; we invite such readings and contributions where … Continue reading →

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Sarah Hentges, ‘Girls on fire: political empowerment in young adult dystopia ‘

Posted on 31st March 2015 by William the Bloody

More ideas to add to the debate around YA dystopias which I’ve posted about recently. In this article, Sarah Hentges argues that images of young women in these currently very popular novels and films are positive and ’empowering’. She also … Continue reading →

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Caasandra Clare’s City of Heavenly Fire

Posted on 29th March 2015 by William the Bloody

I’ve finally got round to finishing City of Heavenly Fire, the last book in the splendid YA paranormal romance series, The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare writes with considerable flair, but her characterisation is exceptionally strong–you really do care for the … Continue reading →

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Was Elizabeth Bathory onto something?

Posted on 26th March 2015 by firekrank

Yesterday an article entitled ‘Why I consumed my own blood’ appeared on the BBC News website. With such a compelling title, I couldn’t help but give the article a read and was suitably disturbed and intrigued. The ‘Vampire Facial/Facelift’ has … Continue reading →

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Little Red Riding Hood Rides Again–and Again and Again and Again

Posted on 25th March 2015 by William the Bloody

One of the fairy tales that seems to attract multiple reinterpretations and adaptations is ‘Red Riding Hood’: Angela Carter’s subversive wolf stories (including ‘The Company of Wolves’) and Marissa Meyer’s SF version ‘Scarlet’ (in her Lunar Chronicles series) are excellent … Continue reading →

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Frankenstein and Fantasmagoriana

Posted on 25th March 2015 by William the Bloody

This is the first of three very interesting articles by Maximiliaan van Woudenberg on an important source of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein–the collection of ghost stories in Fantasmagoriana (1812).

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