Category Archives: Critical thoughts

The New Fairy Tale Is Trying to Escape Its Past

. . . 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

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A Scientific Guide to Seeing Fairies. A fragment.

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

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My hero: Mary Shelley by Neil Gaiman

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

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Let me grab your soul away – Kate Bush and gothic

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

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The Evolution of the Female Vampire

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

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Penny Dreadful: dismembering and assembling the Victorian Gothic

OGOM contributor Conrad Aquilana gives his analysis of the TV series Penny Dreadful.

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What Is a Contemporary Gothic Reading Group?

A useful account here from OGOM contributor Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes on his experiences of running the Contemporary Gothic Reading Group at MMU.

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The Poet, the Physician and the Birth of the Modern Vampire

A very interesting article on the relationship between Byron and John Polidori, and the writing of the latter’s seminal vampire tale, The Vampyre.

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Locating the Gothic Conference and Werewolves

Late last month, OGOM posted about Locating the Gothic which is taking place in Limerick next week. This is one of many Gothic conferences that embraces the idea of Gothic geographies and spaces. (Something which makes me very pleased because … Continue reading

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Chris Riddell (author of Goth Girl) on Ada Lovelace

Chris Riddell, the author of the hilariously witty (and knowingly intertextual) Goth Girl children’s series, talks here about how the life of Ada Lovelace, pioneering computer programmer and daughter of Lord Byron, has influenced his work.

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