Category Archives: Critical thoughts

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

Penny Dreadful: dismembering and assembling the Victorian Gothic

Posted on 17th October 2014 by William the Bloody

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

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

What Is a Contemporary Gothic Reading Group?

Posted on 17th October 2014 by William the Bloody

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

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

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

Posted on 17th October 2014 by William the Bloody

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

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

Locating the Gothic Conference and Werewolves

Posted on 14th October 2014 by firekrank

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 →

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

Chris Riddell (author of Goth Girl) on Ada Lovelace

Posted on 14th October 2014 by William the Bloody

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.

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The top 10 fairytales

Posted on 11th October 2014 by William the Bloody

Mariner Warner discusses the appeal of the fairy tale and lists her top ten from classic folkloric versions to contemporary reinterpretations.

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