Category Archives: Critical thoughts

The Owl Service: 50 years

Posted on 21st August 2017 by William the Bloody

Around the time I was reading Brian Aldiss (who has just sadly died), I’d also discovered Alan Garner. The Owl Service, his fourth novel, is 50 years old today. The Owl Service is now what would be called Young Adult fiction and … Continue reading →

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RIP George Romero

Posted on 18th July 2017 by William the Bloody

The zombie as it has appeared in popular culture–the abject, shambling, carnivorous undead rather than the animated slaves of Caribbean folklore–was practically invented by the director George Romero, who has sadly died. Romero’s pioneering film Night of the Living Dead (1968) … Continue reading →

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Feminism and the Cinematic Vampire

Posted on 1st June 2017 by William the Bloody

An excellent article by Genevieve Valentine, ‘How the vampire became film’s most feminist monster‘ on the female vampire in cinema, tracing the figure through shifts in feminist perspectives. Valentine says, ‘Vampirism is a charmingly reliable metaphor for a particular brand … Continue reading →

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Tropical Vampires

Posted on 1st June 2017 by William the Bloody

There’s a special issue, Tropical Liminal: Urban Vampires and Other Blood-Sucking Monstrosities of the online journal eTropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 16.1 (2017), devoted to tropical monsters including werewolves and vampires. Some excellent articles here.

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Images of Witches

Posted on 22nd May 2017 by William the Bloody

Some excellent articles on witches today. First, Chloe Buckley, in ‘Hag, temptress or feminist icon? The witch in popular culture‘, looks at images of witches in popular culture, both positive and disparaging. She notes the contemporary feminist rehabilitation of the … Continue reading →

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Top 21st Century Werewolf Narratives

Posted on 21st May 2017 by firekrank

A discussion with Sam about what I thought were the most important werewolf texts of the 21st century led me to compile the following. It was surprisingly difficult. Firstly, there is an absolute glut of werewolves popping up in all … Continue reading →

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Fairy Tale Pathology

Posted on 13th May 2017 by William the Bloody

To my mind, this advice by Sandhya Raghavan on ‘6 famous fairy tales you should never let your child read‘ seems like parody; these readings, if serious, are reductive, mechanistic, and unimaginative. Yet the alleged harmful effects of fairy tales … Continue reading →

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Edward Gorey

Posted on 13th May 2017 by William the Bloody

A very interesting essay by Gabrielle Bellot on Edward Gorey, artist and narrator of dark Gothic humour.

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Jack-in-the-Green Festival

Posted on 3rd May 2017 by firekrank

Following on from Sam’s post about folk horror and its recent revival, I thought I would write about my attendance of the Jack-in-the-Green festival in Hastings. This takes place around May Day and, as well as the ubiquitous May Pole, … Continue reading →

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The Myth of Frankenstein and Scientific Hubris

Posted on 2nd May 2017 by William the Bloody

Here’s an excellent essay by Phillip Ball, ‘“Frankenstein” Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era‘ that challenges the oft-circulated idea that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is directed against the hubris of scientists. Sometimes, this is framed as feminist critique, but … Continue reading →

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