106-431 The Horror Genre: Fiction, Film and Theory

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Contact

Subject Description

This subject investigates various genres of horror in fiction and film, from the 1890s to the present day. Horror will be seen as a cultural field inhabiting particular locations, and processed in particular ways. Students will analyse form and affect, visual/aural content, narrative structures and event, context and modes of reception, each with reference to recent theories of horror and controversies over horror texts. Students will study a number of famous - and infamous - horror texts, representing the following interests: the 'classical' ghost story; visceral and splatter horror; teen horror; postcolonial horror; psychological or traumatic horror; gender-focused horror; romantic horror; vampire horror.

Assessment

Written work of not more than 6000 words, including a class presentation.

Prescribed Texts

• K Gelder ed, The Oxford Book of Australian Ghost Stories. Oxford.
• S King, Carrie. Futura.
• D Simmons, Song of Kali. Headline.
• R L Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Oxford.
• B Stoker, Dracula. Oxford.
• Films: A Hitchcock, Psycho.
• T Hooper, The Texas Chain-saw Massacre.
• P Jackson, Brain Dead.
• T Moffatt, Bedevil.
• J Tournier, I Walked with a Zombie.
• J Whale, The Bride of Frankenstein.
• R Wise, The Haunting.