English 149-2 - Fall, 2015

Topics in Literature

Topic: Horror Fiction: From Gothic to Splatter

Class Information

Instructor: Milburn, Colin
CRN: 73366
Time: MWF 12:10-1:00
Location: 1120 Hart

Description

Clive Barker’s <i>Books of Blood</i> begins with a sinister pun: “We are all books of blood. Whenever we’re opened, we’re red.” This course will survey the genre of horror fiction from the nineteenth century to the present, addressing the ways in which horror narratives create meaning by disrupting, transforming, or demolishing the boundaries of the human body. Literary writings will be paired with films, critical essays, and other media. The course will focus on the development of critical reading skills and methods of textual analysis.




Grading

midterm exam (20%); final exam (30%); two essays (25% each)

Texts

The Brood, dir. David Cronenberg
The Exorcist, dir. William Friedkin
Dracula, Bram Stoker
Night of the Living Dead, dir. George Romero
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories, H. P. Lovecraft
It, Stephen King
Hellraiser, dir. Clive Barker
House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
Psycho, dir. Alfred Hitchcock
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, dir. Tobe Hooper
Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin
Books of Blood (volumes 1-3), Clive Barker
Dead Alive, dir. Peter Jackson