Summer is unofficially over now that Labor Day has past, which makes me a very sad human. But I do love fall. The weather. The food. And, of course, the focus on all things GOTHIC returns! Summer went by so quickly. I suppose I kept myself pretty busy with publishing The Green Lady, moving twice and pushing the refresh button on life in a lot of ways. I’m now knee-deep in my next project again and it feels really good. I’m hoping to publish my second novel by the end of the year. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Since things are starting to cool off outdoors and the stores are stocked with candy and costumes,it’s clearly time to resurrect this very special blog series. Here’s what’s happening the world of the Gothic in this installment of Gothic Literature at Large! As always, if you have/see an event/article/show/movie that would fit with this blog, please let me know and I’ll add it to the list for my next installment!

In brief other news, I am featured this week on the blog of a fantastic local writer, A.E. Ash. Ash has started a new series titled Creative KC and I am the premier interview! Please take a moment to check it out.

Articles

From Spooky To Seductive: How Pop Culture Has Shaped Gothic Fiction

All I can do to sell you on this article is use the following quote from it: “Gothic fiction will always have a place in our obsessions. Something about death, tragedy, horror, and batsh*t craziness is far too intriguing to pass up.” YESSS!!!!

The origin of the species: Vampires

This article talks about the origin of the vampire. It tells an interesting story and brings in the Slavic side of the ancestry of this strange literary creature. You also will get to learn about the gory way people used to prevent their dead from becoming vampires…

The origin of the species: Werewolves

What Gothic list would be complete without a reference to werewolves? These creatures are equally popular in popular culture today, though they appear to lack the sex appeal of the vampire. (And what luck that geek.com is doing an entire series on creatures from the sci fi/fantasy genres!)

The origin of the species: Zombies

This article talks about the origin of the zombie being in Haiti. I don’t have a lot of experience with Haitian stories, so my focus on the zombie remained rather Euro-centric. I enjoyed reading this perspective though as it talks about how the zombie gets from the Caribbean to people like Poe, Lovecraft and Shelley.

Books

Monsters: A Bestiary of the Bizarre 

This book sounds like a great over-arching look at monsters from all cultures throughout history. I think it will be something every writer should have in his/her closet.

 

Exhibitions/Events/Other

Guillermo del Toro Exhibition: At Home with Monsters- LACMA

The LACMA is putting on an exhibit of Guillermo del Toro’s creative process through his drawings, paintings, maquettes, artifacts and concept film art. Del Toro is  known for delving into the Gothic in his films. This would be a fantastic opportunity to get inside of a very creative man’s head!

Poe Picnic: Entombed Alive

If only I could have gone to Philadelphia on Sept. 1! The Laurel Hill Cemetery will host this awesome event where they will bring Poe’s stories to life in the graveyard. A tour and talk followed. Sounds fabulous!

The Frankenstein Bicentennial Project

Mary Shelley published the world-famous story Frankenstein in 1818, thus making 2018 the bicentennial anniversary of this significant work of literature. Arizona State University is fueling this celebration through a grant from the National Science Foundation and calls Shelley’s work a “science-fiction story that explores themes of human creativity, societal responsibility and scientific ethics.” This digital museum seems to be bringing together literature and STEM which I applaud heartily. STEM is important, but people are more and more frequently forgetting about the humanities. They are also hosting a #Frankenstein200 writing contest where winners can receive feedback from Hugo Award winners. Check the website for more details. I’m particularly excited to see what they will be doing as this important anniversary comes closer!

 

Television/Film

Lucifer

So, I discovered the first season of this show on Hulu and while I can only watch an episode or two at a time, I still really have a lot of fun with it. This show gets into that urban fantasy sort of realm of the Gothic, bringing in Lucifer who has ascended from Hell because he’s tired of being there. The jokes make me laugh at times and good LORD is Tom Ellis smoking hot! Also, I love that the devil has a British accent. Somehow it makes his condescending remarks that much more scathing.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

I haven’t read the book yet (it’s sitting on my night stand as I write this). But I think this will be a really great look at the arc of fantasy. Plus, the movie is directed by Tim Burton. You can’t get much more Gothic than that. The movie releases on Sept. 30. I’ll have read the book by then!