
Caitlin R. Kiernan
A Critical Study of Her Dark Fiction
James Goho(Author)
McFarland & Co Inc (Publisher)
Published on 28. September 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
206 pages
978-1-4766-8089-7 (ISBN)
Description
Caitlin R. Kiernan is at the forefront of contemporary gothic, weird and science fiction literature. She has written more than a dozen novels, over 250 short stories, many chapbooks, along with a large number of graphic works. For these Kiernan has won numerous awards. This first full-length look at Kiernan's body of work explores her fictional universe through critical literary lenses to show the depth of her contributions to modern genre literature.
A prolific and creative writer, Kiernan's fictions bring to life our fears about the other, the unknown, and the future through stories that range widely across time and space. A sense of dark terror pervades her novels and stories. Yet Kiernan's fictional universe is not disengaged from reality. That is because she works within the long tradition of gothic fiction speaking to the gravest ethical, social and cultural issues. In her dark fiction, Kiernan illustrates the terror of the tyranny of the normal, the oppression of marginalized people, and the pervasive violence of our time. Her dystopian sf propels today's dangerous economic, social, political and environmental tendencies into the future. Kiernan's fiction portrays troubling truths about the current human condition.
A prolific and creative writer, Kiernan's fictions bring to life our fears about the other, the unknown, and the future through stories that range widely across time and space. A sense of dark terror pervades her novels and stories. Yet Kiernan's fictional universe is not disengaged from reality. That is because she works within the long tradition of gothic fiction speaking to the gravest ethical, social and cultural issues. In her dark fiction, Kiernan illustrates the terror of the tyranny of the normal, the oppression of marginalized people, and the pervasive violence of our time. Her dystopian sf propels today's dangerous economic, social, political and environmental tendencies into the future. Kiernan's fiction portrays troubling truths about the current human condition.
Reviews / Votes
"At once a broad, accessible introduction to Kiernan's work and a valuable resource for scholars and specialists."-Sean Moreland, University of Ottawa "a study sweepingly selective and wide-ranging in scope, but also couched in grainy, close, saturated readings, all inflected by an eclectic but insightful set of theoretical perspectives on the urban horror, dark fantasy and New Weird subgenres."-Dead Reckonings "This is a pioneering and incisive study. It is, of course, the first book to be solely devoted to Kiernan's work."-S.T. JoshiMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Jefferson, NC
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
notes, bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
346 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4766-8089-7 (9781476680897)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
James Goho has numerous publications in short fiction, social science studies, and gothic literature. He lives in Winnipeg, Canada.
Content
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
A Brief Biography of Caitlin R. Kiernan
Introduction
One.?The Call of the Si: Irish Supernatural Literature and Folklore in the Fiction of Caitlin R. Kiernan
Two.?Kiernan Echoes the Literary Decadence
Three.?The Figure of the Gothic Body
Four.?The Folklore of Awe and Terror
Five.?"Warnings to the Curious": Kiernan's Science and Mystery Stories
Six.?Haunted Perceptions: Fear and Trembling in Kiernan's Fiction
Seven.?Spectral Confessions: The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl: A Memoir
Eight.?Dark Futures: Surveying Kiernan's Science Fiction
Nine.?Retruthing Steampunk: Kiernan Rewrites American West Steampunk
Conclusion: Caitlin R. Kiernan's Modern Dark Fiction
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Preface
A Brief Biography of Caitlin R. Kiernan
Introduction
One.?The Call of the Si: Irish Supernatural Literature and Folklore in the Fiction of Caitlin R. Kiernan
Two.?Kiernan Echoes the Literary Decadence
Three.?The Figure of the Gothic Body
Four.?The Folklore of Awe and Terror
Five.?"Warnings to the Curious": Kiernan's Science and Mystery Stories
Six.?Haunted Perceptions: Fear and Trembling in Kiernan's Fiction
Seven.?Spectral Confessions: The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl: A Memoir
Eight.?Dark Futures: Surveying Kiernan's Science Fiction
Nine.?Retruthing Steampunk: Kiernan Rewrites American West Steampunk
Conclusion: Caitlin R. Kiernan's Modern Dark Fiction
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index