A Century of Weird Fiction, 1832-1937

Jonathan Newell

Description

This book offers a new critical perspective on the weird that combines two ways of looking at weird and cosmic horror. On the one hand, critics have considered weird fiction in relation to aesthetics – the emotional effects and literary form of the weird. On the other hand, recent scholarship has also emphasised the potential philosophical underpinnings and implications of weird fiction, especially in relation to burgeoning philosophical movements such as new materialism and speculative realism. This study bridges the gap between these two approaches, considering the weird from its early outgrowth from the Gothic through to Lovecraft’s stories – a ‘weird century’ from 1832–1937. Combining recent speculative philosophy and affect theory, it argues that weird fiction harnesses the affective power of disgust to provoke a re-examination of subjectival boundaries and the complex entanglement of the human and nonhuman.

Chapter 1: Introduction – Metaphysical Malignancies
Chapter 2: The Putrescent Principle – Edgar Allan Poe
Chapter 3: Ecstasies of Slime – Arthur Machen
Chapter 4: Horrible Enchantments – Algernon Blackwood
Chapter 5: Disgusting Powers – William Hope Hodgson
Chapter 6: Daemonology of Unplumbed Space – Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Conclusion: The Wisdom of the Unhuman
Bibliography

Sujets

• Literary Criticism
• Romance
• Gothic

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 mars 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781786835451
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

Extrait

A CENTURY OF Weird Fiction 1832–1937

HORROR STUDIES

Series Editor Xavier Aldana Reyes, Mancester Metropolitan University

Editorial Board Stacey Abbott, Roeampton University Harry M. Bensoff, University of Nort Texas Linnie Blake, Mancester Metropolitan University Fred Botting, Kingston University Steven Brum, Western University Steffen Hantke, Sogang University Joan Hawkins, Indiana University Agnieszka Soltysik Monnet, University of Lausanne Bernice M. Murpy, Trinity College Dublin Jonny Walker, Nortumbria University

Preface Horror Studies is te first book series exclusively dedicated to te study of te genre in its various manifestations – from fiction to cinema and televi sion, magazines to comics, and extending to oter forms of narrative texts suc as video games and music. Horror Studies aims to raise te profile of Horror and to furter its academic institutionalisation by providing a pub lising ome for cuttingedge researc. As an exciting new venture witin te establised Cultural Studies and Literary Criticism programme, Horror Studies will expand te field in innovative and studentfriendly ways.

A CENTURY OF Weird Fiction 1832–1937

DISGUST, METAPHYSICS AND THE AESTHETICS OF COSMIC HORROR

JONATHAN NEWELL

UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS 2020

© Jonatan Newell, 2020

All rigts reserved. No part of tis book may be reproduced in any material form (including potocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and weter or not transiently or incidentally to some oter use of tis publication) witout te written permission of te copyrigt owner except in accordance wit te provisions of te Copyrigt, Designs and Patents Act. Applications for te copyrigt owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of tis publication sould be addressed to te University of Wales Press, University Registry, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

Britis Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for tis book is available from te Britis Library.

ISBN 9781786835444 eISBN 9781786835451

he rigt of Jonatan Newell to be identified as autor of tis work as been asserted in accordance wit sections 77 and 79 of te Copyrigt, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Typeset by Cris Bell, cbdesign

Printed by CPI Antony Rowe, Melksam

To Alli, wo brigtens even te depts of unplumbed space.

Contents

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction Metapysical Malignancies

2. he Putrescent Principle Edgar Allan Poe

3. Ecstasies of Slime Artur Macen

4. Horrible Encantments Algernon Blackwood

5. Disgusting Powers William Hope Hodgson

6. Daemonology of Unplumbed Space Howard Pillips Lovecraft

ix

1

2

3

5

9

7

5

131

163

Conclusion he Wisdom of te Unuman

Endnotes Bibliograpy Index

201

205 225 235

acknoWledgements

WOULD LIKE to offer tremendous gratitude to Dr Sandra Tomc, I wose patience, insigtful advice, good umour and superb mentor sip were invaluable in navigating te murky and pitfallriddled terrain of weird scolarsip. Her guidance and unflagging ceerfulness elped sus tain tis project and its autor troug periods of puzzlement and doubt tat sometimes seemed equal to te orrors of an unknowable cosmos. Dr Adam Frank and Dr Suzy Anger were similarly indispensable, asking perceptive and intellectually enricing questions no less consciousness expanding tan te musings of te German idealists or speculative realists. I would also like to tank a number of colleagues in te Englis Depart ment at UBC wose intellectual (and personal) generosity ave profoundly saped my scolarsip and, indeed, my life: Dr Tiffany Potter, Dr Siân Ecard, Dr Stepen GuyBray, Dr Elizabet Hodgson and Dr Margery Fee. Special tanks also to my colleagues in te International Gotic Association for teir friendsip, expertise and encouragement, especially Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, Dr Cloé Germaine Buckley and Dr Neil Kirk. In addition, I offer enormous tanks to my parents, David and Saaron Newell, wose dauntless encouragement led me not only into graduate studies but to Englis literature in te first place, as well as to my broters, Benjamin and Simon Newell. Finally, special and inestimable tanks are owed to my wife, Allison Sullivan, wo as put up wit mountains of books and endless talk of tentacular monsters, and wose wit, wisdom and warmt are truly and continuously astonising. Witout er support, love and confidence, tis book would not exist.