In this book, Simmons argues that class, as much as race and gender, played a significant role in the development of Gothic and Horror fiction in a national context. From the classic texts of Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne right through to contemporary examples, such as the novels of Stephen King and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series, class remains an ever present though understudied element. This study will appeal to scholars of American Studies, English literature, Media and Cultural Studies interested in class representations in the horror genre from the nineteenth century to the present day.

Presents an innovative study of class depictions in American Horror Fiction Covers US Horror Fiction from the nineteenth century through to the contemporary period Discusses a comprehensive range of texts and authors, from well-known examples such as Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, to those that have not been as widely studied such as Guy Endore, Fritz Leiber and Charles Beaumont

Autorentext

David Simmons is Senior Lecturer in English and Screen Studies at The University of Northampton, UK. He has published extensively in the field of American literature and culture, including books on the representation of the Anti-Hero during the 1960s, H.P. Lovecraft, and Twentieth Century Canonical fiction.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Establishing the Place of Class in US Gothic and Horror Fiction.- 2. Class and Horror Fiction during the Early Twentieth Century.- 3. Class and Horror Fiction at Mid-Century.- 4. Representing Class during the Horror Boom of the 1970s and 1980s.- 5. Horror Fiction and Class in the Contemporary1. Introduction: Establishing the Place of Class in US Gothic and Horror Fiction.- 2. Class and Horror Fiction during the Early Twentieth Century.- 3. Class and Horror Fiction at Mid-Century.- 4. Representing Class during the Horror Boom of the 1970s and 1980s.- 5. Horror Fiction and Class in the Contemporary Period. Period.