Reviewsletter november 2016

ISSUE EIGHTEEN

NOVEMBER 2016

Books that Go bump in The night!

Exploring the resources that send a shiver down your spine!

P2. Reviews P7. Real life horror P8. Spooky not scary films P9. Intro to horror authors P11. Ghoulish comics P12. What scares us & why P13. Gothic lit online P13. Your suggestions

Reviews Prince of Thorns

By Mark Lawrence Reviewed by Chloe Jurd Prince of Thorns is a gripping fantasy tale that is sure to keep any fantasy fan on the edge of their seat. We follow the journey of Jorg Ancrath who is a young Prince raised by his loving mother and journeys to find his father in another kingdom, but what we learn about Jorg is that he can control both the living and the dead with his band of outlaw men. But when he finally meets his father once again he has to confront his fears of his childhood. As a reader throughout the book, you start to contemplate whether to like Jorg or not as he has this power, but how he uses it is a dark horror twist.

Lawrence's debut novel published in 2011, has had many good reviews convincing budding fantasy fans to read the novel about this dark prince with the power to control both the living and the dead.

Lawrence allows us to explore the journey of Jorg in both the present and the past before his father had taken off to another kingdom and married again. But we have to wait for when we are welcomed into his past as the story of his past is revealed in limited chapters throughout the book.

We also get to find out about each of the men in his band of outlaws as at the end of a chapter that is focused on that one outlaw, Jorg expresses his view on them telling us, as the reader, what they bring to his band of brothers.

This twisted fantasy brings a whole different view on magic of the fantasy world for many readers with this dark twist you want to keep on reading to discover what this dark prince does with his ability. This fantasy will have you reading more and wanting to continue with journeying with Jorg and his band of outlaws raiding villages and killing innocent farmers. This fantasy had me screaming for more, wanting to know more dark secrets about the prince.

Shaun of the Dead. (2004).

Directed by Edgar Wright.

Reviewed by Natalie McGhie.

Shaun has a lot of problems. His best friend refuses to leave his house, his stepdad hates him, his girlfriend has just dumped him - and, of course, the zombie apocalypse is right outside his front door. Nevertheless, Shaun takes this chance to save his ex-girlfriend (and, reluctantly, her annoying roommates), rescue his mum (and, reluctantly, his stepdad as well) and hole up inside the local pub until everything blows over. Unsurprisingly, things don't go exactly to plan.

I wasn't sure if I'd like this film at first but I found it to be very funny and entertaining. I especially liked the representation at the beginning of the film of everyone in society being zombies anyway, as our routines rarely change. The ending was clever, and not the clichéd happy ending I was expecting, but was still satisfying and wryly amusing. The acting wasn't always brilliant, but in a comedy like this, you get the feeling this was intentional, and so I didn't really mind, especially as the main character of Shaun was portrayed brilliantly. I'd highly recommend this film even if you don't like zombie flicks as it pokes fun at many of the overdone zombie stereotypes, although if you're like me and woefully ignorant of the horror genre, many of these stereotypes might fly right over your head.

Sweet Tooth Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire Reviewed by Mackenzie Phillips Described as a cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Jeff Lemire’s seminal graphic novel series Sweet Tooth is unmissable for fans of dystopian horror.

The graphic novels take place in a post-apocalyptic version of North America where, following some unexplained plague, a race of hybrid children are born. Our protagonist, Gus, is one of them. Half deer, half man, Gus and his father are forced to hide in the woods, away from the twisted world that they inhabit. However, when Gus’ father dies, he is forced to leave his home and is saved from hunters by a mysterious man named Jepperd. With the help of his new found guardian, Gus attempts to survive in a world that hates him and his kind.

Lemire's harrowing depiction of a surreal post-apocalyptic wasteland is not only a sound example of postmodern, survival horror it is also a discussion of man’s relationship with nature, prejudice and fear of the unknown. Like many post-apocalyptic narrative is dark and disturbing and calls the nature of humanity into question, however, the innocence of Lemire’s protagonist adds a sense of charm and a glimmer of hope in the bleak and spooky landscape, almost giving the graphic novel a ‘coming of age’ feel. The reader cannot help but sympathise with the sweet naivety of Gus which is starkly contrasted by the bleak world he inhabits.

Furthermore, the hair-raising tale is perfectly complimented by Lemire’s eerie artistic style. His use of dark shades and gory imagery aptly reflects the tale’s sinister tone and adds to the ominous atmosphere of the graphic novel series.

Overall, Lemire’s exploration of a world of fear, betrayal and a struggle for survival pays homage to other acclaimed dystopian narratives whilst retaining a high level of originality and uniqueness.

If you’re looking for a fright this Halloween, Sweet Tooth is definitely worth a look!

High-Rise

By J G Ballard Reviewed by Lauren Finch J G Ballard’s novel tells the unsettling story of a deteriorating society in the eponymous, monolithic building. It has all the things residents’ could possibly need – a swimming pool, supermarket, shops, hair salon, gymnasium, raucous cocktail parties and forty floors of chaos…

Inside lays a variety of characters – from the wealthy and rich, to an aspiring documentary filmmaker. Not forgetting the architect who built the ‘High-Rise’ and the doctor with a penchant for barbecued dog, the novel follows the story the tenants’ of the ‘High-Rise’.

Compared to an urbanised Lord of the Flies, there is a disturbing decline in what would be considered ‘natural’ human behaviour. Though the birds picking at corpses on the balcony are not exactly pleasant images, perhaps the most unnerving thing about the inhabitants’ behaviour is the maintenance of normalcy. Amidst murder, starvation and complete descent into chaos, they appear to mentally preserve their routine, thriving on the disorder with a sense of simultaneous complacency and primitive anger - either they are hoping to convince themselves that nothing has changed or they are truly disillusioned.

For those of you who are studying psychology, there are potent comparisons with the manipulating behaviour of the architect ‘Royal’ to an experimenter. Royal appears to seek control and dominance over his ‘participating’ tenants but - unlike the rats in Skinner’s box - they are far from obedient.

This dystopian social commentary may not make you jump like the latest horror movie, but it is sure to make you shiver with repulsion and draw you in with morbid fascination.

28 Weeks Later (2007) Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Reviewed by Megan Foot.

28 Weeks Later is the gruesome and tense sequel to the film 28 Days later, which follows the development of the Rage Virus, a deadly disease which was first introduced in 28 Days Later when three animal liberationists break into a medical research laboratory. Much to the desperate warning of the scientist, they release the chimpanzees infected with the highly contagious rage virus, causing it to spread across the country. The sequel, however, shows the results of the virus 28 weeks after the outbreak. Most of the infected have died from starvation, causing NATO to take control over Great Britain. However, the rage virus reignites after a husband and wife reunite, which once again causes many to become infected.

The film is extremely tense to watch. The cinematography provides a dramatic view of the outbreak of the virus, following the characters as they try and escape from the infected. I also consider the

music to contribute to the tension and drama of the film, as the sounds compliment the content of the scene. An example of this is when the audience are first introduced to the second outbreak of the rage virus. The increasing crescendo of the music grips the audience as the point of view camera shots follow the infected on their rampage. The shaking camera shots also immerse you into the scene, creating the illusion that you are there, following different characters. Rose Byrne’s performance as Scarlett, a U.S Army medical officer, is particularly impressive due to her ability to capture the desperation people felt in terms of finding a cure.

The film received many positive reviews, making a staggering $9.8 million on its opening weekend.

The film also had a unique way of promotion. On the 13th April 2007, 28 days before the release of the sequel in UK cinemas, a large biohazard warning sign was projected against the White Cliffs of Dover. A warning was raised that Britain was ‘contaminated, keep out!’ alongside the international biological hazard symbol.

However, I would have liked to have seen the characters from 28 Days Later in the sequel, and what happened to them after they were rescued. 28 Weeks Later showed how the world is adjusting after the outbreak of the virus, which would have been an ideal opportunity to follow the characters that were introduced in the previous film. Instead, one is left wondering if they managed to escape successfully, or if they too are infected.

Consequently, I would highly recommended watching 28 Weeks Later, as it is the perfect film for Halloween. This film is particularly engaging for those who enjoy watching films containing gore and tense sequences, rather than horror films surrounding ghosts and demons. The acting is also incredible, as you are drawn to particular characters as you follow them on their journey to escape from the infected. As a result, I would recommend watching 28 Weeks Later in time for Halloween.

The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Reviewed by Chloe Jurd We all loved a good fairy tale to send us to sleep, even as a child we loved the sweet innocent tales of heroes and villains, princesses kissing frogs and magically turning them into a Prince. But as we began to grow older we start to lose the spark and love for the tales. But we grow older thinking what if there was a happily never after? The Grimm’s brothers do exactly that! They brought the what if to life. Many tales within the book will be a trip down memory lane for many who enjoyed a good old fairytale but with a dark twist waiting for them at the end leaving you speechless to believe that never after really does exist.

The book is very deceiving on the outside with its bright purple cover and golden writing. This book had attracted me with a childish instinct I was amused. I knew of the Grimm’s brothers before reading this and was aware with what the stories entails, but never had sat down to read them. It wasn’t until I began to read the first story that I realised the stories were darker and more horrific than I thought they were, or had been told.

Just in time for Halloween childhood can be ruined in moments from innocent fairy tales we all knew as a child. The colourful illustrations can be very distracting when reading the book as it takes your mind off the sheer terror of the tales of villains being killed by character we associate with being good or kind hearted. Or princesses being ruthless and violent towards a frog and breaking her promise. Or two sisters cutting toes and parts of their feet in order to fit into a glass slipper to become a princess. But a sweet innocent girl allowing birds to peck out the eyes of her sisters in revenge for how they treated her.

When reading the book I would only have one piece of advice, don’t be deceived by the colourful images as they do not tell us the thousand words of the terror stories.

Non-fiction Often the most frightening of horror stories can spring from real life. So what true horror can you find amongst our collection? Well sit tight, make sure the door is locked and lights are up bright and let’s see what we can find.

TRUE CRIME Possibly the most famous true crime book of all time is Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (on shelf at 363.25 CAP). In it Capote tells the story of the 1959 murder of 4 members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Upon hearing of the murder Capote travelled to Holcomb, along with fellow novelist Harper Lee and began interviewing local residents and the investigators assigned to the case. Capote continued to follow the case through the arrest of the killers (Hickock and Smith), to their trial and eventual execution by hanging.

Compiling over 8,000 pages of notes, Capote eventually published the book in 1966, a year after the murderer’s execution. It’s a compelling read, containing not only the gruesome details of the murders and their impact on the local community but also in the way it interrogates the psychology of the murderers, what caused their actions and how their crime effected the relationship between the pair.

WHICH WITCH IS WHICH? One of the most horrible episodes in American history was the Salem witch trials where mass

hysteria overtook reason resulting in the execution of 14 women during a one year period, charged with the supposed crime of practicing witchcraft. On our shelves you’ll find Richard Francis’s account of this time, Judge Sewall’s Apology: The Salem Witch Trials and The Forming of a Conscience. The book focuses on Samuel Sewall, one of the judges involved in sentencing these women, and the first person of those involved to declare remorse and ask forgiveness for what happened. It’s an interesting insight into the development of America as a nation and into the process through which such accusations can spiral out of control.

GETTING IN YOUR HEAD Picture a psychological experiment and you may think of a mad scientist conducting brain melting tricks that will only lead to disastrous consequences (especially if you’ve watched too many old Bmovies like me!). Lauren Slater dispels many of those myths in Opening Skinner’s Box, giving a fresh perspective on not only some of the most famous experiments of all time but also the psychologists behind them. Slater writes in such a way that makes these experiments accessible to all, not just psychologists and has a knack of inserting herself into the story so you are compelled to go along with her.

Film If like me you don’t like films that make you jump or that freak you out so much that you can’t sleep at night but still want to get in on the spooky season fun then perhaps you might like to take a look at one of these films which take horror tropes but offer them in a manner that’s a little more family friendly.

fun, Monsters Inc. and Monsters University.

Both contain characters with the potential to scare the socks off of you but who are actually as nice as pie. Inc. is now a bonafide classic of modern animation, and while University doesn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessor there’s still a lot to like, especially in the interactions between Mike, Sully and the band of misfits they put together to win the Scare Games.

BITING HUMOUR If you prefer to have a bit of a laugh rather than quake behind a cushion you could do far worse than check out What We Do in the Shadows. From New Zealand writer/director pair Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi this is a horror mockumentary about 4 vampires sharing a house in the suburbs of Wellington.

Also featuring a cameo from Clement’s Flight of the Conchords alumnus Rhys Darby as the leader of a pack of politely spoken werewolves this is set to develop into a sure-fire cult hit!

PIXAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! If you’re looking for fiends who won’t frighten the family then look no further than the kings of kid friendly movies with a sideline in adult jokes, Pixar, and their double whammy of monstrous

SING TO THE WOODS One way to lessen the scariness of traditionally frightening characters such as witches, evil stepmothers, giants and big bad wolves is to have them all engage in a good old sing-song! And that’s exactly what happens in Rob Marshall’s film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s stage musical. It starts off telling fairytales with which we are familiar: Jack and the beanstalk, little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel etc., but when their “happy every after arrives” the film keeps rolling and we see what happens to their lives afterwards with the characters intersecting and generally making things worse for each other, mostly in the woods! It’s a strong and enjoyable ensemble cast but the film is let down by a lack of standout songs which morph into one instead of staying in the memory. If you’d like to check out the original stage production on which it’s based then we also have the score available in our music section at 782 SON.

Fiction If you’re looking for a good horror story to thrill, scare or inspire you then there are certain authors you can rely on to provide such content for you. So here’s a little profile on three of the best when it comes to sending shivers down your spine through their writing.

STEPHEN KING King is the master when it comes to horror fiction, publishing 54 novels so far beginning with Carrie in 1973, the tale of a highschool girl with supernatural psychic powers. He followed this up with vampire novel ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) and supernatural horror The Shining (1977). The Shining was King’s first bestseller and he would return to the story of Danny Torrance in one of his more recent novels, Doctor Sleep (2013). In the 80’s King demonstrated his ability to tap into the deepest darkness of his readers’ psyches creating Cujo (1981), the story of a rabid dog, and It (1986) where a murderous clown stalks children in a small town. He continues to publish at an alarming rate with Mr Mercedes (2014), Revival (2014) and Finders Keepers (2015) all on our shelves.

NEIL GAIMAN By contrast, Neil Gaiman offers a little more subtly to his scares. His novels occupy elements of horror and gothic mixed with fantasy rather than going for out and out

scarefests. He began in novel writing by collaborating with the great Terry Pratchett (Gaiman was already a well-known name in comics thanks to his Sandman series) and producing Good Omens (1990), a fantasy/horror/comedy about the son of Satan and the coming of the End Times. He continued to blend Gods, mythology, fantasy and horror in his 2001 epic American Gods, centered around the concept that Gods exist because people believe in them and so as what people believe in changes, so do the Gods. Also in our collection you’ll find Gaiman’s two darkfantasy children’s books, Coraline (2002) and The Graveyard Book (2008), the former the tale of a girl who discovers a door to a twisted copy of her own reality and the latter a reworking of The Jungle Book where a young boy is raised by the ghoulish occupants of a graveyard.

JAMES HERBERT His books were described

by Stephen King as “too horrifying to put down”.

High praise indeed for this British horror writer who published 23 novels during a 38 year career. We have 2 of them in the Library, Fluke (1977) a thriller about a dog who has memories of being a man and ’48 (1996), an alternate history horror where Hitler dropped a biological weapon wiping out much of humanity and following an American pilot stranded in a dystopian London.

Comics When thinking about comic genres, the instant thought is of superheroes but you’ll also find some excellent horror in the graphic form. Here we’ll take a look at some of the best from our collection.

affects teens in 1970s Seattle, passed between them via sexual intercourse. It causes them to develop mutations and become outcasts from society, setting up an encampment in neighbouring woods. It’s a brilliantly unsettling read.

If you want to start somewhere with a little bit of familiarity then perhaps picking up a copy of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999) might be a good option. Moore expertly weaves characters from a th range of 19 Century novels into a steampunk/Gothic version of Victorian London. British Intelligence pieces together a team of individuals with rather unique capabilities and so we meet Mina Harker of Dracula fame and Alan Quatermain (King Solomon’s Mines) who are dispatched to hunt down Dr Jekyll, or more accurately his alterego Mr Hyde. Adding Hawley Griffin (The Invisible Man) and Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea) to the line-up they set about diffusing a gang war encompassing London’s criminal underbelly before (in volume two) fighting off the Martians from H G Wells’ War of the Worlds!

If you want something that’s more obvious horror then perhaps you need to take a look at our manga collection, in particular the work of Junji Ito. In our collection you’ll find Uzumaki (1998) where a town becomes obsessed with spirals, Gyo (2001) where fish are controlled by a strain of sentient bacteria called the “death stench” and Fragments of Horror (2015), a short story collection each of which are delightfully macabre.

If you prefer something a little more subtle and creepy then perhaps Charles Burns’ Black Hole (2005) might be more to your taste. As much a tale of teenage angst as it is a horror, this is the story of a plague that

Our final recommendation is Mike Mignola’s Hellboy (1994). This tells the tale of Anung Un Rama, a demon child summoned to Earth by Nazi occultists.

Rescued by US Armed Forces the child, named Hellboy by his adoptive father Professor Bruttenholm, is raised to work for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). There he is joined by Abe Sapien an amphibian humanoid, Liz Sherman a young female pyrokinetic, Roger the homunculus and later Johann Kraus the vaporous spirit of a German medium kept in a containment suit. It’s a thrilling read that’ll make you laugh just as much as it creeps you out.

Journals What brings you out in a cold sweat?

What keeps you awake at night? Steve Squibbs investigates.

An ongoing study, entitled ‘What Worries the World’, by pollsters Ipsos MORI seeks to discover just that by surveying adults in 25 different countries each month, including the UK. The most recent results will probably not come as a huge surprise, with unemployment, financial/political corruption and poverty/social equality the top three global concerns. Here in the UK, immigration, healthcare and terrorism topped the polls, reflecting the different economic, political and cultural realities and narratives that help shape our collective priorities.

However, as the recent festive celebrations attest to there are other phenomena, real and imagined that exercise our minds and have the power to unnerve us.

In an article in the New Scientist Laura Spinney (2016) considers a theory known as ‘the uncanny valley’ which seeks to describe how humans are unsettled, even revolted, by avatars or robots that are too human-like in appearance. Of course, there may be other, more warranted, reasons to fear the impending rise of the robots that some commentators are predicting, but this article nonetheless makes for fascinating reading if you are interested in what gives us the creeps and why.

In Psychology Review, Bruce Hood delves further into how uncanny experiences are

often rooted in paranormal or supernatural beliefs. These beliefs, he argues, arise from the human brain's tendency for intuitive reasoning, which is then culturally endorsed and strengthened. Hood suggests that this intuitive biological reasoning could explain why people continue to believe in the supernatural, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

Finally, with only days to go to until US electors go to the polls, if the thought of a Trump Presidency has been bringing you out in cold sweat in recent weeks you will not, I fear, find any solace in two articles in the New Statesman’s recent US Election Special. In the first Christopher Clark and Andrew Preston (2016), both Professors of History at Cambridge take a look at the many similarities between Donald Trump and Kaiser Wilhelm, both self-absorbed, impulsive, unbalanced and pre-disposed to fits of anger.

However, whether Trump succeeds in entering the White House or not, argues Sasha Abramsky (2016), the rejection of democratic norms by many of his supporters will be felt in the US and around the world for years to come...

References: Abramsky, S. (2016) 'Make America hate again', New Statesman, (28 October - 3 November), pp. 24-29.

Clark, C. and Preston, A. (2016) ‘Beware the kaiser chiefs’, New Statesman, (28 October - 3 November), pp. 33-35.

Hood, B. (2016) ‘Paranormal beliefs: why do we believe the unbelievable?’, Psychology Review, 22(1), pp.18-21.

Spinney, L. (2016) ‘Spooked?’, New Scientist, (29 October), pp.28-31.

Digital Resources As part of our continuing series of Topic Resource Sites we recently released a guide to Gothic Literature, perfect for this spooky time of year. For those of you yet to check it out, here’s some of the Digital Resources you’ll find on there.

The BBC provides a selection of archive programmes about some of the most celebrated Gothic novels, their authors and legacy, on BBC iPlayer.

A timeline of Gothic fiction is also available.

As part of their Discovering Literature: Romantics and Victorians resource, the BL features a theme on the Gothic. This focuses on a broad range of subjects related to The Gothic. Also available - Angela Carter, Gothic Literature and The Bloody Chamber.

An interdisciplinary forum for lively discussion and critical debate concerning all manifestations of the Gothic mode, be it historical or as manifested in more modern and contemporary cultural events.

The University of Stirling also offers a MOOC on The Gothic.

Unites teachers, scholars, students, artists, writers and performers worldwide who are interested in any aspect of gothic culture: fiction, drama, poetry, art,

film, music, architecture, popular culture and technology.

A peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, electronic publication dedicated to the study of Gothic and horror literature, film, new media and television. Features a range of articles in each issue with all issues available as PDF files.

Although this site's appearance is quite old fashioned, it does host a range of resources on Gothic novelists including Bram Stoker and Charlotte Bronte amongst others. Features texts, biographies, articles and reviews.

The Shelley-Godwin Archive provides the digitized manuscripts of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, William Godwin, and Mary Wollstonecraft, including original drafts of Frankenstein.

A peer-reviewed e-journal dedicated to academic explorations of the Supernatural, the Uncanny and the Weird. Features articles and creative writing.

Encourages discussion about the supernatural or the weird in literature, history, folklore, philosophy, science, religion, sociology and all aspects of popular culture.

Your suggestions We’ve already had over 50 requests, suggestions and recommendations for stock from you so far this term which is great. Keep them coming! Below are some items we’ve got as a result of these and our responses to some that we can’t fulfil.

FICTION, COMICS & MANGA Let’s kick things off with a request which sits nicely amongst this issue’s theme. Someone wrote on one of our boards “more horror fiction” and we’ve responded in an abundance adding to our shelves The last days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp, Fellside by M R Carey, Hideaway by Dean Koontz, The Ritual by Adam Nevill, Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes and Heart-shaped Box by Joe Hill as well as Stephen Jones’s Zombie Apocalypse series.

Another addition is the Chaos Walking trilogy

by Patrick Ness. You’ll now find The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men residing on our shelves.

Mixing things up a little bit we’ve also been asked for one of our most popular fiction books but in a different language. Does anyone know which book is known as Gefahrliche Liebe in German? You’ll soon be able to find out as it has been ordered and should be on our shelves shortly.

NON-FICTION There’s been some excellent non-fiction suggestions, mostly for EPQ and coursework which we were very happy to support. Gender Trouble is a classic feminist media text by Judith Butler and now on shelf at 305.3

BUT. Frances Ashcroft’s Life at the Extremes (612 ASH) looks at our abilities to survive in the harshest environments. The Achilles Effect (305.31 SMI) by Crystal Smith is an interesting examination of masculinity in modern pop culture. In Order to Live (951.9 PAR) is the fascinating and inspiring story of a young woman fleeing the oppression of North Korea. Finally, Another Day in the Death of America

by Gary Younge is on order and takes a snaphot of US gun violence, exploring 10 separate accounts of children killed on just one day in the States.

FILM There have been fewer film requests recently (maybe we’re just tuned into what you want now) but we’ve ordered Pixar’s latest offering, The Good Dinosaur, series one of the BBC’s adaptation of Poldark starring Aiden Turner and Jon Favreau’s foody movie Chef at your request.

NEED MORE INFO… There’s a few requests we’ve received anonymously where we need a little more information. Someone has written “prison madness” on our boards twice now but we need a little more clarification as to what you mean. We also had a suggestion of The Great Wall. Is this referring to the John Man book?

We’ve also had another request for the BMJ. However as explained in a previous issue, this is VERY expensive and beyond our budget.

There is though a lot of free content on the Student BMJ website.