Gothic Kinship

Although the preoccupation of gothic storytelling with the family has often been observed, it invites a more systematic exploration. Gothic kinship brings together case studies of gothic kinship ties in film and literature and offers a synthesis and theoretical exploration of the different appearances of the gothic family. The volume explores the cultural mediation of the shifting relations of kinship and power in gothic fictionfrom the eighteenth century up to the present day. Writers discussed include early british gothic writers such as eleanor sleath and louisa sidney stanhope as well as a range of later authors writing in english, including elizabeth gaskell, william march, stephen king, poppy z. Brite, patricia duncker, j. K. Rowling and audrey niffenegger. There are also essays on dutch authors (louis couperus and renate dorrestein) and on the film directors wes craven and steven sheil. Arranged chronologically, the various contributions show that both early and contemporary gothic display very diverse kinship ties, ranging from metaphorical to triangular, from queer to nuclear-patriarchal. Gothic proves to be a rich source of expressing both subversive and conservative notions of the family.