German Gothic Literature: Origins, Adaptations, Transformations Curtis Maughan 9781839990069

The volume is organized chronologically in three parts that pursue a broader organizational trajectory, articulate the common genre characteristics, destabilize boundaries and emphasize socio-artistic ruptures, while establishing the place of German cultural output within the framework of the Anglo-German gothic phenomenon. Furthermore, the volume distinguishes itself through a focus on the evolution from these early texts through the adaptations and original contributions by authors of early nineteenth-century romantic narratives of the unexplained in prose and verse, emphasizing the evolution of forms both within and beyond the oeuvres of individual authors, generations and movements. The second wave of German Gothic features the rise of the fairy tale, folklore, collections of ghost stories, entertainment literature, philosophical treatises and literary journals through the neo-romantic works of the turn of the twentieth century. The volume concludes with reevaluations of the German canon and explorations of global responses, expanding the research focus to encompass the transmedial productions of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, including popular novellas, horror cinema, prestige television and indie and mainstream video games.

Jeffrey L. High received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is Professor of German Studies at California State University, Long Beach, as well as Guest Professor at the German Summer School of the Pacific.
Curtis L. Maughan received his PhD from Vanderbilt University and is the Director of the World Languages and Digital Humanities Studio at the University of Arkansas, where he also serves as a Teaching Assistant Professor of World Languages and Digital Technology.