This course introduces students to the generic conventions of Gothic fiction as we reflect on its enduring popularity and currency in contemporary cultural production. We will trace the origins of the Gothic genre in the late 18th century, and consider its relation to the various social, cultural, and political contexts underpinning its emergence. We will also chart the ways in which the Gothic genre is reworked in subsequent periods and cultural contexts. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which the Gothic responds to shifting ideas of political authority; the aesthetics of horror and terror and the way these contribute to understandings of knowledge; and the idea of the monstrous in relation to contemporary discourses of science and race. We may also consider the pleasures afforded by the Gothic in contemporary Asia, and the ways in which the genre responds to the traumas of colonialism and postcolonial nationalism, the dehumanising forces of finance capital, forced migration, as well as environmental degradation. 

By the end of this course, students who actively engage in class should be able to: 

• Identify and analyse the generic conventions of Gothic writing across different texts and periods. 
• Examine Gothic texts in relation to historical, cultural, and literary contexts. 
• Develop well-structured arguments in both oral and written form regarding the significance of Gothic literature and its thematic concerns. 

The course consists of three contact hours per week, divided into a two-hour interactive lecture and a one-hour tutorial.