ENG10250 Horror Literature

Academic Year 2022/2023

Module Coordinator: Dr. Leanne Waters
Contact: leanne.waters@ucd.ie

Why do we love to be scared? What makes us want to seek out those things that go bump in the night? Horror is, on the one hand, an uncomfortable genre of physical pain, graphic gore, and nightmarish states. It provides us with “cheap thrills” and disturbing visions, which act as mapping tools for the existential pathos of the modern individual. On the other hand, horror also speaks to some of society’s deepest anxieties and desires. At the level of the collective, horror identifies an aesthetic language for the otherwise unspeakable, and it brings the fears that secretly haunt us to light in radically new ways. This module helps students to cultivate a discipline-specific appreciation of literary horror in relation to modernity and popular culture. Examining some of the most famous texts of the genre from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the module helps students understand the significance of these menacing stories within their appropriate literary, theoretical, and socio-historical contexts. Key topics and themes of the module include: the gothic, the other, the uncanny, the return of the repressed, trauma, the body in pain, the grotesque, the modern family, hauntings, place/space, the mind, science, and technology.

Spring 2023 Reading List:

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death” (1842 short story).
Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886 novella).
Henry James, "The Turn of the Screw" (1898 novella).
Shirley Jackson, "The Haunting of Hill House" (1959 novel).
Robert Bloch, "Psycho" (1959 novel).
Ira Levin, "Rosemary’s Baby" (1967 novel).
William Peter Blatty, "The Exorcist" (1971 novel).
Stephen King, "The Shining" (1977 novel).
Clive Barker, “The Forbidden” (1985 short story).
Koji Suzuki, "Ring" (1991 novel).
Tananarive Due, “Summer” (2012 short story).

*NOTE: Any edition of texts acceptable, but you must have Robert B. Rohmer and Glynne Walley’s translation of "Ring". Texts are available to borrow from the UCD Library, or to buy in the UCD Campus Bookshop. Short stories and recommended secondary readings will be provided on Brightspace.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, students will:
(a) have a critical understanding of the relationship between horror and modernity.
(b) have a discipline-specific knowledge of literary techniques, devices, and writing styles that are prevalent in the genre, and thus be able to conceptualise horror theoretically.
(c) be able to outline the evolution of horror from the nineteenth century onwards, paying particular attention to literary and socio-historical contexts.
(d) be able to account for the role and function of horror in popular culture specifically, paying particular attention to the module’s key topics and themes.

Indicative Module Content:

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death” (1842 short story).
Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886 novella).
Henry James, "The Turn of the Screw" (1898 novella).
Shirley Jackson, "The Haunting of Hill House" (1959 novel).
Robert Bloch, "Psycho" (1959 novel).
Ira Levin, "Rosemary’s Baby" (1967 novel).
William Peter Blatty, "The Exorcist" (1971 novel).
Stephen King, "The Shining" (1977 novel).
Clive Barker, “The Forbidden” (1985 short story).
Koji Suzuki, "Ring" (1991 novel).
Tananarive Due, “Summer” (2012 short story).

*Any edition of texts acceptable, but you must have Robert B. Rohmer and Glynne Walley’s translation of "Ring". Short stories and recommended secondary readings will be provided on Brightspace.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Specified Learning Activities

36
Autonomous Student Learning

52
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures on this module are recorded as videos, which are released each week on Brightspace (along with a pdf of lecture slides). Students should watch these videos in advance of the tutorial.

Tutorials on this module are delivered in person on UCD campus. Students must attend all tutorials (10% of overall grade for the module). Please check your UCD account to ensure you have the correct day, time, building, and room number.

Students should read the assigned primary texts and should prepare discussion points in advance of weekly tutorials. The lecture video, the pdf of lecture slides, the handout, and recommended secondary readings will all be available on Brightspace. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Final Essay Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

60
Assignment: Literature Review Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

40

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written feedback is provided to students individually via Brightspace, with the opportunity for face-to-face feedback if necessary.

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death” (1842 short story).
Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886 novella).
Henry James, "The Turn of the Screw" (1898 novella).
Shirley Jackson, "The Haunting of Hill House" (1959 novel).
Robert Bloch, "Psycho" (1959 novel).
Ira Levin, "Rosemary’s Baby" (1967 novel).
William Peter Blatty, "The Exorcist" (1971 novel).
Stephen King, "The Shining" (1977 novel).
Clive Barker, “The Forbidden” (1985 short story).
Koji Suzuki, "Ring" (1991 novel).
Tananarive Due, “Summer” (2012 short story).

*NOTE: Any edition of texts acceptable, but you must have Robert B. Rohmer and Glynne Walley’s translation of "Ring". Texts are available to borrow from the UCD Library, or to buy in the UCD Campus Bookshop. Short stories and recommended secondary readings will be provided on Brightspace.
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Spring
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 16:00 - 16:50