Gothicka

Victoria Nelson is an essayist and fiction writer who teaches in the Goddard College graduate program in creative writing.

This highbrow yet accessible analysis of a genre dedicated to "outrageousness" and "lowbrow ways" will appeal to history, literature, and pop culture buffs in addition to studious devotees of the domain. -- Jillian Mandelkern Library Journal 20120415 A fun, well-written and original read that offers flashes of insight. -- Deborah D. Rogers Times Higher Education 20120419 [A] spirited examination of the role of pulp Gothic fiction in contemporary culture...Nelson's overview of the origins of the Gothic genre and its later ramification into sub-genres such as the ghost story, vampire tale, esoteric thriller and post-apocalyptic survival narrative is lively and sharp. She is equally at home discussing high and low art, and is at her most persuasive when tracing the literary evolution of specific motifs. -- Elizabeth Lowry Wall Street Journal Nelson knows her turf and, unlike many academics who dine below the salt, she gives the impression of being genuinely affectionate towards her disreputable subject matter. She is sometimes thought-provoking and has clearly read more proper historians and solid thinkers than most pop-culture pundits. -- Kevin Jackson Literary Review 20120701