A Century of Weird Fiction, 1832–1937: Disgust, Metaphysics, and the Aesthetics of Cosmic Horror (Horror Studies)

"A Century of Weird Fiction, 1832-1937 explores the aesthetics of the unthinkable in weird fiction, tracing a twisted entanglement of ontology and aesthetics. Drawing on recent speculative philosophy and affect theory, the study argues that weird fiction exploits the viscerality of disgust to confront readers with the intertwinement of the human and nonhuman."-- Provided by publisher This book offers a new critical perspective on the weird that combines two ways of looking at weird and cosmic horror. On the one hand, critics have considered weird fiction in relation to aesthetics - the emotional effects and literary form of the weird. On the other hand, recent scholarship has also emphasised the potential philosophical underpinnings and implications of weird fiction, especially in relation to burgeoning philosophical movements such as new materialism and speculative realism. This study bridges the gap between these two approaches, considering the weird from its early outgrowth from the Gothic through to Lovecraft's stories - a 'weird century' from 1832-1937. Combining recent speculative philosophy and affect theory, it argues that weird fiction harnesses the affective power of disgust to provoke a re-examination of subjectival boundaries and the complex entanglement of the human and nonhuman Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Metaphysical Malignancies 2. The Putrescent Principle 3. Ecstasies of Slime 4. Horrible Enchantments 5. Disgusting Powers 6. Daemonology of Unplumbed Space Conclusion: The Wisdom of the Unhuman Endnotes Bibliography Index Back Cover A Century of Weird Fiction, 1832-1937 explores the intersections between weird fiction, aesthetics and philosophy, arguing that the feelings of horror that weird fiction provokes can suggest surprising insights about the nature of reality.