The California Gothic in Fiction and Film

Abstract

This book positions the ‘California Gothic’ as a significant regional subgenre which articulates anxieties specific to the historical, cultural and geographical characteristics of the ‘Golden State’. As one of the most populous, diverse, and geographically varied states in the U.S., California has long been perceived as a utopian space. Yet it also haunted by the spectres of European and Anglo-American colonialism, racial discrimination, natural disaster and aggressive development. The California Gothic in Fiction and Film explores the ways in which the nightmarish flipside of the ‘California Dream’ had been depicted within the horror and Gothic genres. This volume outlines the key characteristics of the ‘California Gothic’ and discusses selected key works of fiction and film which have contributed to its development. High-profile authors are reconsidered in terms of their standing as contributors to the California Gothic canon, amongst them Nathanael West, Clark Ashton Smith, Shirley Jackson, Fritz Leiber, Joan Didion, Richard Matheson and Dave Eggers. The book also considers key films in relation to their previously overlooked ‘California Gothic’ significance including titles such as Messiah of Evil (1973), The Fog (1980), The Lost Boys (1987), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Ravenous (1999), Starry Eyes (2014), The Neon Demon (2016), The Invitation (2015), Desierto (2015), Winchester (2018) and Us (2019). The book is interdisciplinary, bringing together literary criticism, film studies and cultural studies.