American/Diaspora / Global Anglophone

Isaac Aday (University of Texas at Dallas)

Dorisa Costello (William Jessup University)

Landscapes, scenery, architecture, and locations are integral to the study of horror in fiction-- and yet, one might point out that they rarely recieve as much emphasis or attention as monsters that live within them. This panel is for these forgotten landscapes of horror and "weird" fiction--a place to observe and recognize the importance or triteness of the haunted house trope, the mysterious ineffability of Lovecraftian underwater temples, or the aged spirituality of Dracula's castle. This panel seeks to turn the paradigm of antagonist-focused readings of texts on its head, and start understanding place and location itself as a tangible and critical piece in the inculcation of horror. By doing so, this panel likewise hopes to gain new tools for better understanding the genre.

This panel explores backgrounds, places, locations, and scenery of weird and horror fiction, to better understand the importance and nuance of the environment in horror fiction.