Publisher's Synopsis
The Gothic is flourishing not just in Stephen King's novels and Quentin Tarantino's films, but also in the media renderings of phenomena like the O. J. Simpson case, and in characterizations of terrorism, in our political and popular discourses, in modes of therapy, on TV news, on talk shows like Oprah, in our discussions of AIDS, and of the environment. This collection of essays critically interrogates contemporary visualizations of the Gothic and the monstrous in film and media. The ongoing fascination with evil, as simultaneously repellant and irresistibly attractive in the Hollywood film, criminological case studies, popular culture, and even public policy, points to the emergence of ""Gothic criminology,"" with its focus on themes such as blood lust, compulsion, godlike vengeance, and power and determination.Caroline Joan Picart is an Associate Professor of English and Courtesy Associate Professor of Law at Florida State University. Cecil E. Greek is Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University.
