Scottish Gothic

Written from various critical standpoints by internationally renowned scholars, Scottish Gothic: An Edinburgh Companion interrogates the ways in which the concepts of the Gothic and Scotland have intersected and been manipulated from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. This interdisciplinary collection is the first ever published study to investigate the multifarious strands of Gothic in Scottish fiction, poetry, theatre and film. Its contributors - all specialists in their fields - combine an attention to socio-historical and cultural contexts with a rigorous close reading of works, both classic and lesser known, produced between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries.

This is a collection of contemporary Scottish gothic fiction. As well as a bloody and turbulent history, Scotland has produced some of the world's most eerie and disturbing fiction. The national psyche seethes with Tam O'Shanters and Mr Hydes, justified sinners and wasp factories, monstrous apparitions, witches, doppelgangers and psychopaths. Here, a selection of Scottish writers have plumbed their depths, creating a set of demons for a modern age: Ali Smith's neo-Nazi, Alison Armstrong's transvestite serial-killer, Brian McCabe's abominable neck-boil, James Robertson's mutant mouse, Toni Davidson's confused sado-masochist. Be frozen by Maggie O'Farrell's quiet touch or be appalled at Andrew Murray Scott's putrescent landscape. Experience fork and knife disorder with Jackie Kay or receive sinister letters from Helen Lamb.

An innovative reading of a wide range of contemporary Scottish novels in relation to literary tradition and modern philosophy, Contemporary Scottish Gothic provides a new approach to Scottish fiction and Gothic literature, and offers a fuller picture of contemporary Scottish Gothic than any previous text.

Gothic as a form of fiction-making has played a major role in Western culture since the late eighteenth century. In this volume, fourteen world-class experts on the Gothic provide thorough and revealing accounts of this haunting-to-horrifying type of fiction from the 1760s (the decade of The Castle of Otranto, the first so-called 'Gothic story') to the end of the twentieth century (an era haunted by filmed and computerized Gothic simulations). Along the way, these essays explore the connections of Gothic fictions to political and industrial revolutions, the realistic novel, the theatre, Romantic and post-Romantic poetry, nationalism and racism from Europe to America, colonized and post-colonial populations, the rise of film and other visual technologies, the struggles between 'high' and 'popular' culture, changing psychological attitudes towards human identity, gender and sexuality, and the obscure lines between life and death, sanity and madness. The volume also includes a chronology and guides to further reading.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE GOTHIC “Well written and interesting [it is] a testament to the breadth and depth of knowledge about its central subject among the more than 130 contributing writers, and also among the three editors, each of whom is a significant figure in the field of gothic studies … A reference work that’s firmly rooted in and actively devoted to expressing the current state of academic scholarship about its area.” New York Journal of Books “A substantial achievement.” Reference Reviews Comprehensive and wide-ranging, The Encyclopedia of the Gothic brings together over 200 newly-commissioned essays by leading scholars writing on all aspects of the Gothic as it is currently taught and researched, along with challenging insights into the development of the genre and its impact on contemporary culture. The A-Z entries provide comprehensive coverage of relevant authors, national traditions, critical developments, and notable texts that continue to define, shape, and inform the genre. The volume’s approach is truly interdisciplinary, with essays by specialist international contributors whose expertise extends beyond Gothic literature to film, music, drama, art, and architecture. From Angels and American Gothic to Wilde and Witchcraft, The Encyclopedia of the Gothic is the definitive reference guide to all aspects of this strange and wondrous genre. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Literature is a comprehensive, scholarly, authoritative, and critical overview of literature and theory comprising individual titles covering key literary genres, periods, and sub-disciplines. Available both in print and online, this groundbreaking resource provides students, teachers, and researchers with cutting-edge scholarship in literature and literary studies.

A Scottish lost treasures collection of three classic Scottish tales, each offering a dark and shocking narrative. Bundled by subject matter rather than author, the books complement each other to create a compelling trilogy. "Palimpsest's eClassics series, Scottish Lost Treasures, shows us how much poorer Britain's cultural heritage would be without Scottish writers ... The best example I've seen of how curation and presentation can bring old books to new audiences" - The Observer "This strikes me as a fantastic venture, and one I hope will expand further" - Professor Willy Maley, University of Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday

A unique introduction, guide and reference work for students and readers of Scottish literature from the pre-medieval period.

Sometimes a fox is not a fox, and a man is not what he seems. When Lachlan, the golden prince of the faeries, is transformed into a fox and banished from the forest on the eve of his mother's funeral, the last creature he expects to seek help from is a human. But Sorcha Darrow is not so easily enchanted by the wily faerie. Only after discovering her father means to marry her to a wealthy Londoner does she decide to help him, seeking the power of a being even Lachlan is wary of: a kelpie. In finding one Sorcha hopes that she may just avoid her own dire fate in the process. With Sorcha's dreams being their only true form of communication, Lachlan has to race against time to break his curse and take his place as king before he's doomed to live as a fox forever. But someone else is after the throne, and may just use Sorcha's growing connection to Lachlan to reach it. *** The first book in the Bright Spear trilogy, Prince of Foxes is loosely based on the Celtic fairy tale of Gold-tree and Silver-tree, and features a cameo from Julian and Evie from The Tower Without a Door (Chronicles of Curses book 3). NOTE: Prince of Foxes is written in UK (British) English, not American English. *** Praise for Prince of Foxes: "The Prince of Foxes is as lushly filled with rich prose as any timeless classic. Hayley writes in a way that calls to mind the original fairy tales written hundreds of years ago..." Amazon.com reviewer "From the first page to the last, this is a captivating read." Amazon.com reviewer "I had no doubt I would lose myself in this book, and I can safely say it was everything I wanted." Amazon.co.uk reviewer

When Iseabail is employed by a wealthy merchant to be his daughter's companion, her life changes forever. Transported from her remote island home to the Scottish borderlands, Iseabail is unnerved both by her precocious young charge and the house's secrets: a hidden chapel, servants who speak in a foreign tongue, a mute stableboy. And then the merchant returns with a mysterious cargo. Why has Iseabail really been summoned here? And will she ever make it back home?

'Unputdownable' Sunday Times 'I was hooked from page one' Guardian When Rilke, a dissolute auctioneer, comes upon a hidden collection of violent and highly disturbing photographs, he feels compelled to discover more about the deceased owner who coveted them. Soon he finds himself sucked into an underworld of crime, depravity and secret desire, fighting for his life.