恐怖小說

The course aims at a close reading of selected horror stories by some of the most influential writers who helped create the tradition of horror literature. Though horror literature is dubious in terms of whether the genre has any literary value and how the horror in question can have a well-defined boundary, the textual reading and class discussion as planned here are hoped to provide a glimpse into the way those issues are to be better described, rather than resolved. n.b. the course lecture will be delivered in mandarin.

1. Intro 2. Stephen King, “The Reach” 3. Shirley Jackson, “The Summer People”; Ray Bradbury, “The Crowd” 4. H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu” 5. Michael Shea, “The Autopsy” 6. Theodore Sturgeon, “Bright Segment” 7. Holiday 8. Stephen King, “The Monkey” 9. Mid-term 10. Robert Hichens, “How Love Came to Professor Guildea” 11. Henry James, “The Jolly Corner” 12. Oliver Onions, “The Beckoning Fair One” 13. Fritz Leiber, “Smoke Ghost” 14. Algernon Blackwood, “The Willows” 15. Philip K. Dick, “A Little Something for Us Tempunauts” 16. Kazuo Ishiguro, Two Stories (handout) 17. Oral report on final project 18. Final

Weekly in-class oral report, and written outline or critique 30% Mid-term exam and project 30% Final project 40%

David G. Hartwell. “The Dark Descent.” (to be put in library’s reserved shelf)