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This two-volume set sets itself apart from its predecessors by the breadth of its scope, from the “Ancient World” through the twenty-first century (The timeline begins with the Epic of Gilgamesh and runs through 2016). Horror as a genre can be difficult to define, as it touches on theories of psychology, aesthetics, sociology and cultural studies. Cardin defines horror as “not a genre but a mode that can be employed in any form or genre” (p. xxxi), and therefore argues that it exists throughout space and time, with the possibility of acting as a sort of catharsis for readers, as defined by Aristotle (p. xxxii). Horror Literature through History appears to be strongly influenced by S.T. Joshi (who writes on Lovecraft), as Joshi is given an entry, where, if critics are to be included, one might expect to read about the contributions of Freud or Kristeva, for example.
The work is divided into three distinct parts: Horror through History; Themes, Topics and Genres; and Reference Entries. The table of contents is followed by a Guide to Related Topics, preface and introduction. Horror through History offers eight essays in chronological order,...