Virginia Woolf’s second novel, Mrs. Dalloway (1925), is many things. On one level, it’s a psychological portrait of London’s residents after the first World War. On another, it’s a love triangle, but long after the drama has concluded, and when all that’s left is dust. Doubtless, it is a feat of high modernism, displaying a trademark love of interior exploration…
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‘The Girl with all the Gifts’: Triumph of the Other in Modern Zombie Horror
The general breadth of zombie–themed horror films out in this world is both overwhelming in quantity and underwhelming in quality. Nonetheless, the world of storytelling is full of surprises, and a well-presented idea can add new dimensions to even the stalest motif. This is where The Girl with all the Gifts (2016) comes in. Directed by Colm McCarthy and written by M.R.…
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‘The Diamond Age’ by Neal Stephenson: A Nanopunk Fairytale
Neal Stephenson is an American speculative fiction author descended from a line of scientists and engineers. His work often lands in the (post-) cyberpunk genre which is best illustrated by William Gibson—whose works popularly inspired the Matrix films. Cyberpunk stories present a future world buoyed by an advanced technological culture which is contrasted by a radical, subversive or dystopic society. In other…
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‘Under the Feet of Jesus’ by Helena María Viramontes: A Sentimental Chicanx Bildungsroman
Helena Maria Viramontes is a widely anthologised Chicanx author and professor of English at Cornell University. A key figure in the literary community, her work is a major feature of the Latinx cannon and widely read in circles outside of the traditional (often color- and gender-washed) vein. Born in East LA in the 1950s, Viramontes’ work is a reflection of the social…
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‘Halloween’ 40 Years Later: From Final Girl to Warrior Queen
If you’re a horror fan, then chances are that Jamie Lee Curtis has been your ruling Scream Queen for decades now. Standing right behind her, knife in hand with his workman’s jumper and reworked Spock mask has been the reigning Slasher King, Michael Myers. Beginning with John Carpenter’s Halloween of 1978, Michael’s specter has stalked fans through seven sequels (not including…
