Critical Insights: the Supernatural

The supernatural as a category of literature can be difficult to define, and it can be especially difficult to distinguish supernatural literature from such closely related forms of writing as fantasy, horror, science fiction, and so on.

However, as the term itself implies, supernatural literature often involves a close if strange relationship between reality as we normally experience it and something above or beyond (and often threatening to) our everyday lives and expectations. Often, supernatural literature involves a sense of mystery and danger (as in ghost stories) or even dangerous seduction (as in vampire narratives). Emerging from and closely related to Gothic literature, supernatural writing often emphasizes both mystery and the adrenalin-fueled excitement that mystery frequently provokes. The present volume will examine supernatural literature from historical, philosophical, sociological, and other perspectives while also paying close attention to the artistic effectiveness of supernatural writings, the ways such writings have influenced other media (especially films); the reception accorded, over the centuries, to supernatural fictions; and many other issues.