'Professor Hughes has created an indispensable volume for anyone interested in Gothic studies. His scholarship is rich and elegant. This is a work to be used and cherished and frequently revisited, and will not be outgrown in years of use.' Charles L. Crow, Bowling Green State University An essential quick-reference book for students of Gothic literature, theatre and literary theory Key Concepts in the Gothic provides a one-stop resource which details and defines, in accessible language, those contexts essential for the study of the Gothic in all periods and media. The volume is divided into three sections: Concepts and Terms; Theories of the Gothic; and Key Fictional Texts. Additionally, the latter two sections include bibliographies. The book clearly explains the critical terms - from 'Ab-human' to 'Zombie' - as well as the main theories, including ecocriticism, queer theory and Postcolonial theory, which any student of the Gothic is likely to encounter. This book will be a reliable companion for students of the genre from school through university. Key Features - Covers the Gothic from the eighteenth century to the present - Provides a comprehensive survey not just of movements and theories but also of the essential terminology used in Gothic Studies - A reference work for those working with genres inflected by the Gothic, such as Romanticism, theatre studies and crime writing - Provides a readily accessible resource for developing further research William Hughes is Professor of Medical Humanities and Gothic Literature at Bath Spa University. He is a leading authority on the Gothic with publications including The Historical Dictionary of Gothic Literature (2013) and The Encyclopedia of the Gothic, co-edited with Andrew Smith and David Punter (2013). He has also been the editor of editor of Gothic Studies, the refereed journal of the International Gothic Association, since its first issue in 1999. Cover image: (c) [...] Cover design: [EUP logo] [...] ISBN 978-1-4744-0552-2 [PPC] ISBN 978-1-4744-0553-9 [cover] Barcode