Since the early days of gothic writing in Europe, journeying has been at the heart of the genre. Ann Radcliffe’s heroines were transported to faraway castles and abbeys, while Melmoth wandered the earth an outcast and Victor Frankenstein travelled to the Arctic to hunt down his monstrous creation. The fictional vampire, from Lord Ruthven to Count Dracula and beyond, has been travelling companion, reverse coloniser and intrepid wanderer. Now other forms of journey, through wilderness, dark cities, post-apocalyptic worlds, (post)colonial passages, even outer space, feature heavily in the genre, and natural landscapes continue to inspire this mode of writing. Travel in its many and changing forms has continued to be an essential aspect of this genre over time.
Working at the intersections between gothic literature, travel writing and ecocriticism, this edited collection will consider the relationship between journeying, the environment, and the gothic tropes of haunting and monstrosity. The collection will explore ecogothic journeys, broadly conceived, from the eighteenth century to the present day with a global scope. Essays may focus on – but are not limited to – the following topics:
- Ecological implications of travel
- Gothic/dark tourism
- Ecogothic readings of older gothic journeys
- The place of the human in the landscape/place
- The more-than-human world
- Slavery and colonial journeys
- Migration and diaspora
- Exploration
- Unknown and uncanny spaces
- Conflict and travel
- Mapping and writing
- Modes of transport and literature
- Journeys through gothic worlds, e.g. fantasy worlds, the land of the dead
- Space travel and exploration
Abstract deadline: December 19, 2025.
Abstracts of 300 words should be emailed to Dr Nicola Bowring and Dr Carina Hart at [email protected]