Microbiology and Horror Cinema - by Larrie Dudenhoeffer (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book redefines the landscape of horror cinema by exploring the intersection of microbiology and film. Microbiology and Horror Cinema delves into the chilling world of pathogens--funguses, bacteria, parasites, and viruses--and their influence on the narrative and visual conventions of both classic and contemporary horror films. By examining movies like The Exorcist, Annabelle, The Wicker Man, The Skeleton Key, and Crawl, this monograph offers a fresh perspective on how these microscopic threats shape our understanding of fear and embodiment.

The chapters investigate such critical themes as the representation of disease, the impact of infection on human and non-human bodies, and the cultural significance of these narratives in the context of global health crises. Readers will encounter thought-provoking analyses that challenge traditional interpretations of horror, inviting them to consider the invisible yet pervasive anxieties that these films evoke. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving discourse on horror cinema and infectious disease, as it provides a unique epidemiological lens through which to view these unsettling stories.

Scholars, students, and enthusiasts of film studies, cultural studies, medical humanities, and microbiology will find Microbiology and Horror Cinema an invaluable resource. It offers a compelling exploration of how horror films reflect and amplify our deepest fears about disease and contagion.

From the Back Cover

This book redefines the landscape of horror cinema by exploring the intersection of microbiology and film. Microbiology and Horror Cinema delves into the chilling world of pathogens--funguses, bacteria, parasites, and viruses--and their influence on the narrative and visual conventions of both classic and contemporary horror films. By examining movies like The Exorcist, Annabelle, The Wicker Man, The Skeleton Key, and Crawl, this monograph offers a fresh perspective on how these microscopic threats shape our understanding of fear and embodiment.

The chapters investigate such critical themes as the representation of disease, the impact of infection on human and non-human bodies, and the cultural significance of these narratives in the context of global health crises. Readers will encounter thought-provoking analyses that challenge traditional interpretations of horror, inviting them to consider the invisible yet pervasive anxieties that these films evoke. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving discourse on horror cinema and infectious disease, as it provides a unique epidemiological lens through which to view these unsettling stories.

Scholars, students, and enthusiasts of film studies, cultural studies, medical humanities, and microbiology will find Microbiology and Horror Cinema an invaluable resource. It offers a compelling exploration of how horror films reflect and amplify our deepest fears about disease and contagion.

Larrie Dudenhoeffer is a Professor of English at Kennesaw State University, USA, in the metro Atlanta area specializing in film and television studies, critical theory, and American studies. He is the author of Embodiment and Horror Cinema (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), and Walls without Cinema: State Security and Subjective Embodiment in Twenty-First Century U.S. Filmmaking (2019).

About the Author

Larrie Dudenhoeffer is a Professor of English at Kennesaw State University, USA, in the metro Atlanta area specializing in film and television studies, critical theory, and American studies. He is the author of Embodiment and Horror Cinema (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), Anatomy of the Superhero Film (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), and Walls without Cinema: State Security and Subjective Embodiment in Twenty-First Century U.S. Filmmaking (2019).