ENGL 108G Horror
UNFLATTERING TRANSFORMATIONS! VEXATIOUS ARTIFACTS! MISSPELLED BURIAL GROUNDS!
“A study of the contemporary horror genre in literature and film. Topics may include the history of horror, the construction of fear, and the development of horror archetypes. Authors and creators may include H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, George Romero, and Stephen King.”
Dr. Andrew McMurry HH 265, ext. 32121
Office Hours: TBA and by arrangement
Assignments
Students will be assessed according to five criteria:
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Me ’n’ Horror personal essay: 20% (due Sept 19)
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Review essay: 25% (due Nov 14)
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Reading quizzes: 18% (weekly)
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Final take-home exam: 37%
The assignments will be described in detail on the LEARN website.
Policies
Preparation: You must read the week’s texts before Tuesday’s class. Reading quizzes may occur at any time to ensure you’re keeping up. If you miss a quiz, you can’t take it later. But relax: each is worth only 2%. Prizes will be awarded to top readers during the final class!
Late Work: Assignments must be submitted according to the schedule and before the deadlines. There is a built-in grace period of two days. Beyond that, 5% per day will be deducted from the raw grade for work submitted after the deadline.
Class Format and Electronic Device Policy: This is an old-fashioned lecture- discussion course, which prioritizes open-ended questioning, on-the-fly critical thinking, face-to-face interchange, and verbal presentation. As much as is practicable, please turn off and put away laptop computers and phones, which can be distracting and may undermine discussion and engagement.
Attendance: In keeping with the University of Waterloo’s attendance policy, students are “expected to attend all meets” of the course and may be required to “present documentation proving the reasons for non- attendance” (UG Calendar). Students who miss more than three classes without providing adequate documentation may, at the discretion of the professor, be penalized on their final grade.
Food: Some students may have food or smell sensitivities or allergies, so please refrain from eating food in the classroom (though drinks are fine).
Texts:
Stephen King, Pet Sematary
Victor Lavalle, The Ballad of Black Tom
various short stories and readings available on Learn
Films:
Halloween
Night of the Living Dead/The Innocents/ Last Man on Earth
A film made in the 21st century to be chosen in consultation with students.
Schedule
Note: it’s possible I may change some of the readings as the term develops, depending on student (dis)interest and tolerance.
Week 1 (Sep 7) Dawn of Horror: Langan, “Kids”; Hill, “Deadwood”
Week 2 (Sep 12 & 14) Classic Horror: Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”; Blackwood, “The Willows”; M.R. James, “Count Magnus”
Week 3 (Sep 19 & 21) Cosmic Horror: Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu,” “The Horror at Red Hook,” “The Music of Erich Zann”
Week 4 (Sep 26 & 28) Bourgeois Horror: Bradbury, “The October Game”; Jackson, “The Summer People”; Bixby, “It’s a Good Life”
Week 5 (Oct 3 & 5) Sci-fi Horror: Leman, “Window”; King, “The Jaunt”; Ellison, “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”
Week 6 (Oct 10 & 12)—no classes; watch Night of the Living Dead, The Innocents, or The Last Man on Earth (all available under Creative Commons licenses)
Week 7 (Oct 17 & 19) King of Horror: Pet Sematary
Week 8 (Oct 24 & 26) Local Horror: Files, “Halloo”; Gavin, “The Patter of Little Feet”; Johnston, “Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq”
Week 9 (Oct 31 & Nov 2) Halloween Horror: Halloween
Week 10 (Nov 7 & 9) Existential Horror; Ligotti, “The Bungalow House” The Clown Puppet,” “The Red Tower”
Week 11 (Nov 14 & 16) Bloody Horror: Carroll, “His Face All Red”; Barker, “In the Hills, the Cities”; Ford, “Blood Drive”; Evenson, “Black Bark,” “Blood Drip”
Week 12 (Nov 21 & 23) Deconstructed Horror: Ballingrud, “Wild Acre”; Link, “The Specialist’s Hat”; Landry, “Mutter”
Week 13 (Nov 28 & 30) Revisionist Horror: Lavalle, The Ballad of Black Tom; Film TBA Week 14 (Dec 5) Sunset of Horror: Film con’t; Skully Awards
Fine print
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust,
fairness, respect and responsibility. Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals. Other sources of information for students: Academic Integrity website (Arts) Academic Integrity Office (UWaterloo) Accommodation for Students with Disabilities: Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located in Needles Hall Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.