108G: Horror
Dr. Andrew McMurry
HH 265, ext. 32121
Office Hours: Wed, 11:00-12:30 and by arrangement
amcmurry@uwaterloo.ca
“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.”
Assignments
Students will be assessed according to five criteria:
- Me ’n’ Horror personal essay: 10%
- Attendance & participation: 10 + 5%
- Reading reflections: 3 x 10%
- Reading quizzes: 10%
- Anthology project: 35%
The assignments will be described in detail on the LEARN website.
Policies
Reading: Make sure you read the week’s texts before Monday’s class. Pop reading quizzes may occur at any time to ensure you’re keeping up.
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, assignments will not be counted in the final grade without medical documentation. For the final project, 5% per day will be deducted from the assignment 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 distract and 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 reasonably 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 shorts stories and readings available on Learn
Films
- Halloween
- Night of the Living Dead
- A film made in the 21st century to be chosen later in consultation with students and with the sole requirement that it be as scary as hell.
Schedule
Week 1 (Sept 10 & 12) Intro; Langan
Week 2 (Sept 17 & 18) Classic Horror: Blackwood; Lovecraft
Week 3 (Sept 24 & 26) The 50s: Bradbury; Jackson; Bloch; The Haunt of Fear
Week 4 (Oct 1 & 3) Sci-fi Horror: Dick, Leman, King
Week 5 (Oct 12) Night of the Living Dead (virtual class)
Week 6 (Oct 15 & 17) The King of Horror: Pet Sematary
Week 7 (Oct 22 & 24) Existential Horror: Ligotti, Oates, Kiernan
Week 8 (Oct 29 & 31) John Carpenter week, Halloween
Week 9 (Nov 5 & 7) Offbeat Horror: Link, Padgett, Ford
Week 10 (Nov 12 & 14) New Horror: Link, Barron, Wehunt, Ballingrud
Week 11 (Nov 19 & 21) Lavalle, The Ballad of Black Tom
Week 12 (Nov 26 & 28) Film TBD
Week 13 (Dec 3) TBD
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.