Stephen King and the Uncanny Imaginary

This book explores the use of the uncanny in Stephen King's fiction,using a psychoanalytical approach to consider how King's work is influenced by Freud's theory of the uncanny. It examines themes such as death,monstrosity,telepathy,inanimate objects becoming menacingly animate,and spooky children,and argues that King's uncanny motifs offer insightful commentary on what is repressed in contemporary culture.

Format: Hardback
Length: 178 pages
Publication date: 25 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Offering a comprehensive exploration of Stephen King's fiction, this book employs a psychoanalytical approach, drawing upon Freud's theory of the uncanny. It showcases how deeply ingrained King's work is in a literary tradition influenced by psychoanalytic theory, as well as the strategies he employs to both evade and amend Freud's ideas. By adopting such an approach, the book positions King's texts not merely as objects of interpretation that may yield latent meanings, but as active producers of meaning. While King's fiction can certainly be read through the lens of the uncanny, this book also endeavors to consider the uncanny through the lens of King.

Organized around specific elements of the uncanny that can be found in King's fiction, this book delves into the themes of death and the return of the dead, monstrosity, telepathy, inanimate objects acquiring menacing animosity, and eerie children. Popular texts such as "IT," "The Shining," and "Pet Sematary" are examined, along with less discussed works such as "The Institute," "The Regulators," and "Desperation." The central argument of the book is that King's uncanny motifs offer insightful commentary on what is repressed in contemporary culture and insist on the limitations of scientific rationalism in explaining the world. King's uncanny imaginary rejects dualistic notions of an experiencing self in an inert physical world and asserts that psychic experience is intricately linked with the environmental.

This book will appeal to students and scholars of contemporary and popular literature, gothic and horror studies, and cultural studies. Its comprehensive analysis and insightful interpretations provide valuable insights into King's literary craftsmanship and the enduring relevance of the uncanny in shaping our understanding of the human condition.

Weight: 510g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032185903