Key Concepts in Literature – serie

A jargon-free guide to the key terms, concepts, and theoretical approaches to contemporary popular fictionKey Concepts in Contemporary Popular Fiction represents an invaluable starting point for students wishing to familiarise themselves with this exciting and rapidly evolving area of literary studies. It provides an accessible, concise and reliable overview of core critical terminology, key theoretical approaches, and the major genres and sub-genres within popular fiction. Because popular fiction is significantly shaped by commercial forces, the book also provides critical and historical contexts for terminology related to e-books, e-publishing, and self-publishing platforms.  By using focusing in particular on post-2000 trends in popular fiction, the book provides a truly up-to-date snapshot of the subject area and its critical contexts.Key FeaturesProvides an engaging and knowledgeable overview of critical terminology and theoretical approaches used by critics working within the fieldIntroduces readers to the most recent trends and newest terms, including ‘Nordic Noir’, ‘New Adult Fiction’, ‘Cli-Fi’ (Climate Change Fiction), ‘Mash-up’ and ‘Flash Fiction’ as well as significant terms related to fan fiction and web-publishing platforms such as WattPadIncludes an annotated further reading list to crime; horror; romance; fantasy; Science Fiction and comic books/graphic novels Supplies a chronology, providing  readers with a historical overview of the major popular novels, critical approaches, and technological innovations

Key Concepts in Literary Theory presents the student of literary and critical studies with a broad range of accessible, precise and authoritative definitions of the most significant terms and concepts currently used in psychoanalytic, poststructuralist, Marxist, feminist, and postcolonial literary studies. The volume also provides clear and useful discussions of the main areas of literary, critical and cultural theory, supported by bibliographies and an expanded chronology of major thinkers. Accompanying the chronology are short biographies of major works by each critic or theorist.The third edition of this reliable reference work is both revised and expanded, including:* more than 100 additional terms and concepts defined.* newly defined terms include keywords from the social sciences, cultural studies and psychoanalysis and the addition of a broader selection of classical rhetorical terms.* an expanded chronology, with additional entries and a broader historical and cultural range.* expanded bibliographies including key texts by major critics.

An essential quick-reference book for students of Gothic literature, theatre and literary theory'Key Concepts in the Gothic' provides a one-stop resource which details and defines, in accessible language, those contexts essential for the study of the Gothic in all periods and media. The volume is divided into three sections: Concepts and Terms; Theories of the Gothic; and Key Fictional Texts. Bibliographies are provided with the last two sections. The book clearly explains the critical terms from 'Ab-human' to 'Zombie' as well as the main theories, including ecocriticism, queer theory and Postcolonial theory, which any student of the Gothic is likely to encounter. This book will be a reliable companion for students of the genre from school and through university.Key FeaturesCovers the Gothic from the eighteenth century to the presentProvides a comprehensive survey not just of movements and theories but also of the essential terminology used in Gothic StudiesA reference work for those working with genres inflected by the Gothic, such as Romanticism, theatre studies and crime writingProvides a readily accessible resource for developing further research

Provides a uniquely detailed and accessible insight into the terminology and culture of the Victorian periodSurveys not merely the reign of Queen Victoria but its antecedents in the long nineteenth centuryIncludes illustrations derived wholly from Victorian sourcesOffers a crucial resource for overseas students and readers unfamiliar with the culture of the nineteenth centuryKey Concepts in Victorian Studies is a comprehensive and accessible resource for students of the long nineteenth century. The volume is divided into a number of cross-referenced sections which address the preoccupations and historical events of this crucial period in recent history and culture. Central to the book's function as a durable reference work is an extensive A-Z glossary which clarifies Victorian terminology and explains key historical and political events. This is supplemented with a chronology listing significant domestic, imperial and international events from 1837 to 1901; a tabulation of British Prime Ministers in office during Queen Victoria's reign; a succinct but detailed survey of the most important acts of Parliament in the period; an explanation of pre-decimal British coinage; and a useful chart which converts imperial measurement into their metric equivalents. This book is an essential reference for scholars of Victorian literature and history from undergraduate to postgraduate level.