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Gothic Appalachian Literature examines the ways contemporary Appalachian authors utilize gothic tropes to explore the complex history and contemporary problems of the region, particularly in terms of their representation of economic and environmental concerns. It argues that across Appalachian fiction, the plight of characters to save their homes, land and way of life from the destructive forces of extractive industries brings sharply to bare the histories of colonization and slavery that problematize questions of belonging, ownership and possession.
Robertson extensively considers contemporary manifestations of the gothic in Appalachian literature, arguing that gothic tropes abound in fiction that focuses on the impacts of extractive industries that connect this micro-region with other parts of the Global North and Global South where the devastating impacts of extractive industries are also experienced socially, economically and environmentally.
“Robertson’s elegant, carefully researched study explores the diversity and complexity of Appalachia, the most stereotyped and “othered” region of America, as revealed in its gothic literature. Focusing especially on recent decades, Robertson shows the gothic horrors created through extraction of the region’s resources, and the resulting legacy of despair.” — Charles L. Crow, Professor Emeritus of English, Bowling Green State University
Introduction; 1. War and Diseases of Despair in Gothic Appalachian Literature; 2. The Extractive Logic and the Climate Crisis in Gothic Appalachian Literature; 3. Race and LGBTQ+ Rights in Gothic Appalachian Literature; Conclusion; Works Cited; Index