The Theology of Dracula: Reading the Book of Stoker as Sacred Text
Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula continues to be enjoyed by both fans, and academics, who explore its pages for entertainment as well as something more. The religious elements of Dracula have long been recognized, but recent studies are pushing in this in very different directions. In his book The Theology of Dracula: Reading the Book [...]
Hellraiser and Popular Esotericism
The Academic Study of Magic list recently included a fascinating scholarly paper abstract that dovetails with the interests of TheoFantastique. Leon Marvell of Deakin University will be presenting at the International Conference on Esotericism, Culture and Religion at UC Davis with a paper titled “Under the Sign of Baphomet: Hellraiser and Popular Esotericism.” Here is [...]
TheoFantastique Podcast: Erik Davis on Modern Esoterica in Popular Culture
TheoFantastique Podcast 2.3 is available, an interview with Erik Davis, author of Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (YETI/Verse Chorus Press, 2010). Davis defines “modern esoterica” in his preface as “a no-man’s land located somewhere between anthropology and mystical pulp, between the zendo and the metal club, between cultural criticism and extraordinary experience, whether psychedelic, [...]
Screened: Spock as Space Wizard, and Magus
Screened recently featured an interesting and insightful article by Andrew Gray titled “Mr. Spock, Space Wizard.” The piece begins with an often ignored or overlooked function of technology in science fiction that is akin to magic. Gray then takes this a step further: Science-fiction films and television have an odd relationship with magic. They dance [...]
Creativity, Evolution, Psychedelics: Richard Doyle and Altered States
Through a Facebook post by Christopher Knowles, previously interviewed here at TheoFantastique, I was made aware of a piece titled “Creativity, evolution of mind and the ‘vertigo of freedom.’” This is a “A DIALOGUE BETWEEN JASON SILVA AND TECHNO-ECOLOGIC SCHOLAR RICHARD DOYLE.” The exchange is interesting as the topics of evolution and psychedelics are brought [...]
Satanism, Exorcism and Social Horror Trends
An article that ran in The Telegraph on 7 April titled “Rise in demand for exorcism recalls horror trend,” caught my attention, not only for its connection of concerns over the demonic and contemporary horror films, but also for some of the provocative claims it made. Looking back at The Exorcist (1973) and an increase [...]
Donald Tyson: The Dream World of H. P. Lovecraft
H.P. Lovecraft is one of the most influential writers on contemporary horror. As such, he has been the focus of a number of biographies, including H. P. Lovecraft: A Life by S. T. Joshi (Necronomicon press, 1996), and the documentary Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown, directed by Frank Woodward. More recently, a new biography has [...]
Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies: Lovecraft and Occultism
The latest issue of the online Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies is available, #9 (February 2011). One of the worthwhile essays includes a piece that considers the impact of one of the most significant horror writers on Western esotericism, in an article titled “The Influence of H.P. Lovecraft on Occultism,” by K. R. [...]
Jeffrey Kripal – Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred
In my research on the paranormal I was fortunate to come across the work of Jeffrey J. Kripal. Kripal is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He is the author of a number of books, which are mentioned below, including Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the [...]
Christopher Knowles: Gods, Esotericism, and Comics
Comic books and graphic novels are not only popular sources for television and Hollywood films. They are also increasingly the object of academic and critical scrutiny. Christopher Knowles has made his own contribution in this area with his book Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes (Weiser Books, 2007). As the [...]
