The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction

Name: The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction
Author: Dorothy Scarborough

By Dorothy Scarborough

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About This Book

The author surveys the presence of the supernatural in modern English fiction, tracing its origins in the Gothic romance and following subsequent influences that reshape ghostly and psychic motifs. She categorizes manifestations—modern ghosts, diabolical figures and their allies, continuing supernatural vitality, folk-tale elements, and treatments framed as scientific—and examines how these forms function within narrative and cultural imagination. Critical commentary addresses psychological and social reasons for the genre's persistence, and the work collates bibliographical resources while evaluating stylistic and thematic continuities. It closes with a synthesis of trends and the genre's adaptability in changing literary contexts.

About the Author

Dorothy Scarborough

Dorothy Scarborough was an American author and literary scholar known for her contributions to the genre of supernatural fiction. She is particularly recognized for her collection "Humorous Ghost Stories," which showcases her ability to blend humor with the eerie and uncanny. Scarborough also wrote "The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction," a critical examination of the role of supernatural elements in contemporary literature. Her work reflects a keen interest in the intersection of folklore and modern storytelling, making her a notable figure in early 20th-century American literature.