Swedish Gothic: Dark Forces, Creatures and the Wilderness

The book explores the Gothic tradition in Swedish literature. It aims to give an overview of the development of Swedish Gothic from the Romantic age until today. It highlights the characteristic features of the Swedish tradition of Gothic in relation to transnational developments, in particular in relation to the Anglo-American tradition. By using a contextualising comparative perspective, it highlights the most prevalent and prominent feature of Swedish Gothic, the significance of the Nordic landscape, the wilderness and local folklore. In Swedish fiction, the terror is not pointing to the medieval period but is located in pre-Christian, pagan times. Especially in today’s Gothic narratives, the presence of mythical creatures and nature beings, such as trolls, tomtes, or vittras, enhances the Gothic atmosphere. Other domestic trends are Gothic crime stories, where supernatural creatures and powers constantly obstruct the modern crime investigation, and the use of gendered and female monsters.