The Weird and the Eerie

Synopsis

A noted cultural critic unearths the weird, the eerie, and the horrific in 20th-century culture through a wide range of literature, film, and music references-from H.P. Lovecraft and Daphne Du Maurier to Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan.
 
What exactly are the Weird and the Eerie? Two closely related but distinct modes, and each possesses its own distinct properties. Both have often been associated with Horror, but this genre alone does not fully encapsulate the pull of the outside and the unknown.

In several essays, Mark Fisher argues that a proper understanding of the human condition requires examination of transitory concepts such as the Weird and the Eerie.

Featuring discussion of the works of: H. P. Lovecraft, H. G. Wells, M.R. James, Christopher Priest, Joan Lindsay, Nigel Kneale, Daphne Du Maurier, Alan Garner and Margaret Atwood, and films by Stanley Kubrick, Jonathan Glazer and Christopher Nolan.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Weird

* Summary: Explores the concept of the "weird," characterized by a sense of displacement, estrangement, and uncanny familiarity.
* Example: A familiar neighborhood transformed into a labyrinthine maze, evoking feelings of alienation and discomfort.

Chapter 2: The Eerie

* Summary: Examines the "eerie," distinguished from the weird by its focus on the absence or withdrawal of life.
* Example: An abandoned house with a flickering light in a window, suggesting a ghostly presence despite the lack of visible occupants.

Chapter 3: The Body and the Weird

* Summary: Discusses the role of the body in experiencing the weird, exploring the physical sensations and emotional responses it evokes.
* Example: A body distorted and elongated in a mirror, triggering feelings of unease and uncertainty.

Chapter 4: The Mind and the Weird

* Summary: Examines the psychological processes involved in interpreting the weird, such as cognitive dissonance, disruption of schemas, and altered perception.
* Example: A dream that blends reality and the unreal, creating a state of confusion and ambiguity.

Chapter 5: The Weird and the Modern

* Summary: Considers the historical development of the weird and eerie in the context of modern society, technology, and the search for meaning.
* Example: The internet as a vast, labyrinthine space that fosters a sense of the weird and the unknown.

Chapter 6: The Weird and the Sublime

* Summary: Explores the relationship between the weird and the sublime, both of which evoke feelings of awe and transcendence.
* Example: A mountain of icebergs that dwarfs the observer, creating a sense of insignificance and the sublime.

Chapter 7: The Weird and the Uncanny

* Summary: Examines the connections between the weird and the uncanny, exploring how familiar objects or experiences can become unsettlingly unfamiliar.
* Example: A doll that resembles a human but moves and speaks in unnatural ways, creating a sense of the uncanny.

Chapter 8: The Weird and the Gothic

* Summary: Explores the influence of the Gothic tradition on the weird, from its focus on the supernatural to its atmospheric settings.
* Example: A crumbling castle on a stormy night, evoking the eerie and macabre elements of Gothic literature.

Chapter 9: The Weird and the Fantastic

* Summary: Examines the intersections between the weird and the fantastic, considering how the blurring of reality and fantasy can create a sense of disorientation and wonder.
* Example: A talking animal that interacts with humans as an equal, defying the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural.