Course Description

This course will introduce students to the fascinating fictional world of Edgar Allan Poe. We will use both original text and Japanese translations to study his major works from detective stories, science fiction, to horror and gothic novels such as “The Black Cat (1843)” and “The Fall of the House of Usher (1839).” As Poe is said to be the inventor of both detective stories and science fiction, we will both examine his influence on the genre of detective stories, and through comparative studies we will also analyze what influences his writings have on literary imagination and popular culture in Japan and around the world. Students are expected to participate actively in group discussions, workshops, individual and group presentations.