This book examines trauma in late twentieth- and twenty-first century American popular culture. Although trauma is predominantly associated with high culture, this project shows how popular culture has become the most productive and innovative area of trauma representation in America.
‘Dr Sean Travers is an independent scholar based in Cork, Ireland. She obtained her PhD in University College Cork and has published several articles about trauma, popular culture, postmodernism, and American literature and culture.’
1. Introduction.- 2. Trauma and Postmodernism: Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining .- 3. Competitive Narration: Tim Burton’s Batman Returns and David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks .- 4. Polynarration: in The Wachowskis’ Sense8 (2015-2018), Rebecca Sugar’s Steven Universe (2013-2019), and Nia DaCosta’s Candyman (2021) .- 5. Sceptical scriptotherapy in Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s The OA and Sam Esmai’s Mr Robot.- 6. Perpetrator Trauma in Video Games: Team Salvato’s Doki Doki Literature Club and Toby Fox’s Undertale.- 7. Conclusion.
