War Gothic in Literature and Culture

War Gothic in Literature and Culture was published in 2015 by Routledge as part of their focus on cultural studies and literary analysis. Steffen Hantke, an established scholar in the fields of horror, film, and popular culture, designed this collection to investigate how the tropes of gothic fiction—such as isolation, the uncanny, and the grotesque—intersect with the realities of modern warfare. The work emerged from a growing academic interest in 'trauma studies,' positioning the battlefield as a literal and metaphorical space for the gothic experience.

Hantke curated these essays to analyze diverse media, ranging from combat literature and film to digital games, arguing that the horror genre provides a unique vocabulary for describing the incomprehensible nature of armed conflict. The book was received as a significant contribution to both gothic studies and military humanities, recognized for its rigorous cross-disciplinary approach. By examining the collapse of the boundary between the civilian and the soldier, Hantke highlights how gothic narratives help society process the lasting psychological scars of war.