Ecohorror: Learning From Mutant Monsters and Killer Plants

admin — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:54:42 +0000

Ecohorror: Learning From Mutant Monsters and Killer Plants admin Thu, 10/26/2023 - 19:54

Since Godzilla crawled out of the ocean in 1954, a monstrous consequence of the atomic age, ecohorror has given modern audiences an imaginative way to grapple not only with our primal fear of nature — but also with our complicated feelings about humanity’s impact on the environment.

This subgenre of horror, in which people face the wrath of nature and its emissaries, has never been more popular — driven in large measure by climate change anxiety and showcase titles such as the hit video game and HBO series The Last of Us.

For many, ecohorror offers a safe outlet for our tangled and difficult feelings about climate change. The heroine of ecohorror comic Dark Fang, for example, sets out to solve the fossil fuel problem — or at least avenge beaches blighted by an oil spill — by attacking oil company CEOs, said Brianna Anderson, a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication.

“Ecohorror is great at expressing the rage and fear that people have about environmental issues, at the inadequacy of contemporary environmental movements,” Anderson said. “In the 1980s, we thought everything would be okay if we recycled, right? But now we know that’s absurd, that it’s not even close.”

Read the full article on the Ivan Allen College website.

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Summary sentence

Ecohorror has given modern audiences an imaginative way to grapple not only with our primal fear of nature — but also with our complicated feelings about humanity’s impact on the environment.

Summary

Dateline

Thu, 10/26/2023 - 12:00

stephanie.kadel@gatech.edu

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Stephanie N. Kadel

Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

Keywords

ecohorror

gothic horror

horror

comics

horror films

graphics

hbo

movies

halloween

video games

monsters

paranormal

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Society and Culture

The Importance of Inclusive Gaming

admin — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:54:42 +0000

The Importance of Inclusive Gaming admin Thu, 10/26/2023 - 19:54

"By nature, humans are storytellers," says Lee Hibbard, a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. "And since people have been people, we have found ways to entertain ourselves."

Hibbard studies how people talk about their identities and share them with others. Much of this comes down to storytelling, he explains. Humans love to share stories because it's how we relate to each other and find common ground. In video games, role-playing, and tabletop games such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), storytelling comes to life in an interactive way that movies, TV shows, and books just don't match.

"Games are such a huge marker of identity formation, especially for young people, because they give you the chance to pick up and play with things and try stuff out for fun," Hibbard says. "It's a lower stakes opportunity to experiment with yourself and with other people, and it's a cool way to learn about yourself."

Interest in these kinds of games has exploded since the Covid-19 pandemic, with one study reporting that online searches for D&D have increased by 85% since 2020. Beyond playing the games themselves, fans spend millions of hours a year on Twitch and YouTube watching players adventure in these fantasy worlds. Rising interest and a growing gamer base spur discussion about the importance of inclusion in such spaces, Hibbard says.

In the following Q&A, Hibbard discusses why inclusive gaming is so important and how it can help people in marginalized communities claim space in the real world.

Read the full article on the Ivan Allen College website.

Subtitle

The Importance of Inclusive Gaming

Summary sentence

Interest in role-playing games has exploded since the Covid-19 pandemic. A growing gamer base spurs discussion about why inclusive gaming is important and how it can help people claim space in the real world.

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Dateline

Thu, 10/26/2023 - 12:00

michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu

Contact

Michael Pearson

Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

Keywords

gaming

Inclusive gaming

video games

dungeons and dragons

storytelling

table top games

Diversity and Inclusion

LGBTQIA

News room topics

Society and Culture

video games

Ecohorror: Learning From Mutant Monsters and Killer Plants

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The Importance of Inclusive Gaming

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