April 5, 2010
The Occult in YA Literature
LIS 722
Janis Ray
Val Kyriakopoulos
Elements Present in
Occult Novels
◊ Angels
◊ Monsters
◊ Astrology
◊ Vampires
◊ Clairvoyance & ESP
◊ Werewolves
◊ Demons
◊ Witches
◊ Ghosts
◊ Zombies
Occult’s Beginnings in
YA Literature
◊
◊
◊
◊
◊
◊
Charles Dickens [Christmas Carol]
The Brothers Grimm [Fairy Tales]
Washington Irving [Legend of Sleepy Hollow]
Edgar Allan Poe [macabre short stories]
Bram Stoker [Dracula]
Mary Shelley [Frankenstein]
Inspirations to Occult
YA Literature
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
The Brothers Grimm
(1785 – 1863)
Inspirations to Occult
YA Literature
Washington Irving (1783 – 1859)
Edgar Allan Poe (1809 – 1849)
Inspirations to Occult
YA Literature
Mary Shelley
(1797 – 1851)
Bram Stoker
(1847 – 1912)
The Seeds Are Planted
◊
◊
◊
◊
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin [1967]
Carrie by Stephen King [1974]
The Dark Forces (series) by various [1980’s]
Twilight: Where Darkness Begins (series) by various
[1982 – 1987]
More Recent Examples
Pete Hautman
2003
Annette Curtis Klause
1997
Nick Lake
2009
More Recent Examples
William Sleator
2006
Brian Meehl
2008
Toby Barlow
2008
Series Authors
◊
◊
◊
◊
◊
Darren Shan [Demonata, Cirque Du Freak]
Christopher Golden [The Hollow, Buffy]
Stephenie Meyer [Twilight]
Marlene Perez [Dead is the New Black]
P. C. Cast & Kristen Cast [House of Night]
Why are teens drawn to
occult literature?
“Feeling normal is a challenge all teens face at one time or
another. Stepping into the shoes of a vampire, werewolf, or
any other fantastical creature facing the same challenges
the reader faces frees the mind to experience and imagine,
and maybe find some answers.”
Chase M. Will – “The Alluring Darkness”
Summer 2008 issue of Young Adult Library Services
Challenges to YA
Occult Novels
The Usual Suspects:
◊ Offensive Language
◊ Violence
◊ Sexually Explicit Descriptions
Challenges to YA
Occult Novels
Specific Occult Elements Challenged:
◊
◊
◊
◊
Witchcraft
Satanic Themes
Occult Themes
Anti-Family Approach
YALSA Top Ten Lists
1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
3. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
2007
4.
Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson
5. Firegirl by Tony Abbott
6. All Hallows Eve (13 Stories)by Vivian Vande Velde
7. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
8. River Secrets by Shannon Hale
9. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
10. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
YALSA Top Ten Lists
1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
2008
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5.
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
YALSA Top Ten Lists
1.
Paper Towns by John Green
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2009
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
7. Wake by Lisa McMann
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
References
Enoch Pratt Free Library. "Pratt Picks - Young Adult - Tales of Terror: Horror
Novels for Teens - Enoch Pratt Free Library."
http://www.prattlibrary.org/findanswers/picks/index.aspx?lst=1586
Evanston Public Library. "Mysteries, Suspense & Horror."
http://www.epl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=110:mysterys
-suspense-a-horror&Itemid=444&layout=default.
Marcovitz, Hal. Teens and the Supernatural and Paranormal. The Gallup Youth
Survey. Bromall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2005.
References
Monster Librarian. "Main Page." http://monsterlibrarian.com/main_page.htm
Pasadena Public Library. "Haunted Tales."
http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/libraryteens/booklists/haunted%20pages.asp
Pasadena Public Library. "Thirteen Vampires."
http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/libraryteens/booklists/Thirteen%20Vampires.asp
References
The Free Library by Farlex. "Classic books by famous authors - Free Online
Library." http://www.thefreelibrary.com/literature.aspx
Will, Chase M. "The Alluring Darkness: Finding Belonging in Fangs and Wands."
Young Adult Library Services. Summer 2008. Vol. 6, no. 4. 17-18. Academic
Search Premier, EBSCOhost.
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). "YALSA's Teens' Top Ten."
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm
Don’t ban what you don’t
understand
www.valkyrie22.com/drupaloccult