Suburban Gothic – Finding the uncanny in the manicured lawn
In the realm of suburban living, the picturesque facade often masks a hidden undercurrent of disquiet. This tension between the idealized and the eerie is embodied in the genre known as Suburban Gothic.
“The suburbs are where the American Dream goes to die” – Joyce Carol Oates
- Isolation: The vast expanses of manicured lawns and isolated houses can create a sense of isolation, fostering an atmosphere of unease.
- Deception: Beneath the shiny veneer of suburban life, lies a world that is not always as it seems. This deception is a common trope in Suburban Gothic stories.
- The Ordinary Turned Sinister: In this genre, the everyday objects and situations are imbued with an unsettling quality, transforming the mundane into the macabre.
The Suburban Gothic subgenre can be traced back to works like Ray Bradbury’s ‘Dandelion Wine’ and Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery.’ More recently, it has found expression in popular culture through films such as ‘American Beauty’ and TV shows like ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’
“Life during wartime is about learning to live with the unexpected” – Kelly Link, from ‘Stranger Things: The Complete Second Season’
In exploring the Suburban Gothic, we find that the manicured lawns and quiet streets of suburbia are not as idyllic as they appear. Instead, they serve as a stage for the exploration of human nature, our fears, and the unsettling undercurrents that lie beneath the surface.