Contamination by Richa Lakhera comes off as a supernatural cum horror genre-ic intervention post Hungry Gods where both elements of nature and the supernature come together to haunt and hunt the reader. Bollywood’s romance with “rural legends” like Makdee (Spider), Kaali Khuhi(Black Well) and Tumbaad is reflected in Lakhera’s Indian indie horror that is perfect for you during the chill of the dead winter. Asian-horror readers shall find similar lines of familiarity in terms of violence against women, shamanism, and the revival of the rural-lore of witches. The psychological, social and postcolonial dimensions of the novel sharpen the lens through which criticism is inked and read. Debuted in September, 2022 this horror cum thriller shall keep you on your heels, reeling against the unpredictability and sheer suddenness of the storyline, a perfect read for cold wintry and looming midnights. (Ananya Roy, University of Delhi)
Dr Devaleena Kundu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Liberal Studies, UPES, Dehradun, India. Former Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, she holds a PhD in English Literature from EFL University, Hyderabad, India. Her research primarily dwells on literary and popular cultural representations of death and dying. She is also interested in the depiction of crime and the criminal investigative eye in popular media.
Kathleen Shaughnessy is a fifth-year PhD candidate in English at the University of Iowa, USA. She specializes in intersections between the gothic, science, and crime in 19th century British literature. She is also interested in popular transnational and imperial fiction of the period, as well as neo-Victorian literature and globalgothic studies. Her current dissertation research studies how 19th century scientific innovations and imperial projects helped to form the Gothic monster in fin-de-siècle popular fiction.