Heaven, Hell, and Everything In-Between: Critical Perspectives on Good Omens

 As one of the most acclaimed contemporary authors, Neil Gaiman is not only a beacon in fantastic literature but also a devoted screen writer and adapter of his own literary works as well as a celebrity with considerable visibility online. Three of his works have been adapted for TV series streaming programs recently: American Gods (2017-2021), Sandman (2022-), and Good Omens (2019-). In these programs central and recurring aspects of Gaiman’s storyworlds are synergized and transcended into an audio-visual environment. In these programs, the audience is confronted with various existential questions: What does it mean to be human? How are we torn between archaic beliefs and modern lifestyles? How can contemporary audiences access myth and mythologies?

With a particular focus on Good Omens,the editor invites proposals for essays of between 6.000-8.000 words on topics connected to the seriesincluding but not limited to:

-       Relations to other works by Neil Gaiman, especially American Gods (2017-2021) and Sandman (2022-)

-       Process of adaptation

-       Intertextual relations to other works of art (e.g., romance novels, classical and popular music)

-       Transmediality and conjugation lines between different media

-       Aspects of genre

-       Fantasy realms and fantastic world-building

-       History and fictionality

-       Mythology, religion, and theology (e.g., belief systems, spirituality, blasphemy, witchcraft, destiny, creation and sub-creation)

-       Philosophical concepts and ethics

-       Choice and free will

-       Ethnicity and race

-       Gender and queer politics

-       Eco-environmental criticism

-       Time and timing

-       Spatiality

-       Magic, miracles, and wonder

-       Technology

-       Media and communication

-       Food

-       Visual style (e.g., cinematography, set design, color, editing, special effects)

-       Auditory aspects (e.g., music, sound design, voice-over)

-       Casting and stardom

-       Fandom and reception

The volume is contracted to Büchner.

This volume is edited by Dr. Vera Cuntz-Leng, author of Harry Potter que(e)r: Eine Filmsaga im Spannungsfeld von Queer Reading, Slash-Fandom und Fantasyfilmgenre (2015) and Kalkulierter Schrecken: Standardsituationen in der Alien-Filmreihe (2007), editor of Creative Crowds: Perspektiven der Fanforschung im deutschsprachigen Raum (2014), and co-editor of Serienfragmente (2021).

Submission Guidelines:

Interested authors are invited to submit abstracts of no more than 500 words. Abstracts should be sent to the following email address: cuntzlen@staff.uni-marburg.de

Ensure that all abstracts are submitted in MS Word format, including the following information:

a) Author(s)

b) Affiliation

c) Email address

d) Title of proposal

e) Body of proposal (300-500 words)

f) Up to 10 keywords

g) Brief bio (150 words)

The deadline for proposal submissions is February 1st, 2024. Proposals accepted will be notified by February 15th, 2024. Additionally, please note that the expected submission of full chapters for accepted proposals is by the end of September 2024.