Being Human on the Highway to Hell

This imaginative mini-series is inspired by the widespread renewal of social interest in the supernatural, mystical, magical and ‘irrational’. Historians and storytelling experts re-think why society gravitates toward the supernatural during times of unprecedented challenge, strain and change. The series offers insights on why in times of challenge and change we continue to turn to horror and the supernatural. From witchcraft and Gothic literature of the 19th century to the current cinematic tentpole films that studios rely on, the monster has seldom been so ubiquitous. Television broadcasts and streaming services abound with material dealing with horror, monsters and the occult. The fantastic proliferates on social media, from conspiracy theorists to horror fans, to Instagram witches. People use the supernatural and monstrous as ways of making cognitive landmarks helping them, organising their thoughts in an increasingly complex and difficult to navigate world, and perhaps connecting with others and gaining a sense of control in a world that seems to be spiralling beyond our grasp. As Halberstam puts it, monsters are meaning-making machines that cognitively help explore the difficult topics that surround us. Similarly, Poole sees monsters as a means of confronting national and social trauma and inviting questions about what it means to be human. Join the School of Arts and Humanities at Ulster University, Northern Ireland, to rethink the implications of inviting fearsome creatures into our lives.