Christian nationalism is a kind of con game. And of all the authors examined in this podcast, the one most likely to appreciate that con would be Richard Marsh, author of the 1897 horror novel The Beetle. A one time con artist himself, Marsh treats the gender fluidity of his shapeshifting monster as a con game, a scam that defrauds God himself. Today, we’re going to talk about how The Beetle‘s view of transgenderism illuminates the complex of hate, fear, and fascination with which Christian nationalists tell some of their most vicious lies: the ones about LGBT+ people.
Written, narrated, and produced by Lucas Kwong
Theme song “Lair” by The Brother K Melee (http://www.brotherkmusic.com)
Closing song “Expire/Exhale” by Lucas Kwong
Voice actors: Christian Young-Valdovinos, Naomi Kwong
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Further Reading:
Victoria Margree, British Women’s Short Supernatural Fiction, 1860-1930: Our Own Ghostliness
Daniel Orrells Minna Vuohelianen, and Victoria Margree, eds., Richard Marsh, Popular Fiction, and Literary Culture, 1890-1915
Joe Vallese, ed. It Came From The Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror.
Cynthia Miller, ed. The Silence Of The Lambs: Critical Reflections On A Cannibal
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