Tentakelterror : En ekokritisk läsning av novellerna ”Furierna från Borås” och ”Tre veckor av lycka” från Anders Fagers Samlade svenska kulter.

In the following thesis, I intend to examine nature and the nature-motive in two short-stories, “The furies from Borås” and “Three weeks of happiness”, by the Swedish horror author Anders Fager. The purpose of the study is therefore to primarily illustrate how the monstrous is portrayed from an ecocritical perspective. An additional area of focus for the essay is the author's portrayal of female monsters and therefore the presentation of gender and sexuality in the short stories. This thesis will be based on a meticulous reading of Fager's short stories from the theoretical perspective, ecocriticism, as well as relevant previous research in horror fiction and female monstrosity. In my analysis, I argue that Fager transfers the reader from a safe and familiar place to a horrifying, uncomfortable and unsure space where monsters lurk around every corner. The nature motif is reflected differently in the short stories and thus relates to different ecocritical approaches. The anthropocentric approach and Morton's dark ecology are two recurring examples. Furthermore, I discuss how the female monstrous characters are norm- breaking since they question previous notions of the woman as the victim. A stereotype established by patriarchal structures that has long prevailed even in horror literature.