Embodying Contagion

Book excerpt: Brings together new research that lays out the current state of contagion studies, from the perspective of media studies, monster studies, and the medical humanities. Offers fresh perspectives on contagion studies from disciplines such as the social sciences and the medical humanities, introducing new methods of collaboration and avenues of research, and demonstrating how these disciplines have already been working in parallel for several decades. Covers a wide variety of international media and contexts, including literature, film, television, public policy, and social networks. Includes key, recent case studies (including public health documents and the popular Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet) that have not yet been analysed anywhere else in the field. Bucks the current trend of going back to plague literature and historical plagues in the search for meaning to address current and late-20th century epidemics, diseases, and monsters.