Derek Johnston
@drdjohnston.bsky.social
Media lecturer: UK TV history, telefantasy, historical dramas. At Queen’s University Belfast.
Pinned
Derek Johnston
@drdjohnston.bsky.social
· Mar 14
Nigel Kneale and Horror | Home
www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
And the cover for Nigel Kneale and Horror is now up on the @livunipress.bsky.social website! www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.... @bronteschiltz.bsky.social @dianearodgers.bsky.social @davidcottis.bsky.social @mrgeetsromo.bsky.social
Does anyone know of any academic work on the thriller on TV and audio? The term’s definitely one I see a lot in the press, trailers, etc., but my initial search has only turned up a few specific uses and nothing suitable as a general undergrad intro #academia
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Does anyone know of any academic work on the thriller on TV and audio? The term’s definitely one I see a lot in the press, trailers, etc., but my initial search has only turned up a few specific uses and nothing suitable as a general undergrad intro #academia
Reposted by Derek Johnston
I intend to do a full-on photo shoot with these when I have some free time, but for now, this will do - author copies of my first book, Metafiction and Narratice Worlds in Science Fiction ( @livunipress.bsky.social ) have arrived! Over the moon, and can highly recommend LUP as publishers.
December 1, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I intend to do a full-on photo shoot with these when I have some free time, but for now, this will do - author copies of my first book, Metafiction and Narratice Worlds in Science Fiction ( @livunipress.bsky.social ) have arrived! Over the moon, and can highly recommend LUP as publishers.
Reposted by Derek Johnston
bisig, adj: busy, occupied. (BIH-zih / ˈbɪ-zɪj)
Image: Calendar page for December in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg; France (Paris), before 1349; @metcloisters.bsky.social object 69.86.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: Calendar page for December in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg; France (Paris), before 1349; @metcloisters.bsky.social object 69.86.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
December 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
bisig, adj: busy, occupied. (BIH-zih / ˈbɪ-zɪj)
Image: Calendar page for December in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg; France (Paris), before 1349; @metcloisters.bsky.social object 69.86.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Image: Calendar page for December in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg; France (Paris), before 1349; @metcloisters.bsky.social object 69.86.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Our Holiday gift guide! spectacularoptical.com/articles/ess...
ESSENTIAL NON-FICTION FILM, MUSIC AND CULTURE BOOKS OF 2025
Spectacular Optical Media is a Canadian small-press publisher of film and pop culture books and independent film producer/distributor.
spectacularoptical.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Our Holiday gift guide! spectacularoptical.com/articles/ess...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
This weekend's Romancing the Gothic 'blast from the past' is this video from last year by yours truly!
'Interminable Realms of Space': Cosmic Voyages and Demonic Theo-Aesthetics in Byron's 'Cain'
youtu.be/f8GJzKqVNsg
'Interminable Realms of Space': Cosmic Voyages and Demonic Theo-Aesthetics in Byron's 'Cain'
youtu.be/f8GJzKqVNsg
Interminable Realms of Space: Demonic Cosmic Voyages in Byron's Cain with Dr Sam Hirst
YouTube video by Romancing the Gothic
youtu.be
December 1, 2025 at 2:53 AM
This weekend's Romancing the Gothic 'blast from the past' is this video from last year by yours truly!
'Interminable Realms of Space': Cosmic Voyages and Demonic Theo-Aesthetics in Byron's 'Cain'
youtu.be/f8GJzKqVNsg
'Interminable Realms of Space': Cosmic Voyages and Demonic Theo-Aesthetics in Byron's 'Cain'
youtu.be/f8GJzKqVNsg
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Very excited that my first narrative film is not only premiering on @shudder.com tomorrow, but that it's also getting so many screenings!! Being a 30-minute film I didn't expect it to get any theatrical play, so the fact that all these venues programmed it to support features is a huge deal to me.🖤
Upcoming screenings for THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, beginning tomorrow with its premiere on @shudder.com as part of annual series THE HAUNTED SEASON (in all their territories!)
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
November 30, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Very excited that my first narrative film is not only premiering on @shudder.com tomorrow, but that it's also getting so many screenings!! Being a 30-minute film I didn't expect it to get any theatrical play, so the fact that all these venues programmed it to support features is a huge deal to me.🖤
Reposted by Derek Johnston
This was a really good and challenging talk which has implications for talking about haunting in lots of ways, but which gave me new eyes on the case-study films and the specifics of the intersections of caste and horror.
Recommend.
Recommend.
If you missed yesterday's fantastic talk on
Haunting, Caste Aesthetics and South Asian Horror
with Ishan Tripathi
You can catch it here
youtu.be/Grocj_pUIeI
Haunting, Caste Aesthetics and South Asian Horror
with Ishan Tripathi
You can catch it here
youtu.be/Grocj_pUIeI
Haunting, Caste Aesthetics, and Violence in South Asian Horror with Ishan Tripathi
YouTube video by Romancing the Gothic
youtu.be
November 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM
This was a really good and challenging talk which has implications for talking about haunting in lots of ways, but which gave me new eyes on the case-study films and the specifics of the intersections of caste and horror.
Recommend.
Recommend.
Reposted by Derek Johnston
hēr-cyme, m.n: advent (of Christ). (HAIR-KUE-muh / ˈheːr-ˌky-mə)
Read my Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Read my Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Old English Wordhord | Patreon
creating the Old English Word of the Day and Book 3
bit.ly
November 30, 2025 at 8:00 AM
hēr-cyme, m.n: advent (of Christ). (HAIR-KUE-muh / ˈheːr-ˌky-mə)
Read my Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Read my Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy is about how uniquely American cultural media changed as a result of federal influences on Hollywood in the 40s/50s.
I fought for Open Access because media & propaganda literacy are essential right now.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social
I fought for Open Access because media & propaganda literacy are essential right now.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social
My new & first book, Selling Out Santa, is Open Access!
If you like what you read and can, please consider buying a copy for you and maybe one for a history/film lover at Christmas (it's 40% off)!
It'll likely be my only income in over 2 years once royalties pay next July, so please consider it!
If you like what you read and can, please consider buying a copy for you and maybe one for a history/film lover at Christmas (it's 40% off)!
It'll likely be my only income in over 2 years once royalties pay next July, so please consider it!
Selling Out Santa
Christmas is not just a day or a frame of mind as Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) imparts in Miracle on 34 th Street (1947); Christmas is also a vehicle for national mythmaking as an idealising mirror for...
www.degruyterbrill.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy is about how uniquely American cultural media changed as a result of federal influences on Hollywood in the 40s/50s.
I fought for Open Access because media & propaganda literacy are essential right now.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social
I fought for Open Access because media & propaganda literacy are essential right now.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Leeds and West Yorkshire weirdies! Stuck for Christmas pressie ideas? Why not buy a ticket or two for our Folk Horror show with me and @bobfischer.bsky.social at @oldwoollen.bsky.social Leeds in February? We can't wait to haunt one of our favourite venues again...
Tickets: bit.ly/483H8JA
Tickets: bit.ly/483H8JA
November 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Leeds and West Yorkshire weirdies! Stuck for Christmas pressie ideas? Why not buy a ticket or two for our Folk Horror show with me and @bobfischer.bsky.social at @oldwoollen.bsky.social Leeds in February? We can't wait to haunt one of our favourite venues again...
Tickets: bit.ly/483H8JA
Tickets: bit.ly/483H8JA
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Just out of interest... what have people gone on to do inspired by a Romancing the Gothic class or event?
I know people have done podcast episodes, started research projects, gone to do courses, written short stories and books, written blogs, read a frankly ridiculous amount...
I'd love to know!
I know people have done podcast episodes, started research projects, gone to do courses, written short stories and books, written blogs, read a frankly ridiculous amount...
I'd love to know!
I wish there was more emphasis on access to education disentangled from employability and focusing instead on enrichment because people who engage with education (or have the ability to) as enrichment interact with it differently. (And that's a whole society thing, not an in-uni thing) 7/7
November 29, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Just out of interest... what have people gone on to do inspired by a Romancing the Gothic class or event?
I know people have done podcast episodes, started research projects, gone to do courses, written short stories and books, written blogs, read a frankly ridiculous amount...
I'd love to know!
I know people have done podcast episodes, started research projects, gone to do courses, written short stories and books, written blogs, read a frankly ridiculous amount...
I'd love to know!
Reposted by Derek Johnston
A while ago, I made a tiny little video about vampires and Lord Byron using the archives at Newstead Abbey.
A 2 minute nibble, right here!
🧛
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5x...
A 2 minute nibble, right here!
🧛
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5x...
Vampires at Newstead!
YouTube video by Romancing the Gothic
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:05 AM
A while ago, I made a tiny little video about vampires and Lord Byron using the archives at Newstead Abbey.
A 2 minute nibble, right here!
🧛
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5x...
A 2 minute nibble, right here!
🧛
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5x...
At the local Christmas fair. Big open space in front of the DJ. Just resisted dancing to “Blinding Lights”. Now waiting for poutine!
November 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
At the local Christmas fair. Big open space in front of the DJ. Just resisted dancing to “Blinding Lights”. Now waiting for poutine!
Mentally singing the theme from Dave Allen and it keeps turning into Cowboy Bebop…
November 29, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Mentally singing the theme from Dave Allen and it keeps turning into Cowboy Bebop…
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Join me this Sunday, Nov. 30th at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST on Reddit for a Spartacus: House of Ashur AMA!
r/Spartacus_TV StevenSDeKnightAMA
r/Spartacus_TV StevenSDeKnightAMA
November 28, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Join me this Sunday, Nov. 30th at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST on Reddit for a Spartacus: House of Ashur AMA!
r/Spartacus_TV StevenSDeKnightAMA
r/Spartacus_TV StevenSDeKnightAMA
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Am really looking forward to this - if you're interested in archive research, ghost stories or even my insane story as to how I overcame a decade of homelessness and heroin addiction to get to where I am today, please buy a ticket!
If you love your Xmas ghost stories, then we'll be hosting an online launch for this new anthology of fearful festive tales that were almost lost to the mists of time... ILLUSIONS OF PRESENCE is here, and you can join us for some spookiness on the 18th December! www.eventbrite.com/e/illusions-...
November 28, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Am really looking forward to this - if you're interested in archive research, ghost stories or even my insane story as to how I overcame a decade of homelessness and heroin addiction to get to where I am today, please buy a ticket!
Reposted by Derek Johnston
I wrote something: cstonline.net/making-sense...
Making Sense of APV (Part 1 of 3) - by Mareike Jenner
What is Amazon Prime Video (APV)? I’ve been asking myself questions about what streaming is and where continuities and differences to other media forms lie, and how to make sense of it all for over a…
cstonline.net
November 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I wrote something: cstonline.net/making-sense...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Stairway at sunrise. Photo taken a few days ago on Glastonbury Tor.
November 28, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Stairway at sunrise. Photo taken a few days ago on Glastonbury Tor.
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Two bits of news: *Literary Illusions* is currently 50% off in Edinburgh UP's sale, so grab it now if you want the hardback. But - if you want to wait until July 2026, you can get it for £19.99 in paperback! edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-literar...
Literary Illusions
Literary Illusions
edinburghuniversitypress.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Two bits of news: *Literary Illusions* is currently 50% off in Edinburgh UP's sale, so grab it now if you want the hardback. But - if you want to wait until July 2026, you can get it for £19.99 in paperback! edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-literar...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Do you need more heavily discounted tat in your life that’ll break after a few days or instead a hand crafted magazine that’s already priced far too low but is full of incredible writing & great art & that treats people into games like proper grown ups imbued with taste, discretion & curiosity?
Wyrd Science - Store
the magazine for people who should roll better...
shop.wyrd.science
November 28, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Do you need more heavily discounted tat in your life that’ll break after a few days or instead a hand crafted magazine that’s already priced far too low but is full of incredible writing & great art & that treats people into games like proper grown ups imbued with taste, discretion & curiosity?
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Oh! Stolen Face isn't *out* today, it's up for pre-order today! I thought that was a bit quick! (This is the new one @lizbethmyles.bsky.social and I have a commentary track on.)
hammerfilms.com/products/sto...
hammerfilms.com/products/sto...
Stolen Face Limited Collector's Edition
Film Noir femme fatale Lizabeth Scott gives a searing performance in this macabre melodrama that offers a dark twist on the Pygmalion myth.
hammerfilms.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Oh! Stolen Face isn't *out* today, it's up for pre-order today! I thought that was a bit quick! (This is the new one @lizbethmyles.bsky.social and I have a commentary track on.)
hammerfilms.com/products/sto...
hammerfilms.com/products/sto...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
On this Black (Phillip) Friday, I'll have three goat-defaced copies of my book Tales Accursed and three gilded goat lino prints available in the shop from 12:00. In addition, for today only my Unholy Bond goaty print is reduced in price to Ten Pounds, imagine..!
👁️ slipperyjack.bigcartel.com
👁️ slipperyjack.bigcartel.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:47 AM
On this Black (Phillip) Friday, I'll have three goat-defaced copies of my book Tales Accursed and three gilded goat lino prints available in the shop from 12:00. In addition, for today only my Unholy Bond goaty print is reduced in price to Ten Pounds, imagine..!
👁️ slipperyjack.bigcartel.com
👁️ slipperyjack.bigcartel.com
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Intrigued to learn more about the world of the gothic and horror? Discover more now with our gothic paperbacks now only £25!
📚 universityofwalescart.glassboxx.com/product-cate...
📚 universityofwalescart.glassboxx.com/product-cate...
November 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Intrigued to learn more about the world of the gothic and horror? Discover more now with our gothic paperbacks now only £25!
📚 universityofwalescart.glassboxx.com/product-cate...
📚 universityofwalescart.glassboxx.com/product-cate...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
Some book recommendations for serious lovers of history www.historytoday.com/archive/revi...
Books of the Year 2025: Part 1
www.historytoday.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Some book recommendations for serious lovers of history www.historytoday.com/archive/revi...
Reposted by Derek Johnston
November 28, 2025 at 8:02 AM