Introduction: Into the Woods

The introduction sets the scene for The Forest and the EcoGothic. It introduces the idea that the forest is commonly read as a ‘binary’ space: as either wholly ‘good’ or wholly ‘bad’—as a space of light and enchantment, or as a space of Gothic darkness. It preliminarily outlines the popularity and prominence of the archetype of the Deep Dark Woods and the ways in which it most commonly manifests in our stories. It provides an overview of the book’s structure, argument, key aims, and objectives, as well as clarification on its most central themes and terms. It emphasises and justifies the importance of this topic, not only to literary studies more broadly, but in the times of climate crisis in which we live.