Sci-fi, Horror and The Three Step Program : Racial Identity, Racial Hierarchy and Hybridity inThe Shadow Over Innsmouth and I Am Legend

Abstract: This essay is a study regarding the use of H.P. Lovecraft´s Shadow over Innsmouth, Richard Matheson´s I am Legend and Joel M. Sipress´s three step program when working along the theme of race in the classroom. The study supports the argument that it is possible to successfully incorporate these two Sci-fi/Horror novels in a pedagogical context when working with race. To further strengthen this argument I am going to look closer at three terms, which will serve as the essay´s theoretical focus points, and investigate how they can be used to explain the content of the works and their understanding of race. These three terms are racial identity, racial hierarchies and hybridity. I am going to discuss the possibilities regarding how and why one could practically apply the two novels when working with Joel M. Sipress´s three-step strategy in the classroom. The reason behind my decision to focus my essay on this is because I want to explore the possibility for meaningly using these less-mainstream genres in a pedagogical context.