Associate professor Dr. Heidi Backes has published her first book, “Spectral Spain: Haunted Houses, Silent Spaces and Traumatic Memories in Post-Franco Gothic Fiction,” through the University of Wales press.
“Spectral Spain” uses Spanish Gothic fiction to explore the connections between historical memory and the effects of twentieth-century Spanish fascism under Francisco Franco.
First published in the United Kingdom in May, the book will appear in North America in August through the University of Chicago Press, which is an affiliate of the University of Wales Press.
Backes said she felt “quite humbled” when she learned her book had been accepted for publication.
“The Gothic Literary Studies series at the University of Wales Press is one of the best academic series in the world for studies of Gothic fiction, and to have my scholarship selected to form part of that series has been a tremendous honor,” she said.
“Spectral Spain” incorporates Backes’ research and teaching at Missouri State University. She presented her initial research for the book in 2023 at the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Symposium.
Backes has taught at MSU for eight years in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions.
A fascination with Gothic fiction
Ever since she was a child reading R. L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” series, Backes has been fascinated by Gothic literature.
That fascination translated into an academic career. Backes earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in modern Spanish literature, specializing in Spanish Gothic fiction and twentieth century Spanish history.
“I am especially interested in twentieth century history and the Francisco Franco dictatorship (1939-1975),” she explained. “Many Gothic authors in Spain have written novels that take on the traumatic past in monstrous, ghostly forms.”
Backes is also drawn to how Gothic fiction explores themes of human psychology.
“There is something particularly meaningful about the way that the Gothic uses human psychology to teach us about ourselves and our societies — things that we may choose to ignore because they are too painful to acknowledge, things that frighten us, things that make us question the reality around us,” Backes said.
Haunted houses, rural villages and historical trauma
Backes began researching for her book during the COVID-19 pandemic. She soon realized she faced a monumental amount of background reading.
“There are very few scholars in the field of Spanish Gothic literature, so I needed to do an extensive amount of background reading to find texts I could use as primary sources,” Backes said. “I also needed to be able to easily reference the field of Gothic Studies in general, which has been primarily focused on English-language texts since its inception in the 1980s.”
One thing Backes knew early on is that she wanted to explore Spanish history through the Gothic theme of haunted houses.
“Haunted houses have always been one of my favorite Gothic motifs, and visualizing the Spanish nation as a house haunted by the ghosts of the recent past was particularly compelling to me,” she noted.
“I did a lot of searching for novels that showcased the themes I was most interested in — haunted houses, depictions of rural villages and silence, and historical trauma,” she added.
Women’s lives under fascist rule were particularly interesting findings in her research, Backes noted.
“Some of the historical facts and figures related to the Franco dictatorship were truly remarkable, especially regarding the legal position of women,” Backes said. “They were not allowed to get divorced, they could not have a bank account or credit card, they were severely limited in the types of employment opportunities they could have — since women were expected to get married and stay at home to raise their children – and they could not even travel without written permission from their husbands.”
To have a full picture of Spain under Franco, women’s voices have to be identified and re-introduced into the historical record, Backes said.
“Because the field of Spanish Gothic is still relatively marginalized, my goal with this book is to expand the international understanding of Spain’s Gothic fiction and its important role in the depiction of the sociopolitical trauma of the twentieth century,” Backes explained. “Women’s voices, in particular, have been left out of official narratives, and these are the voices I hope to showcase as part of the ongoing effort to recover historical memory in Spain.”
Backes’ research even revealed some surprises about Spain’s socioeconomic development under fascism.
“In terms of Spanish technological advancement, it was truly shocking to learn that there were still villages in the rural north that did not have electricity until the late 1990s — an excellent example of the effects of rural exodus on the remote countryside towns,” Backes said.
Embracing MSU’s public affairs mission
Backes said her research and teaching on Gothic Spain embody MSU’s public affairs mission because her work examines a society’s understanding of civic virtues.
“Spectral Spain” in particular grapples with concepts related to civic virtues, Backes explained, especially twentieth century politics and the impact of the recent past on the present.
“How we engage with the past in the present — the ethics of representation and leadership, the acknowledgement of injustices, the need to listen to the oppressed and marginalized and to make reparations — is all central to my book, and fundamental to the Gothic more generally,” she added.
Gothic themes in the classroom
Recently, Backes took the opportunity to incorporate her research into an honors course, “Gothic Women” (UHC 397).
The course examines Gothic texts written by and for women from the late nineteenth century to the present.
“In this class, I teach students about the numerous ways that Gothic literature is relevant to not just the human experience broadly, but to women’s lived experiences more specifically,” Backes explained. “We analyze how each text represents certain societal expectations and roles that women have performed in each era.”
Backes employs both analytical exercises and class discussions to study motifs, symbolism and sociopolitical issues within the texts. She also has students engage in “Exploration Stations.” Each station is built around a theme related to a text using primary and secondary source materials.
“All of this input gives students further insight into the author, the text and the historical environment in which it was written,” Backes explained. “[It] helps to showcase the relevance of the Gothic to real life.”

The course’s content also reflects the discussion of women writers in “Spectral Spain.”
“I purposefully focus on women writers, because they have been frequently excluded from academic scholarship on Spanish Gothic, and much of the book examines the experiences of women living under the Franco dictatorship,” Backes said. “The theoretical framework that I use to discuss the Gothic’s sociopolitical implications is also central to my UHC course: we discuss memory and trauma studies, psychoanalysis, hauntology and more.”
Backes has also taught a course on Spanish Gothic literature in English translation, using her research to teach students about the portrayal of twentieth century Spain “through a Gothic lens.” The course allows students to see the effects of a fascist dictatorship on Spain’s culture, economy and society. Likewise, many of the texts the students read in class are analyzed in “Spectral Spain.”
Bringing back the joy of reading, one Gothic text at a time
Backes has been pleased with student responses to her courses, which have been overwhelmingly positive.
“Many of them enter the class not really knowing what Gothic fiction is, but by the end of the semester they have become avid fans of the literature and want to continue reading it,” Backes noted.
“Gothic fiction is so adaptable to every time period, and because of this adaptability it is always relevant,” she continued. “Students have found personal connections with many of the texts we’ve read, and they have been eager participants in conversations related to society, politics and the controversies highlighted in the Gothic texts.”
Backes is particularly proud of a consistent remark she hears from students after a course is over.
“One of the best things students tell me is that the courses made them learn to love reading,” she said. “This always makes me smile.”
“This is why I love studying Gothic fiction, and why my students have come to love it, too,” she added. “It inevitably reflects the best and the worst in us and challenges us to do better.”
“It is a powerful teaching tool for all of us.”
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