TABLE OF CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- I -- WE TELL OURSELVES STORIES -- DEATH, TEMPORALITY AND GENDER IN NOVELSBASED ON LIFE STORIES OF MARILYN MONROEAND BILLY TIPTON -- BIOFICTION AS 'THANATOGRAPHY' -- THE TEXT AS CADAVER -- THE PYRAMIDS OF POETSOR ON POETIC (IM)MORTALITY -- II -- POSTMODERN GHOSTSAND THE POLITICS OF INVISIBLE LIFE -- HEMINGWAY'S AGED CHARACTERSAS SYMBOLS OF DEATH -- "DAMN DEATH. LONG LIVE LIFE!"DEATH IN ULYSSES -- LOVE AND DEATH IN FICINO'S DE AMORE -- III -- ANIMATED SKELETONS AND OPEN COFFINS -- "EVERY DISASTER MADE US WISH FOR MORE" -- THE PARADOXICAL FIGURE OF THE FALLING MAN -- IV -- SELF-KILLING AS A CURE TO DISEASE -- REPRESENTING LIFE'S END IN DANCING WITHMISTER D -- NOT WITH A BANG, NEITHER WITH A WHIMPER -- V -- DEATH AND IMMORTALITY IN FRED VARGAS'SCRIME FICTION -- DEATH IN SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS -- CONTRIBUTORS -- INDEX.