A CORPUS-BASED STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE LORD OF THE ICE MOON BY MICHAEL CARROLL

Abstract

This study applies corpus-based stylistic analysis to The Lord of the Ice Moon by Michael Carroll, a contemporary science fiction novel that combines speculative world-building with character driven narrative. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of corpus linguistics and corpus stylistics, as advanced by scholars such as Sinclair and Biber, the research integrates quantitative computational methods with qualitative literary interpretation to uncover the distinctive linguistic and stylistic features of the text. A specialized corpus was constructed from the full text of the novel and analysed using AntConc 4.2.0 and python based tools to examine word frequency distributions, keyword prominence, collocational patterns, and concordance lines. The findings were benchmarked against a reference corpus of general fiction to identify linguistically marked features unique to Carroll's text. The analysis reveals a high frequency of lexemes clustered around the semantic fields of power, conflict, environment, and emotion, which directly reflect the novel's dominant thematic concerns. Distinctive collocational patterns were found to play a significant role in character portrayal and the construction of the novel's icy, hostile setting. Furthermore, recurring lexical clusters were identified as key mechanisms for building narrative tension and sustaining thematic coherence across the text. The study demonstrates that corpus-based methodologies offer an empirically grounded complement to traditional literary criticism, enabling scholars to move beyond impressionistic readings toward data-supported stylistic interpretations. The findings affirm the broader applicability of corpus stylistics as a rigorous analytical tool within literary studies, digital humanities, and genre-based linguistic research, with particular relevance to the study of science fiction and fantasy literature.