Gothic Fiction: A Starter Pack

With roots in the 18th century, this haunted genre’s hallmarks can be found throughout modern horror. Here’s where to start.

By Emily C. Hughes

First things first: I won’t attempt to provide one clear-cut definition of the Gothic, lest I incur the wrath of a horde of angry postgrads. When the genre emerged in the mid-18th century, early novels and short stories shared a set of common trademarks — good-hearted female characters under the thumb of cruel, powerful men; melodrama and high emotion; supernatural events — and were laden with the social, political and moral anxieties of a rapidly changing moment in European society. But as time has gone on, and the genre has evolved, things have gotten murkier.

Today, the Gothic label is used less to describe (or prescribe) a genre and more to evoke an aesthetic, a mode or (forgive me) a vibe. There are still some common elements and themes to look out for: a foreboding atmosphere; an isolated setting; explorations of otherness, fear and madness; the domestic sphere recast as a place of dread; tension between tradition and desire. But the key hallmark of a Gothic tale for me is the past’s insistent encroachment on the present. Bygone transgressions, old wounds, long-forgotten grudges — in a Gothic story, you can never run far enough to escape history.

Getting your arms around the Gothic, with its meandering history and myriad variations, is no easy feat. It casts a long shadow over a number of genres — romance, thrillers, dark fantasy. But horror is the Gothic’s closest living relative. Here are 13 Gothic horror picks to get you started. Read the full piece at the New York Times..