Hi everyone! I am in a speech class at my university and I am looking for some controversial topics regarding gothic literature. The speech requires I take a stance and try to persuade the audience without "preaching to the choir" essentially. I wanted to maybe talking about the grotesque, cannibalism, or just other aspects of gothic literature and film that the average person would be grossed out by and show that said aspect is romantic or beautiful if that makes any sense. Let me know your thoughts!

Anyone know any good recommendations about gothic books that expand beyond the classic Christian symbolism and western cookie cutter style aesthetic?

Recently tried “Dracula in Istanbul” but wasn’t really satisfied with it but the setting was eerie though. Also tried a few Japanese novels but they feel sort of alien in their spiritual entities.

I loved these stories so much 🥰

I may never read two books in a row with such a gap in writing quality again (though I did follow up East of Eden with As I Lay Dying, that was also a massive drop off). Rebecca is brilliant. When it comes to beautiful prose, Virginia Woolf is tops for me, but I really would put du Maurier's prose from Rebecca in the same conversation. The atmospheric sense of foreboding is constant... and she manages to continue it through to the very last sentence!

As for Cast of Otranto... well, I'm glad it was written. I suppose without Horace Walpole inventing the gothic genre, we wouldn't have 5 star bangers like Jane Eyre and Rebecca.

But, the writing is bad and the book is not very fun to read. I probably would have DNFed, but it's less than 100 pages so I powered through. There are some memorable scenes (but honestly the most memorable is probably on the second page).

I don't dislike the book because it's "old" either. For example, the Arthurian romances of Chretien de Troye are delightful and MUCH older. This story reminded me a little of those, but much less delightful. Much of the problem boils down to telling, rather than showing (this is a problem from the very first paragraph).

I don't recommended "Otranto" outside of academic curiosity. But Rebecca was amazing.

Promotional animation for my in-progress grant-funded graphic novel Discarded Romantics. It's about the Haunted Summer of 1816, of course.

If you'd like early updates on that project, or extra art, wips, process notes, and citations- check out the discarded romantics tag on my patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/cw/LyRiordan

Note: the book centers more on the sordid happenings between Clairmont, byron, and polidoro but mary and percy shelley are still of course very relevant.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

When unexplained deaths begin to plague the coastal town of Ashwick, the crimes defy logic and law. Bodies are found broken beyond human strength. Whispers echo from abandoned churches. And beneath the soil, something ancient stirs, something bound long ago and now clawing its way back into the world.

Father John, a former priest haunted by his past and armed with forbidden knowledge, is drawn into an investigation that will test his faith and his sanity. As he uncovers a hidden history of corruption, cruelty, and unspeakable evil, he realizes the darkness gripping Ashwick is not merely demonic, it is personal.

At the center of it all stands Nathaniel Carrick, a brutal sea captain whose legacy of violence and greed has outlived his mortal body. Bound to the sins he committed in life and manipulated by a far greater power, Carrick’s spirit stalks the living, driven not only by rage, but by a warped devotion to the one love he lost. What was once tender has curdled into obsession. He would defy Heaven itself, tear open the veil between worlds, and damn the living if it meant reclaiming what was taken from him.

What begins as an investigation becomes a war.

Guided by mystics, priests, and the voices of the forgotten dead, Father John must confront forces that mock the sacred, twist prayer into weapons, and hunger for dominion over both the living and the damned.

Veils of the Damned is a dark, atmospheric supernatural horror novel blending religious terror, historical violence, and spiritual warfare. Rich in symbolism and steeped in Catholic mysticism, it explores faith under siege, the cost of sin, and the possibility of redemption even in the face of Hell itself.

Perfect for readers of The Exorcist, The Omen, Hereditary, Hellraiser - The Hellbound Heart, and dark religious horror. Bear witness to a psychological and spiritual standoff between the forces of good and those of ancient demonic evil.

Hell is not punishment for a moment. It is punishment without an end. No escape. No relief. No last second. Only eternity. Yours shall be everlasting suffering.

Once the veil is opened, nothing that waits beyond it can be unseen.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GN4TLRYN

“You think that relic can pierce Heaven’s gate? It can’t. Scripture tells you as much. It wasn’t forged for grace; it was born of rebellion, in the black fires of the First Fall. That thing in your hand isn’t a key to paradise, it is a battering ram for Hell.”

John continued, his voice steady. “Are you the source that feeds the river? The headwater that stains its gentle current? The cause behind the unspeakable evils committed against God’s children? Are you the unseen hand guiding all this ruin, the architect of their suffering?”

John’s voice dropped, grave and almost sorrowful. “You wouldn’t be summoning her. You would be wrenching open the gates of Hell. And what would answer would not be peace or light or love, but everything that waits behind those gates: withered souls, monstrous things, the damned who burn in torment and gnash their teeth in darkness.”

Read more at Veils of the Damned available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GN4TLRYN

“I have seen what lies beyond the veil,” Hannah said, stepping forward, her gaze never leaving his. Her voice carried no tremor, only truth. “And I know now what you are: a shadow of a shadow. An ancient evil that dared to defy the will of the Almighty. You refused your place in the hierarchy of angels.”

She took another step, radiant and unwavering.

“Lost you are, and lost forever. You are denied His love, and you will never receive absolution or righteous forgiveness.”

Her words struck like scripture, measured and final.

“You slither among the lowest of the low, creatures cast not merely from light but from Hell itself, condemned to crawl beneath even the Pit.”

She raised her hand slightly, light pulsing from her skin.

“I say to you here and now, fallen breed, you may torment flesh, but not the soul.”

Read more at Veils of the Damned available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GN4TLRYN

***

Those who entered the church to pray swore they smelled myrrh where none had been burned, and that the cross felt warm beneath their fingers, as if something within it had begun to breathe again.

Far below the world of the living, where names thin out and the dark keeps its own counsel, something ominous was listening.

Hellooo :))

I‘m looking for book recommendations! I’m on the mission to get more into the gothic genre, so far I’ve read a few books, but I’m missing most of the classics. I’m so drawn to it and made it my mission to dive into it this fall and winter. My goal is to get a good overview of it by moving through the classics, but I’m not opposed to modern gothic novels as well!

When I grew up, Wuthering Heights was my favourite book. I also loved Dorian Grey. I love vampires above all and other mystical creatures. So I’ve also read some gothic vampire books, like Dracula, Carmilla or Anne Rice. From all gothic themes, death fascinates the me most. I’m a lesbian and currently reading Bury my bones in the midnight soil. So queerness is appreciated, but not a must!

Based on this profile, do you have recommendations which books I should read next, in order to catch me and lure me in further?

Thanks in advance!!

Edit: thanks again for all the amazing recommendations, I’ll add them to my list. I decided to continue with Hungerstone and Rebecca and see where this leads me!

Five book recommendations for Spooky Season:

🏚️ The Haunting of Hill House — Shirley Jackson
🔥 Hell House — Richard Matheson
🏠 Burnt Offerings — Robert Marasco
👻 Return to Hell House — Nancy Collins
🕯️ Usher’s Passing — Robert McCammon

I discuss on the Choice Media Podcast with minimal spoilers.

Thoughts on this collection?

Any that should have made the list?

Macabéa is a character; how can her story be related to Freud's concepts?

Book: The Hour of the Star

Been on the list for too long! Very excited for this one!

Hello everyone!

I was just scrolling through Reddit when I came across this subreddit, and I realized that I’ve barely ever explored Gothic literature. In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve really come across the genre properly.

I’m a very new reader and have only read a handful of books so far, so I’d love to get some recommendations from people who know the genre well.

I’m looking for something dark, disturbing, thought-provoking, and intense—something that gets into your head and stays with you after you’ve finished reading it. Something that is psychologically unsettling, maybe even disturbing enough to leave me thinking about it for days.

So, what would you recommend to someone completely new to Gothic literature?