

The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Shelley’s classic novel requires the reader to abandon all existing notions of morality, social convention, and construct, and it was written during a time of real life scientific exploration that was swathed in fear and awe of religion.įrankenstein led to a long list of novels, plays, films, and television shows inspired by the story of an experimental scientist who brought life to inanimate flesh and grew to regret his actions as the monster became sentient and evil. The story centres on Viktor Frankenstein and his scientific experimentation that resulted in the creation of life from inanimate flesh. The fantastical aspects of the tale are rooted in science yet Frankenstein also features the terror, power, romance, isolation, murder, death, and good versus evil which make it a classic work of gothic literature. So without further ado, here’s the list, in chronological order…Ĭonsidered by many to be the first science fiction novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein also has many of the elements of a classic gothic novel too. If you’re a part of the gothic subculture, enjoy dressing in alternative and gothic clothing, appreciate the dark beauty of life, and you enjoy reading, you’re sure to love this list of the best gothic novels and novellas of all time.

If you have a Kindle device or app, most of these books are available for free if you prefer to read an actual book, you can pick most of them up fairly cheaply online, or keep an eye out for them whenever you visit a charity shop. There are hundreds of amazing Gothic novels that are worth reading, but if you’re new to the genre and need a little guidance, this list of ten of the greatest Gothic novels of all time is a great place to start. Many works of Gothic literature feature a combination of horror, romance, and mystery, with tales that often centre on kidnap, death, the supernatural, and debauchery. There are several common and distinct themes that can be seen across the genre, including components such as the isolated protagonist, a brave hero, a distressed virgin, an evil villain, and an eerie setting such as a crumbling old castle or other such Gothic architecture. The first Gothic novels began to emerge in the mid to late 1700s, and this style of literature continued to gain in popularity throughout the 1800s and in the early 1900s.
