What Is Gothic Horror?

Gothic architecture the quintessential setting for a spooky story, but just what is a true gothic horror?

Here’s an overview of the gothic horror genre and what themes it incorporates.

The word ‘Gothic’ is from a German group of people called the Goths, who built distinctive elaborately ornate architecture, which later served as a fantastic setting for the literature.

Gothic literature is primarily about the mystery and intrigue surrounding all things supernatural and unexplained. The height of gothic fiction took place between 1764 and 1840. The earliest gothic horror novel is generally considered to be ‘The Castle of Otranto’ (1764) by Horace Walpole. During these initial years, the gothic story was an offshoot of romantic literature.

Common themes and ideas explored in gothic literature include: gloomy, decaying settings which have a mysterious past, (such as abandoned mansions with hidden secrets and entrances); other-worldly beings and monsters (like vampires, ghosts, werewolves and the undead); prophecies, visions, spells and curses; heroes rescuing damsels in distress; romance and extreme emotions.

Gothic horrors continue to influence writers and other creatives to this day, and can be seen on our bookshelves, TV and movie screens, and a lot of our language and stereotypes we have around the horror genre.

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