History Main / GothicHorror

[[Franchise/UniversalHorror Universal]] and [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer Films]] are responsible for successfully adapting this genre onto the big screen. For modern takes on the genre see GaslampFantasy, NewWeird, and SupernaturalFiction. PsychologicalThriller Compare/contrast also GothicPunk.

Horace Walpole's ''Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto'', written in 1764, is considered the first Gothic horror novel. Walpole was a big fan of Creator/WilliamShakespeare and proudly declared that [[JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples he borrowed most of the tropes from]] his idol's plays, particularly ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', and ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''. Creator/AnnRadcliffe helped popularize the genre, and authors such as Matthew Lewis, Ludwig Flammenberg, Eliza Parsons, Eleanor Sleath, and Francis Lathom finished out the eighteenth century Gothic horror writers in Britain. (Other parts of Europe, most notably Germany, saw parallel movements arising around this time as well, with authors such as [[Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe Goethe]] and [[Theatre/TheRobbers Schiller]] putting out works which are often considered at least Gothic-adjacent.) The beginning of the nineteenth century saw Gothic horror being parodied by authors like Creator/JaneAusten, but there were still straight examples provided by authors such as Creator/LordByron and Creator/MaryShelley. By the time the [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian era]] rolled around Gothic horror was beginning to run out of steam, but there were still quite a few people writing it -- in fact, most of the Gothic horror authors and works you've heard of probably come from this era, such as Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, Creator/BramStoker, and the Brontë sisters. A distinct American offshoot of the genre also came into its own in this period, exemplified by writers like Poe and Creator/NathanielHawthorne.

Gothic Horror is one of the oldest of the {{horror}} genres. [[DarkerAndEdgier Darker, edgier]] and on the {{Romanticism}} end of RomanticismVersusEnlightenment (in fact, it quite literally emerged alongside the Romantic movement in the late 18th century as a reaction against the values of [[UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment the Enlightenment]]), it tends to play on both the thrill and the fear of the unknown, and places a great importance on atmosphere. It's usually heavily [[RuleOfSymbolism symbolic]], sometimes even dreamlike. In addition to being important to the horror genre, the first {{scifi}}, {{fantasy}}, {{romance}}, [[MysteryFiction mystery]], and {{adventure}} authors drew inspiration from Gothic horror, so it's sometimes considered the parent of all modern genre fiction.

Gothic Horror is one of the oldest of the {{horror}} genres. [[DarkerAndEdgier Darker, edgier]] and on the {{Romanticism}} end of RomanticismVersusEnlightenment, it tends to play on both the thrill and the fear of the unknown, and places a great importance on atmosphere. It's usually heavily [[RuleOfSymbolism symbolic]], sometimes even dreamlike. In addition to being important to the horror genre, the first {{scifi}}, {{fantasy}}, {{romance}}, [[MysteryFiction mystery]], and {{adventure}} authors drew inspiration from Gothic horror, so it's sometimes considered the parent of all modern genre fiction.

Horace Walpole's ''Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto'', written in 1764, is considered the first Gothic horror novel. Walpole was a big fan of Creator/WilliamShakespeare and proudly declared that [[JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples he borrowed most of the tropes from]] his idol's plays, particularly ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', and ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''. Creator/AnnRadcliffe helped popularize the genre, and authors such as Matthew Lewis, Ludwig Flammenberg, Eliza Parsons, Eleanor Sleath, and Francis Lathom finished out the eighteenth century Gothic horror writers. The beginning of the nineteenth century saw Gothic horror being parodied by authors like Creator/JaneAusten, but there were still straight examples provided by authors such as Creator/LordByron and Creator/MaryShelley. By the time the [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian era]] rolled around Gothic horror was beginning to run out of steam, but there were still quite a few people writing it -- in fact, most of the Gothic horror authors and works you've heard of probably come from this era, such as Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, Creator/BramStoker, and the Brontë sisters. A distinct American offshoot of the genre also came into its own in this period, exemplified by writers like Poe and Creator/NathanielHawthorne.

There were a few more notable Gothic authors in the early 20th century (Creator/DaphneDuMaurier, for example), but by the 1950s or so the genre had given way to modern {{Horror}} or--in the U.S.--the SouthernGothic subgenre. Spearheaded by writers such as Creator/WilliamFaulkner and Eudora Welty and later picked up by the likes of Creator/FlanneryOConnor and Harper Lee, Southern Gothic literature transposes Gothic gloom and terror to the post-Civil War DeepSouth. In Canada, some authors transposed Southern Gothic themes to Toronto and its surrounding region, creating Southern Ontario Gothic.

[[Franchise/UniversalHorror Universal]] and [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer Films]] are responsible for successfully adapting this genre onto the big screen. For modern takes on the genre see GaslampFantasy, NewWeird, and SupernaturalFiction. Compare/contrast also GothicPunk.

* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' (1922) is often listed as the UrExample of the Gothic horror film genre, being a (''very'' loose) adaptation of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula''. In some ways, ''Nosferatu'' is actually ''more'' gothic than ''Dracula'', since it drops the book's cutting-edge themes of Victorian modernity (steam-powered travel, blood transfusions, and the like) in favour of an earlier 19th Century, almost fairytale atmosphere.

* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' (1922) is often listed as the UrExample of the Gothic horror film genre, being a (''very'' loose) adaptation of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'', one of the key entries in the original literary genre. In some ways, ''Nosferatu'' is actually ''more'' gothic than ''Dracula'', since it drops the book's cutting-edge themes of Victorian modernity (steam-powered travel, blood transfusions, and the like) in favour of an earlier 19th Century, almost fairytale atmosphere.

* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' (1922) is often listed as the UrExample of the Gothic horror film genre, being a (''very'' loose) adaptation of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'', one of the key entries in the original literary genre.

* One of the more popular and influential eras of ''Series/DoctorWho'' -- specifically, [[Recap/DoctorWho Seasons 12, 13 and 14]], featuring Creator/PhilipHinchcliffe as producer, Creator/RobertHolmes as script editor and Creator/TomBaker as the lead -- is sufficiently influenced by this movement to be known by the FanNickname "the Gothic Horror era".

For an in-depth look go to [[http://web.archive.org/web/20131203014156/http://www.violetbooks.com/ Violet Books]] (unfortunately deceased, but resurrected -- appropriately enough) and the still-active [[http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/ Gaslight Reading & Discussion Site]]. See also Lovecraft's essay ''[[http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/essays/shil.aspx Supernatural Horror in Literature]]''.

*** The Slavic ''utopiec'' (plural form: ''utopce'') would be the closest classification for Salvatore - ''utopce'' are Slavic water [[DemonOfHumanOrigin demons of human origin]] that [[WasOnceAMan were once humans]] [[TragicMonster unlucky enough to drown]]. ''Utopce'', according to the folk tales, were either ChaoticEvil or ChaoticNeutral, depending on the region. Seeing one or a small group of these demons leaving their habitat was considered to be a lucky omen.

** Moreau is the hardest to place, since he seems to draw inspiration from multiple different sources. Aesthetically, he's based on the malformed hunchback, but the fairy tale in the beginning associates him with the Fish King, and the watery area he's found in seems to draw parallels with Merfolk. He also has more ghouls under his command than the rest. The Slavic ''utopiec'' (plural form: ''utopiec'') would be the closest classification for Salvatore - ''utopce'' are Slavic water DemonsOfHumanOrigin that [[WasOnceAMan were once humans]] [[TragicMonster unlucky enough to drown and must live in the body of water they drowned in for eternity and drown other humans]].

** Moreau is the hardest to place, since he seems to draw inspiration from multiple different sources. Aesthetically, he's based on the malformed hunchback, but the fairy tale in the beginning associates him with the Fish King, and the watery area he's found in seems to draw parallels with Merfolk. He also has more ghouls under his command than the rest.

* ''Film/HammerHorror'' is a series of Gothic horror movies made by the British company Hammer Film Productions between the 1950s and the early '70s. They were influential enough for "Hammer horror" to become a distinct subgenre label that was also applied to entirely unrelated, but similar productions.

There were a few more notable Gothic authors in the early 20th century, but by the 1950s or so the genre had given way to modern {{Horror}} or--in the U.S.--the SouthernGothic subgenre. Spearheaded by writers such as Creator/WilliamFaulkner and Eudora Welty and later picked up by the likes of Creator/FlanneryOConnor and Harper Lee, Southern Gothic literature transposes Gothic gloom and terror to the post-Civil War DeepSouth. In Canada, some authors transposed Southern Gothic themes to Toronto and its surrounding region, creating Southern Ontario Gothic.

Horace Walpole's ''Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto'', written in 1764, is considered the first Gothic horror novel. Walpole was a big fan of Creator/WilliamShakespeare and proudly declared that [[JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples he borrowed most of the tropes from]] his idol's plays, particularly ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', and ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''. Creator/AnnRadcliffe helped popularize the genre, and authors such as Matthew Lewis, Ludwig Flammenberg, Eliza Parsons, Eleanor Sleath, and Francis Lathom finished out the eighteenth century Gothic horror writers. The beginning of the nineteenth century saw Gothic horror being parodied by authors like Creator/JaneAusten, but there were still straight examples provided by authors such as Creator/LordByron and Creator/MaryShelley. By the time the [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian era]] rolled around Gothic horror was beginning to run out of steam, but there were still quite a few people writing it -- in fact, most of the Gothic horror authors and works you've heard of probably come from this era, such as Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, Creator/BramStoker, and the Brontë sisters.

* Creator/NikolaiGogol (1809-1852). Infamous Russian horror writer of ''Literature/{{Viy}}'', ''The Nose'', and ''Nevsky Prospekt''.

* One of the more popular and influential eras of ''Series/DoctorWho'' -- specifically, [[Recap/DoctorWho seasons 12, 13 and 14]], featuring Creator/PhilipHinchcliffe as producer, Creator/RobertHolmes as script editor and Creator/TomBaker as the lead -- is sufficiently influenced by this movement to be known by the FanNickname "the Gothic Horror era".

* ''[[VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness]]'' took the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' to the Gothic setting, albeit mixing it with [[LovecraftLite Lovecraftian elements]]. While the ultimate evil in this installment is an unknowable EldritchAbomination from beyond, its narrative focus is much more on the families of [[{{Ruritania}} Mordavia]] [[UntrustingCommunity living in isolation and fear]] of dark magic unleashed by [[SinsOfOurFathers their ancestors' transgressions]] in pursuit of {{immortality}}. The [[PrecursorHeroes greatest heroes]] of Mordavia (at least until the PlayerCharacter arrives) are [[MortalityGreyArea trapped between life]] [[UnfinishedBusiness and death]], unable to help their people ''or'' to move on. The main "villain" is a {{tragic|Villain}} and [[SympathyForTheDevil sympathetic figure]] who combines traits of both the [[ByronicHero Tyrant]][[note]]charisma, sex appeal, manipulative nature, dark powers, a mad passion to transgress natural boundaries in pursuit of personal liberty, and blindness to the costs of said transgression[[/note]] and the [[TheIngenue Maiden]][[note]]raised in the men's world, turned to dark magic to prove her worth, but was cast out by the patriarchy and was later turned by the previous Tyrant into a vampire against her will; her motivation to summon the Dark One is to restore her freedom of day-walking she was robbed of, while her kidnapping of Tanya was out of a desire for family she could no longer have; finally, she falls in love with the Hero and gives her life to save his in the end[[/note]]... and that's just scratching the surface of the treasure trove of Gothic themes and motifs found in this game.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' was the first Gothic horror adventure module for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', featuring the PlayerParty trapped in a haunted castle smack in the middle of {{Uberwald}}, lorded over by an ancient TragicVillain vampire named Count Strahd von Zarovitch. The module was so popular, it was eventually expanded into an entire setting, consisting of mostly independent dark realms surrounding equally larger-than-life romanticized villains. The original module has since been rebooted as ''TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd''.

* ''[[VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness]]'' took the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' to the Gothic setting, albeit mixing it with Lovecraftian elements. While the ultimate evil in this installment is an unknowable EldritchAbomination from beyond, its narrative focus is much more on the families of Mordavia living in isolation and fear of dark magic unleashed by their ancestors' transgressions in pursuit of immortality. The biggest heroes of Mordavia (at least until the PlayerCharacter arrives) are trapped between life and death, unable to help their people ''or'' to move on. The main "villain" is a tragic and sypathetic figure who combines traits of both the Tyrant[[note]]charisma, sex appeal, manipulative nature, dark powers, a mad passion to transgress natural boundaries in pursuit of personal liberty, and blindness to the costs of said transgression[[/note]] and the Maiden[[note]]a girl who was raised in the men's world, turned to dark magic to prove her worth, but was cast out by the patriarchy and was later turned by the previous Tyrant into a vampire against her will; her motivation to summon the Dark One is to restore her freedom of day-walking she was robbed of, while her kidnapping of Tanya was out of a desire for family she could no longer have; finally, she falls in love with the Hero and gives her life to save his in the end[[/note]]... And that's just scratching the surface of the treasure trove of Gothic themes and motifs found in this game.

* ''TabletopGame/OrbisAerden:ReignOfTheAccursed'': Set in the fictional world of Aerden. The players take the role of Godspawn: monstrous descendants of a fallen god who operate a secret society very similar to TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade. The setting has many gothic tones and despite being at about the 19th century, steam power and electricity are still unknown and most people live in the large gothic cities and wilderness around them is still largely unexplored.

* ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryShadowsOfDarkness'' took the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' to the Gothic setting, albeit mixing it with Lovecraftian elements. While the ultimate evil in this installment is an unknowable EldritchAbomination from beyond, its narrative focus is much more on families of Mordavia living in isolation and fear of dark magic unleashed by their ancestors' transgressions in pursuit of immortality. The biggest heroes of Mordavia (at least until the PlayerCharacter arrives) are trapped between life and death, unable to help their people ''or'' to move on. The main "villain" is a tragic and sypathetic figure who combines traits of both the Tyrant[[note]]charisma, sex appeal, manipulative nature, dark powers, a mad passion to transgress natural boundaries in pursuit of personal liberty, and blindness to the costs of said transgression[[/note]] and the Maiden[[note]]a girl who was raised in the men's world, turned to dark magic to prove her worth, but was cast out by the patriarchy and was later turned by the previous Tyrant into a vampire against her will; her motivation to summon the Dark One is to restore her freedom of day-walking she was robbed of, while her kidnapping of Tanya was out of a desire for family she could no longer have; finally, she falls in love with the Hero and gives her life to save his in the end[[/note]]... And that's just scratching the surface of the treasure trove of Gothic themes and motifs found in this game.

* ''Webcomic/BloodStain'' is a comedy masquerading as Gothic horror. The tropes common to the genre are playfully subverted. [[http://www.blackshipbooks.com/blood-stain-a-fresh-new-take-on-gothic-horror/ In a review of the work]], L.J. Phillips remarks how Elliot, while being DamselInDistress and UnreliableNarrator common to works of the genre, confronts not fantastic monsters but instead from the [[SurprinsinglyRealisticOutcome burdens of maintaining a job]].

* ''Webcomic/BloodStain'' is a comedy masquerading as Gothic horror. The tropes common to the genre are playfully subverted. [[http://www.blackshipbooks.com/blood-stain-a-fresh-new-take-on-gothic-horror/ In a review of the work]], L.J. Phillips remarks how Elliot, while being DamselInDistress and UnreliableNarrator common to works of the genre, confronts not fantastic monsters but instead from the [[RealityEnsues burdens of maintaining a job]].

** Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters are, most obviously, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. While the daughters are out for just your flesh, Dimitrescu specifically drinks blood [[spoiler:because she was hemophiliac before the mold turned her into what she is]], and has a special taste for the blood of virgins. Her castle is also the most gothic enviroment in the game (as in the architectural style, not the genre), and her boss fight even contains a stealth shout-out to ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. Dracula, in case you didn't know, means [[spoiler:Son of the Dragon]].

** The final boss, Lady Miranda, mainly draws her design from ravens and CreepyCrows, but her six wings also makes her resemble the biblical Seraphim, which would make her a FallenAngel, a.k.a. a demon. Fitting, considering that she originated the four other.

* Creator/HideoKojima's [[AuthorAppeal love]] of Film/HammerHorror movies caused him to incorporate prominent gothic elements in ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', despite it being largely RealRobotGenre. Both Psycho Mantis and Gray Fox's storylines in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' are gothic horror (Mantis is mutilated, masked, was traumatised by the destruction of his Russian village, and possesses women; Gray Fox is a technologically-revived corpse likened to a 'ghost'), and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'' feature a vampire and a ghost respectively.

* Creator/AnnRadcliffe (1764- 1823). Author of, among others, ''Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho'' (1794) and ''Literature/TheItalian'' (1797). Notably replaced real supernatural events with the ScoobyDooHoax.