The word Gothic conjures associations with the dark and melancholy, the weird and feared, and haunted places and people. In Gothic, Roger Luckhurst offers readers an unprecedented look at the ways this uncanny style has manifested itself through architecture, literature, film, art, video games, and more. From the works of Victor Hugo and E. T. A. Hoffmann to Southern Gothic, ancient folklore, and classic horror movies, Luckhurst explores how an aesthetic that began in the margins has been reinvented through the centuries to become part of mainstream global culture.
Organizing his wide-ranging history by theme, Luckhurst begins with Gothic architecture and form, including such elements as the arch, the house, and ruins. He considers how the Gothic is depicted in rural and urban settings, as well as in the wilderness and borderlands. And he delves into Gothic traditions and settings around the world, from the sublime Alps and Australian outback to the Arctic wasteland, from the dark folkloric realm of the forest to the postindustrial landscapes of abandoned hospitals and asylums, and then beyond the bounds of the planet to unknowable cosmic horror. Luckhurst investigates the monsters that mirror ourselves and society, and demonstrates that as the Gothic has traveled across the globe and through time, it has morphed according to the shape of our changing fears and anxieties.
Filled with a wealth of color illustrations, Gothic will enthrall anyone yearning to lift the veil on our fascination with the eerie, morbid, and supernatural.
Awards and Recognition
- A Washington Post Best Illustrated Non-Fiction Book
- Shortlisted for the Locus Award in Non-Fiction
Roger Luckhurst is professor of modern literature at Birkbeck, University of London. His many books include Zombies: A Cultural History and The Shining. Twitter @TheProfRog
"An extensive, macabre taxonomy of the protean genre. . . . Luckhurst manages to balance granular detail with liveliness and charm. His analysis of the Gothic labyrinth draws a direct line from the Minotaur to Pac-Man."—Molly Fitzpatrick, New York Times
"A substantial overview of horror in books, art and film. . . . Luckhurst knows his subject inside out."—Michael Dirda, Washington Post
"A lavish publication of more than 350 arresting images that sparkle with colour much as the pages of text bristle with dark pull-quotes … Luckhurst’s prose is irresistible … No one will come away from this book without a reinvigorated sense of gothic forms and possibilities in the twenty-first century."—Nick Groom, Times Literary Supplement
"Approachable and haunting. . . . This fascinating and unsettling exploration of the gothic aesthetic shines light on some of the best-loved darker bits of culture through the last three centuries."—Suzanne Krohn, Shelf Awareness
"This inspired new work by Luckhurst is integrative, with luxuriantly illustrated chapters to help readers see the protean nature of the Gothic sensibility. . . . The work’s impressive interdisciplinarity reveals how Gothicism travels across media: literature, film, material culture, history, art, design, fashion—even computer games and the internet. . . . A work of exceptional originality and fresh insight, with sparkling prose."—Library Journal
"Gothic is lavishly illustrated as well as ambitious in scope as it maps the outlines of many overlapping shadow kingdoms. It’s a fun book to open at random."—David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
"[Luckhurst] successfully draws together aspects of the Gothic with visual images in the forms of photographs, sketches, book illustrations, movie posters, and video. Aficionados will appreciate the range of beautifully reproduced offerings."—Choice
“Wonderful. A book as vivid, strange, and rich as its topic.”—China Miéville
“Gothic is a lavishly illustrated compendium of the Gothic that ranges across three centuries. From the Gothic’s fixation on the ruin and the fragment, through to such varied subjects as Tintern Abbey, the weird tale, Asian Gothic, and the ruin porn of Detroit, Gothic is the most enticing introductory overview to the Gothic produced to date. It is a page-turning treat for seasoned scholars and novices alike, a must-have for every Gothicist’s library.”—Carol Davison, author of History of the Gothic
