What ever happened to Gothic Romances?

[Randy M.]

Wruter, that may be true of many (most?) of the later titles, but some are older works shoehorned into the genre, their covers made to look like what was selling well at the time. For instance, Uncle Silas.


Randy M.

 

[hitmouse]

Interesting perspective of how the same basic stories are rebadged to reflect the pulp genre du jour, including a comment on what happened to gothic romances:
Were-sharks and Nazi leprechauns: the rise and fall of the horror paperback

 

[Toby Frost]

I desperately want to read Horrorstör now.

 

[reiver33]

I'll add writing a Gothic Romance to my to-do list...

 

[BAYLOR]

Because in some people minds Gothic is seen as, so 19th century.

 

[Toby Frost]

To be honest, it writes itself.

"You see," said Professor Loomis, "thousands of years ago, this land was not a furniture store. It was an ancient burial ground: a barrow. Within it were sealed the draugr, cursed spirits filled with hatred of the living. When the first Horrorstör was created, the draugr came forth, looking for human blood and great discounts."
"You mean," Julie gasped, "they're still here?"
The professor pointed to the wreckage on the floor. "That chair that attacked you, and that half-assembled wardrobe, were controlled by the draugr. And now Brad has eaten their meatballs, he has fallen under their evil spell."

 

[hitmouse]

Hahaha.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

What kind of man would write a novel about Nazi leprechauns lurking in an Irish castle that’s been turned into a bed and breakfast?” he says, citing John Christopher’s 1966 book The Little People.

Ha. I've actually read that one, when it was serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Not quite as goofy as the description makes it sound, although it's not very good. A lesser work from a pretty good author. (This was before the huge horror boom, so it wasn't really presented as such.)

 

[Toby Frost]

I might have just dreamed this, but I think Geoffrey Household (of Rogue Male fame) wrote a horror novel about giant intelligent weasels living in the jungle. It sounded so crazy that I'd rather like to read it.

 

[Extollager]

I think that's Dance of the Dead.

 

[Toby Frost]

I'm a big fan of Rogue Male, so I might have a look for it. Wikipedia mentions something called The Dance of the Dwarfs, but then links to what seems to be an irrelevant page. I don't know how much of Household's work is still in print. Anyway, I should let the thread get back on topic now.

 

[Randy M.]

I'm a big fan of Rogue Male, so I might have a look for it. Wikipedia mentions something called The Dance of the Dwarfs, but then links to what seems to be an irrelevant page. I don't know how much of Household's work is still in print. Anyway, I should let the thread get back on topic now.

I'll hijack just a moment to say, yes, Dance of the Dwarfs. He also wrote The Sending. I've read neither but seen both in the past. So far as I know they are his only excursions into the supernatural.


Randy M.

 

[Connavar]

Well, these are designed from the ground up to be "pulp" novels. They're created and defined by a preordained set of publisher requirements - style, length, content and very likely how quickly they could be written. I'm not sure the notion of "literary" enters into the equation. Yes, they're formulaic and undemanding - but that's the point. I'm not sure if those precursor classic authors or titles like Rebecca are even part of the same discussion.

I was talking about if those stories was good modern Gothic fiction as a genre because those classic authors mentioned was seen as the "pulp" of their times before they became mainstream classics like Poe,Le Fanu etc

I see gothic fiction stories from 1700s-1900s as classic literature because its quality wise an important genre and was wondering as fan of those old novels,stories if these stories had anything in common genre,storywise. If the quality isnt there and it is like it sounds formulaic,undemanding then as horror,gothic fan im not interested. Literary rep or not is not what i asked but as a fan of horror,gothic story.

 

[Extollager]

I don't believe I've ever read any of Allingham's "Campion" mysteries -- have any of you folks tried them?

It seems one of them was marketed as a Gothic, The Fear Sign:

 

[dask]

I read one of her stories in a collection of Christmas mysteries a while back. Don't remember anything about it except that I thought it was one of the best stories in the book.

My wife finished this about a week ago, said it was really creepy:

 

[Vladd67]

Campion (TV series) - Wikipedia

 

[Randy M.]

I don't believe I've ever read any of Allingham's "Campion" mysteries -- have any of you folks tried them?

It seems one of them was marketed as a Gothic, The Fear Sign:

I read the first two, The Case at Black Dudley and Mystery Mile. They were pleasant mystery/adventure stories, but I wouldn't call either of those especially Gothic. I've heard the series became more sophisticated over the years. I have a later one around the house but haven't gotten to it yet.

Randy M.

 

[Extollager]

Sabine Baring-Gould's Mehalah (1880) was compared by Swinburne to Wuthering Heights -- a pretty Gothic novel, I'm sure we'd all agree. I've established a place

Mehalah, by Sabine Baring-Gould (1880)

where anyone interested can discuss the B-G novel. I might get started on it in the next few weeks.

 

[Extollager]

Here's another Gothic I've read...but not in an abridged version!

I've just started a second reading (after 30 years) of Le Fanu's novel (unabridged), in an old Oxford World's Classics paperback.

 

[BAYLOR]

Marvel comics' Jim Steranko stopped doing Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, and painted this Gothic image:

The Warren comics were getting pretty trashy by then, by the way, though worse was to come.

Oh yes , one of the Warren publications . I read a couple of issues. I wish I had read more them then I did..