Gothic Fiction: a genre or mode of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism
Gothic fiction got its start from English author Horace Walpole, who introduced it through his novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764. Since then the genre has spread and became popular because it combines a sense of horror with a sense of romanticism. Many authors began to write this genre, and some even choose to write only this genre. Authors like Stephen King, Mary Shelley, Victor Hugo, Edgar Allen Poe, Shirley Jackson, and many more became extremely popular for their work in the genre. Some of the most well known books also come from this genre, including Frankenstein, Dracula, Jane Eyre, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
More information about this genre can be found here:
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/topic_2/welcome.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction
More information about this genre can be found here:
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/topic_2/welcome.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction