Nakrotor

Gothic Fiction An Introduction From the 18th century to the present day, Gothic fiction has fascinated and terrified. This introduction explains the origins of the genre and its popular conventions. The term “Gothic” first appeared in the 17th century as a derogatory term meaning barbarous and uncouth especially in relation to the Goths (Germans) and their language (McCalman et al , 526). By the 18th century, the term had taken on additional meanings including medieval, unenlightened and superstitious. At the height of the neoclassical age , anything Gothic was decidedly anti-Roman, irrational and backward. Gothic Revival Yet toward the middle of the century, a revival was underway. A new found interest in medieval architecture and ancient romance culture resulted in the first Gothic novel: Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764). A keen participant in the Gothic resurgence, Walpole had already built his own Gothic castle, Strawberry Hill, before writing what h...