Gothic Horror

We’re back and we’re skulking around the old ruined abbey. Sure, the place is lousy with ghosts, but they’re not really that important. We’re far more concerned with the weather. If reading Gothic horror has taught us anything, it’s that storms are caused by our own inner turmoil. Or is that the other way around? Maybe we could figure it out if all these bloody ghosts would just shut up. Why won’t the past just stay dead? Main Topic: Gothic Horror This episode is our attempt to understand what exactly Gothic horror is. We’ve often mentioned how Lovecraft’s early work was rooted in the Gothic, but we’ve never really explained what that means. Gothic horror is one of those genres that you know when you see it, but actually defining it can be tricky. Happily, Matt has a degree in English, and part of his studies involved the history of Gothic literature. We imposed upon him to dig out some of his dusty old texts and explain what elements go into Gothic horror and how the genre stands apart from other forms of horror literature. Links Things we mention in this episode include: * Visigoths and Ostrogoths * Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects by Giorgio Vasari * Gothic Revival architecture * Flying Buttress * Ogival Arch * Romanesque architecture * The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole * Film noir * Romanticism * The Enlightenment * Vathek by William Beckford * The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe * The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe * The Female Gothic * The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis