Gothic Fiction

Major Literary Movement

Early to Mid-19th Century: A subcategory of Romanticism; focuses on fear, the macabre, the supernatural, decay, and the psychological effects of terror. Often set in dark, dilapidated locations (castles, mansions).
e.g Edgar Allan Poe (short stories), Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker (Dracula).

M. E. Braddon

Announcing a New Braddon Collection in Great Tales

I’m pleased to share that Great Tales will soon feature a growing collection of stories by Mary Elizabeth Braddon—one of the most fascinating and influential British writers of the nineteenth century, and a key figure in what we now call sensation fiction. Beginning this week, I will be posting complete, readable editions of several of […]

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The Birth of the Modern Short Story: Poe, Maupassant, and Chekhov

The 19th century was a crucible of literary innovation. The novel, journalism, and serialized fiction were expanding in scope and readership, while poetry was grappling with Romanticism’s fading idealism and the rise of realism. Amid these transformations, one form emerged with startling vitality: the short story. Once relegated to oral traditions, parables, and moral sketches,

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The Rise of the Detective: How Edgar Allan Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin Created the Blueprint for Sherlock Holmes (and Modern Mystery)

UPDATE : We’ve just added Poe’s three detective stories The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget, and The Purloined Letter The 19th century was an age obsessed with secrets—the shadowy alleys of London, the locked rooms of the wealthy, and the perplexing nature of crime. Yet, for all its lurking mystery,

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Forgotten Voices: Overlooked Writers of the Golden Age of Fiction

When we think of 19th- and early 20th-century fiction, familiar names leap to mind—Dickens, Henry James, Edith Wharton. These writers occupy the luminous center of the literary canon, their works still read and studied for their insight into society, psychology, and art. Yet beyond these well-lit giants lies a shadowy borderland of talent—writers who once

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