A triumphant, genre-bending breakout novel from one of the boldest new voices in contemporary fiction. According to Wikipedia, gothic fiction “is a genre of literature and film that covers horror, death and at times romance. It is said to derive from the English author Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, later subtitled A Gothic Story.” Some of the most famous examples of gothic fiction include Dracula by Bram Stoker, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Gothic romance tends to be heavier on the — you guessed it — romance, and there’s southern gothic fiction, which appeared in the mid-19th century and tends to focus on grotesque and strange characters and situations in a Southern U.S. setting. Famous writers of southern gothic fiction include such as William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and Flannery O’Connor. With so many different offshoots of gothic fiction, what would qualify as genre-bending gothic fiction? If it can include vampires, mysteries, and kissing parts, isn’t that a whole lot of genres right there? After looking up all kinds of books labeled ‘gothic fiction’ and the like, my honest answer is: I think genre-bending gothic fiction can be just about anything gothic in nature, if it includes some of the right elements. And I’m playing fast and loose with the definition, because I just like to recommend books, no matter what genre they are. Which is good news for you, because now you can move on and check out this awesome list of genre-bending books you most definitely will want to read. There will be monsters, there will be crumbling architecture, there will be kissing parts. But most of all, there will be great reads. So get in your gauzy gown and grab a goblet and your glasses, because here we go! Two upcoming genre-bending recommendations I suggest you mark down now: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw and The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (which coincidentally both come out on October 19). And for more Gothic reading recommendations, check out What is Gothic Fiction, 9 Gothic Novels for Every Mood, 50+ Must-Read Gothic Novels and Stories, A Beginner’s Guide to the Gothic Western Genre, and The Best Southern Gothic Books.
