On Jane Friedman site:
What is Gothic fiction?
Gothic fiction, also referred to as gothic horror, is a subgenre of Romantic literature born out of the late 18th century. These stories typically feature a hauntingly beautiful and dilapidated setting, suspenseful narratives, and dark themes like oppression, guilt, shame, and insanity. Typically, a morally gray anti-hero will enter a vast, isolated and old estate that’s housing a terrible secret or a horrendous monster.
Gothic fiction is firmly rooted in the horror genre, which is designed to evoke fear, dread, and terror in readers. However, Gothic stories differ from typical horror stories in three major ways:
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