Georgian Gothic - Short Stories from the Writers of the Finest Gothic and Ghostly Horror (Fantasy and Horror Classics) (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781447406884)

Before the Victorians, there was the Age of Terror.

This definitive volume transports you back to the Georgian era (roughly 1714-1830s), the high water mark of the original Gothic tradition, where aristocracy, ancient curses, and supernatural decadence collided. These stories, penned by the period's most influential and shocking writers, explore themes of forbidden science, vampirism, demonic pacts, and eternal damnation.

Founders of Fear:

• The Transformation and The Reanimated Englishman by Mary Shelley: Two rare and brilliant tales from the author of Frankenstein. Shelley explores body horror, identity swap, and the grim possibilities of science and the uncanny, reflecting the morbidly inventive spirit of the Romantic age.

• The Vampyre by John Polidori: The foundational text that birthed the modern aristocratic vampire, influencing Stoker and virtually all subsequent vampire fiction. Polidori's Lord Ruthven is a charming, sinister predator in the grand Romantic tradition.

• The Doomed Sisters by Charles Robert Maturin: From the author of the epic Gothic novel Melmoth the Wanderer, this tale promises intense melodrama, religious terror, and the chilling finality of a shared, inescapable curse.

Global Gothic and European Horror:

• The Coffin-Maker by Alexander Pushkin: A crucial piece of Russian literature, blending the common man's life with a macabre and darkly humorous encounter with the dead.

• The Three Low Masses by Alphonse Daudet: A charming yet disturbing French tale of a greedy priest, a midnight feast, and the shocking intervention of a supernatural judge, exploring the dark side of religious tradition.

• A Werewolf of the Campagne by Mrs. Hugh Fraser: A chilling contribution that captures the terror of lycanthropy set in the rural European countryside, demonstrating the global reach of Gothic dread.

Legends, Ghosts, and Urban Nightmares:

• Lost Hearts by M. R. James: While primarily a Victorian/Edwardian author, James's inclusion honors his mastery of the "antiquarian ghost story," detailing a subtle yet profoundly disturbing tale of a curse tied to a crumbling, ancient estate.

• Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber by Thomas Peckett Prest: An early version of the infamous urban legend, this lurid piece of penny dreadful fiction delves into the grime, murder, and cannibalism of London's darkest corners.

• The Hell-Fire Clubs by Montague Summers: The esteemed scholar of the occult provides a rare, historical glimpse into the rumored practices of these secret, blasphemous, and debauched societies that truly existed during the Georgian period.

Complete with short Biographies of each author, this collection is an essential reading for those who want to witness horror in its rawest, most sensational, and most foundational form.