+ Gothic Literature Masterpost +
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a genre of literature and film that covers horror, death and at times romance. Here we've gathered as many free PDFs of Gothic literature as I can find, as well as some works of early Cosmic Horror, which oftentimes borrows from Gothic Horror. Most works of Gothic fiction are horror, however I also included some Gothic romance. Feel free to recommend more works you felt I missed.
+ Gothic Horror +
+ 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker +
Possibly the most well known work of Gothic fiction, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is told through a series of letters, interviews, and newspaper articles, opening with a solicitor named Jonathan Harker, who stays at a castle in Transylvania owned by the mysterious Count Dracula.
+ 'Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus' by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley +
Sometimes cited as the first sci-fi novel, this classic work of horror tells of an ambitious young genius by the name of Victor Frankenstein, who violates the laws of nature, creating what many consider to be a monster.
+ 'Carmilla' by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu +
A classic work of vampire fiction, and an early work of lesbian erotica. Predating Dracula by 26 years and originally published as a serial, the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla.
+ 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole +
Generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, 'The Castle of Otranto' tells the story of Manfred, lord of the titular castle, and his family. The tale contains an ominous ancient prophecy, tragedy, romance, and a haunted estate.
+ 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux +
Another work originally published as a serial (a common trend in Gothic horror), and inspired by historic events, this work is now a pop culture fixture thanks to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on it. Originally presented as a mystery, as most everyone knows it turns out there really is a Phantom, and most modern interpretations instead interpret the work as a Gothic romance between the Phantom and the young ingenue Christine.
+ 'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen +
A fundamental parody of Gothic fiction, and published posthumously, the story concerns Catherine Morland, a naïve young woman who is a little too into reading gothic literature. As a result, she begins to see herself as the heroine of a gothic novel, and her overactive imagination causes her to start seeing murder and villainy on every side, though the truth turns out to be completely ordinary.
+ 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James +
Another work that was originally a serialized publication, this novella contains elements of psychological horror. The story follows a governess who, while caring for two children at a remote estate, becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted. This work is often compared to 'The Haunting of Hill House', which features a similar approach to it's supposed supernatural elements.
+ 'The Vampyre; a Tale' by John William Polidori +
Written as a part of the same contest that gave us Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein', and often seen as one of the progenitors of the vampire romance, 'The Vampyre' centers around the mysterious Lord Ruthven, and told from the perspective of our protagonist, Aubrey.
+ 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' by Ann Ward Radcliffe +
Often cited as the archetypical gothic novel which tells of Emily St. Aubert, who suffers misadventures that include the death of her mother and father, supernatural terrors in a gloomy castle, and machinations of an Italian brigand.
+ 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson +
Another classic most of you likely know, and another work initially presented as a mystery whose twist is common knowledge at this point. Don't let that put you off of the work, it's still a great work of horror.
+ 'The Monk: A Romance' by M. G. Lewis +
An early example of Gothic fiction centering around a famous monk named Ambrosio, the tale includes corrupt religious officials, romance, temptation, death, and dark magic.
+ 'Varney the Vampire; Or, the Feast of Blood' by Prest and Rymer +
A serialized gothic horror that tells the tale of the vampire Sir Francis Varney, and introduced many of the tropes present in vampire fiction recognizable to modern audiences, such as sharp teeth. Originally published in "penny dreadfuls", the full series is huge; the original edition ran to 876 double-columned pages, 232 chapters, and nearly 667,000 words.
+ 'Wieland; Or, The Transformation: An American Tale' by Charles Brockden Brown
+
Oftentimes considered the first American gothic novel, and set sometime between the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, 'Wieland' tells the tale of Clara Wieland and her brother Theodore's family and the horrible events that befall them.
+ 'The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' by James Hogg +
Oftentimes called Scotland's own version of Faust, the eponymous Sinner supposedly makes a deal with the devil, but it is never clear if this is true or all in his head. Contains elements of psychological horror.
+ 'Melmoth the Wanderer, Vol. 1', 'Vol. 2', 'Vol. 3', 'Vol. 4' by Charles Robert Maturin +
Published at the end of the classic age of Gothic literature, this series tells the story of young John Melmoth, who returns to his dying uncle's house to hear the story of John Melmoth, his ancestor, who lived in 1664 and is still living.
+ 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving +
A classic work of American fiction, many of you likely first heard this tale via Disney's classic 1949 film, 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'.
+ 'The House of the Seven Gables' by Nathaniel Hawthorne +
Based on the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, the house of the title is a gloomy New England mansion, haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death.
+ 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde +
Oscar Wilde's only novel, naturally rife with witty banter and homo-eroticism. The story follows the titular Dorian, who serves as a young muse for the talented artist Basil Hallward. When a Lord Henry instills in him a fear of aging, he wishes for the portrait Basil paints of him to age in his place. This story was used as evidence against Wilde and resulted in him being prosecuted for homosexuality and sentenced to two years hard labor.
+ The Works of Edgar Allen Poe Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4, Pt. 5 +
The complete works of Edgar Allen Poe, from his poetry to his short stories to his lesser known non-fiction works.
+ Gothic Romance +
+ 'Jane Eyre: An Autobiography' by Charlotte Brontë +
The archetypal Gothic romance novel by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre is an unloved orphan sent to a boarding school that turns her into a solemn and quiet person, but still as free spirited as ever. Her curiosity is sparked by Mr. Edward Rochester, who's moody disposition intrigues her. However, there is something dark happening at Thornfield Hall.
+ 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë +
A tragic tale and archetypical gothic romance, with themes of cross generational abuse and trauma, the story opens with foppish gentleman Mr. Lockwood spending the night at the titular Wuthering Heights, to have a nightmare of being visited by the ghost of the lord's lost love, Catherine. Intrigued, disturbed, and also bedridden with a cold, Lockwood asks his housekeeper Nelly Dean to tell him the story of Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights.
+ 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins +
Another serialized novel, when Walter Hartright, a young drawing master gets a job teaching two young girls art, he encounters a mysterious woman in white. He tries to help her, but she runs away. He learns that she is, in fact, and escaped mental patient, who bares a strong resemblance to one of the girls he was hired to mentor. However, nothing is as it seems, and a dark conspiracy is being hatched.
+ Cosmic Horror +
+ 'The Great God Pan' by Arthur Machen +
One of the classic proto-Cosmic Horror tales that inspired H.P. Lovecraft himself, this story starts experiments performed by Dr. Raymond to enable a woman named Mary to "see pan", which breaks her mind. Several years later, a a mysterious woman known as Mrs. Beaumont seems to be spreading madness and suicide across London.
+ 'The King in Yellow' by Robert W. Chambers +
A surreal collection of short stories that all center around a fictional play also called The King in Yellow, the reading of which either drives people mad or leads them to a dark fate.
+ 'The Willows' by Algernon Blackwood +
A novella that tells of two friends on a canoe trip down the River Danube. The woods around them becomes threatening, mysterious, and powerful. Most ominous are the masses of dense, menacing willows, which "moved of their own will as though alive, and they touched, by some incalculable method, my own keen sense of the horrible."
+ 'The Wendigo' by Algernon Blackwood +
Another work by Blackwood, this one takes place in northernwestern Ontario, and centers around two Scotsmen on a moose-hunting trip with guides Hank Davis and the wilderness-loving French "Canuck", Joseph Défago. They split up in two camps for one night, and during the night Défago runs into the woods, being drawn by something ominous and potentially dangerous. Both of Blackwood's works served as a source of inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft.
+ 'The Mysterious Stranger' by Mark Twain +
In Medieval Europe, three boys meet a charming teenager who claims to be an angel; in fact, his name is Satan. Predictably, no good comes out of this. Many of you likely know this work from the claymation film The Adventures of Mark Twain. It was written just after his wife and favorite daughter died and Twain entered financial trouble, so it was much more vicious and depressing than any of his other works, and many of the bitter and misanthropic things Satan says are as good as coming from Twain himself.
+ H.P. Lovecraft's Works +
The complete works of H.P. Lovecraft all collected in one place! From 'At the Mountains of Madness' to 'What the Moon Brings', this site has them all posted in high quality PDFs for free! They also have audiobooks.
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a genre of literature and film that covers horror, death and at times romance. Here we've gathered as many free PDFs of Gothic literature as I can find, as well as some works of early Cosmic Horror, which oftentimes borrows from Gothic Horror. Most works of Gothic fiction are horror, however I also included some Gothic romance. Feel free to recommend more works you felt I missed.
+ Gothic Horror +
+ 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker +
Possibly the most well known work of Gothic fiction, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is told through a series of letters, interviews, and newspaper articles, opening with a solicitor named Jonathan Harker, who stays at a castle in Transylvania owned by the mysterious Count Dracula.
+ 'Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus' by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley +
Sometimes cited as the first sci-fi novel, this classic work of horror tells of an ambitious young genius by the name of Victor Frankenstein, who violates the laws of nature, creating what many consider to be a monster.
+ 'Carmilla' by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu +
A classic work of vampire fiction, and an early work of lesbian erotica. Predating Dracula by 26 years and originally published as a serial, the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla.
+ 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole +
Generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, 'The Castle of Otranto' tells the story of Manfred, lord of the titular castle, and his family. The tale contains an ominous ancient prophecy, tragedy, romance, and a haunted estate.
+ 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux +
Another work originally published as a serial (a common trend in Gothic horror), and inspired by historic events, this work is now a pop culture fixture thanks to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on it. Originally presented as a mystery, as most everyone knows it turns out there really is a Phantom, and most modern interpretations instead interpret the work as a Gothic romance between the Phantom and the young ingenue Christine.
+ 'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen +
A fundamental parody of Gothic fiction, and published posthumously, the story concerns Catherine Morland, a naïve young woman who is a little too into reading gothic literature. As a result, she begins to see herself as the heroine of a gothic novel, and her overactive imagination causes her to start seeing murder and villainy on every side, though the truth turns out to be completely ordinary.
+ 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James +
Another work that was originally a serialized publication, this novella contains elements of psychological horror. The story follows a governess who, while caring for two children at a remote estate, becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted. This work is often compared to 'The Haunting of Hill House', which features a similar approach to it's supposed supernatural elements.
+ 'The Vampyre; a Tale' by John William Polidori +
Written as a part of the same contest that gave us Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein', and often seen as one of the progenitors of the vampire romance, 'The Vampyre' centers around the mysterious Lord Ruthven, and told from the perspective of our protagonist, Aubrey.
+ 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' by Ann Ward Radcliffe +
Often cited as the archetypical gothic novel which tells of Emily St. Aubert, who suffers misadventures that include the death of her mother and father, supernatural terrors in a gloomy castle, and machinations of an Italian brigand.
+ 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson +
Another classic most of you likely know, and another work initially presented as a mystery whose twist is common knowledge at this point. Don't let that put you off of the work, it's still a great work of horror.
+ 'The Monk: A Romance' by M. G. Lewis +
An early example of Gothic fiction centering around a famous monk named Ambrosio, the tale includes corrupt religious officials, romance, temptation, death, and dark magic.
+ 'Varney the Vampire; Or, the Feast of Blood' by Prest and Rymer +
A serialized gothic horror that tells the tale of the vampire Sir Francis Varney, and introduced many of the tropes present in vampire fiction recognizable to modern audiences, such as sharp teeth. Originally published in "penny dreadfuls", the full series is huge; the original edition ran to 876 double-columned pages, 232 chapters, and nearly 667,000 words.
+ 'Wieland; Or, The Transformation: An American Tale' by Charles Brockden Brown
+
Oftentimes considered the first American gothic novel, and set sometime between the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, 'Wieland' tells the tale of Clara Wieland and her brother Theodore's family and the horrible events that befall them.
+ 'The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' by James Hogg +
Oftentimes called Scotland's own version of Faust, the eponymous Sinner supposedly makes a deal with the devil, but it is never clear if this is true or all in his head. Contains elements of psychological horror.
+ 'Melmoth the Wanderer, Vol. 1', 'Vol. 2', 'Vol. 3', 'Vol. 4' by Charles Robert Maturin +
Published at the end of the classic age of Gothic literature, this series tells the story of young John Melmoth, who returns to his dying uncle's house to hear the story of John Melmoth, his ancestor, who lived in 1664 and is still living.
+ 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving +
A classic work of American fiction, many of you likely first heard this tale via Disney's classic 1949 film, 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'.
+ 'The House of the Seven Gables' by Nathaniel Hawthorne +
Based on the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, the house of the title is a gloomy New England mansion, haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death.
+ 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde +
Oscar Wilde's only novel, naturally rife with witty banter and homo-eroticism. The story follows the titular Dorian, who serves as a young muse for the talented artist Basil Hallward. When a Lord Henry instills in him a fear of aging, he wishes for the portrait Basil paints of him to age in his place. This story was used as evidence against Wilde and resulted in him being prosecuted for homosexuality and sentenced to two years hard labor.
+ The Works of Edgar Allen Poe Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4, Pt. 5 +
The complete works of Edgar Allen Poe, from his poetry to his short stories to his lesser known non-fiction works.
+ Gothic Romance +
+ 'Jane Eyre: An Autobiography' by Charlotte Brontë +
The archetypal Gothic romance novel by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre is an unloved orphan sent to a boarding school that turns her into a solemn and quiet person, but still as free spirited as ever. Her curiosity is sparked by Mr. Edward Rochester, who's moody disposition intrigues her. However, there is something dark happening at Thornfield Hall.
+ 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë +
A tragic tale and archetypical gothic romance, with themes of cross generational abuse and trauma, the story opens with foppish gentleman Mr. Lockwood spending the night at the titular Wuthering Heights, to have a nightmare of being visited by the ghost of the lord's lost love, Catherine. Intrigued, disturbed, and also bedridden with a cold, Lockwood asks his housekeeper Nelly Dean to tell him the story of Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights.
+ 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins +
Another serialized novel, when Walter Hartright, a young drawing master gets a job teaching two young girls art, he encounters a mysterious woman in white. He tries to help her, but she runs away. He learns that she is, in fact, and escaped mental patient, who bares a strong resemblance to one of the girls he was hired to mentor. However, nothing is as it seems, and a dark conspiracy is being hatched.
+ Cosmic Horror +
+ 'The Great God Pan' by Arthur Machen +
One of the classic proto-Cosmic Horror tales that inspired H.P. Lovecraft himself, this story starts experiments performed by Dr. Raymond to enable a woman named Mary to "see pan", which breaks her mind. Several years later, a a mysterious woman known as Mrs. Beaumont seems to be spreading madness and suicide across London.
+ 'The King in Yellow' by Robert W. Chambers +
A surreal collection of short stories that all center around a fictional play also called The King in Yellow, the reading of which either drives people mad or leads them to a dark fate.
+ 'The Willows' by Algernon Blackwood +
A novella that tells of two friends on a canoe trip down the River Danube. The woods around them becomes threatening, mysterious, and powerful. Most ominous are the masses of dense, menacing willows, which "moved of their own will as though alive, and they touched, by some incalculable method, my own keen sense of the horrible."
+ 'The Wendigo' by Algernon Blackwood +
Another work by Blackwood, this one takes place in northernwestern Ontario, and centers around two Scotsmen on a moose-hunting trip with guides Hank Davis and the wilderness-loving French "Canuck", Joseph Défago. They split up in two camps for one night, and during the night Défago runs into the woods, being drawn by something ominous and potentially dangerous. Both of Blackwood's works served as a source of inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft.
+ 'The Mysterious Stranger' by Mark Twain +
In Medieval Europe, three boys meet a charming teenager who claims to be an angel; in fact, his name is Satan. Predictably, no good comes out of this. Many of you likely know this work from the claymation film The Adventures of Mark Twain. It was written just after his wife and favorite daughter died and Twain entered financial trouble, so it was much more vicious and depressing than any of his other works, and many of the bitter and misanthropic things Satan says are as good as coming from Twain himself.
+ H.P. Lovecraft's Works +
The complete works of H.P. Lovecraft all collected in one place! From 'At the Mountains of Madness' to 'What the Moon Brings', this site has them all posted in high quality PDFs for free! They also have audiobooks.
