readingthegothic's Podcast

Varney the Vampire

Sat, 4 Aug 2007 04:50:00 GMT

In this episode of Reading the Gothic we explore the Victorian Vampire in the sensational Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood.

Vampires Before Dracula

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 03:54:00 GMT

This episode of Reading the Gothic explores the vampire before the iconic Dracula.

Gothic Literature 101

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:07:00 GMT

A brief introduction to Gothic Literature including a recommended reading guide.

Terrifyingly Seductive: The Abbess

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:50:00 GMT

An except fromWilliam-Henry Ireland's The Abbess. The novel, Ireland's answer to Matthew Lewis's The Monk, tells a tale of love, sex, religion and torture. How fun is that?

The Forgotten Gothic

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:24:00 GMT

In this instalment of Reading the Gothic we are going to be looking at one of the bestselling Gothic novelists of the 19^th century, Francis Lathom. Mystery surrounds this 19th century bestselling author, but why?

Forging a Tale of Terror

Mon, 7 Aug 2006 22:10:00 GMT

In this instalment of Reading the Gothic we are going to be looking at the art of forging a profitable Gothic tale of terror. We examine Matthew Lewis's 1797 Gothic drama The Castle Spectre and Sarah Wilkinson's 1820 adaptation.

Blood and Morality: The Abbot of Montserrat

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT

In our new episode we discuss the strange mingling of the supernatural and the moral in The Abbot of Montserrat by William Child Green.

Adapting Horror

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 22:45:00 GMT

In our fifth installment of Reading the Gothic we are going to be looking at the adaptability and popularity of the Gothic novel. From Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto to Stephen King's Cell, from James Whale's Frankenstein to Eli Roth's The Hostel, the Gothic continues to permeate fiction and film today. Why though? Its not as if the giant helmet that crushed the poor Conrad could illicit more than laughter from today's readers, and it's hard to imagine an eighteenth century reader understanding the Zombie effects of a cell phone in Stephen King's dark wasteland. So how does the Gothic continue to hold its deathlike grip on us? Simple, it adapts, finding what the modern reader finds most horrific and holds it up to the light for us to see.

Garish Supernatural Horror: The Abbess

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:26:00 GMT

In our fouth episode of Reading the Gothic we look at one of the most extravagant, sensational and sexually charged Gothic novels, William Henry Ireland's The Abbess. From its conception in 1764 with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto the Gothic genre has lurched from terror in Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho to sheer horror in Mathew Lewis's The Monk, but in 1799 the notorious Shakespeare forger Ireland turned his attention from the Bard to the Gothic writing what critics call the most voluptuous and salacious novel, The Abbess: A Romance.

Romances and Gothic Tales

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:40:00 GMT

In our third episode we discuss the literary mushrooms that are Gothic chapbooks or bluebooks. Considered by some as literary rubbish, these short tales of terror have been resurrected to thrill and chill the modern reader.

An Overview of Zittaw Press: Publishing the Gothic

franz@zittaw.com — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:27:00 GMT

Our second episode of Reading the Gothic focuses on the role of Zittaw Press in reproducing and reprinting the Gothic. We discuss the chapbooks, novels and forthcoming projects such as Gothic graphic novels.

A Preview of The Horrors of Oakendale Abbey

franz@zittaw.com — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 18:10:00 GMT

In our first Podcast we preview the forthcoming reprint from Zittaw Press The Horrors of Oakendale Abbey.