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Book Riot's 50+ Must-Read Gothic Novels and Stories

"What do we mean when we talk about gothic literature? How does classic gothic literature compare to southern gothic compare to gothic horror? These are big questions, and the answer is to read all the gothics. I've attempted to include as broad a range as possible here, but it's impossible to include everything. Nevertheless, here are more than 50 must-read gothic novels and stories."
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The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories (Carson McCullers)
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories
1
Carson McCullers
Bastard Out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison)
Bastard Out of Carolina
2
Dorothy Allison
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
Beloved
3
Toni Morrison
Bitter Orange (Claire Fuller)
Bitter Orange
4
Claire Fuller
Black Rabbit Hall (Eve Chase)
Black Rabbit Hall
5
Eve Chase
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories (Angela Carter)
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
6
Angela Carter
The Boy at the Keyhole (Stephen Giles)
The Boy at the Keyhole
7
Stephen Giles
Cane (Jean Toomer)
Cane
8
Jean Toomer
Carmilla (J. Sheridan Le Fanu)
Carmilla
9
J. Sheridan Le Fanu
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
10
Alice Walker
The Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales (Charles Chesnutt)
The Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales
11
Charles Chesnutt
Count of Monte Cristo (Alexander Dumas)
Count of Monte Cristo
12
Alexander Dumas
Delicious Foods (James Hannaham)
Delicious Foods
13
James Hannaham
The Doll Factory (Elizabeth Macneal)
The Doll Factory
14
Elizabeth Macneal
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
Dracula
15
Bram Stoker
Fledgling (Octavia E. Butler)
Fledgling
16
Octavia E. Butler
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Frankenstein
17
Mary Shelley
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton (Edith Wharton)
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton
18
Edith Wharton
Ghost Summer (Due)
Ghost Summer
19
Due
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
20
Gormenghast (Mervyn Peake)
Gormenghast
21
Mervyn Peake
Gothic Tales (Elizabeth Gaskell)
Gothic Tales
22
Elizabeth Gaskell
Her Body and Other Parties (Carmen Maria Machado)
Her Body and Other Parties
23
Carmen Maria Machado
The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)
The Historian
24
Elizabeth Kostova
The House at Riverton (Kate Morton)
The House at Riverton
25
Kate Morton
House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
26
Lady Audley's Secret (Mary Elisabeth Braddon)
Lady Audley's Secret
27
Mary Elisabeth Braddon
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories (Washington Irving)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories
28
Washington Irving
The Little Stranger (Sarah Waters)
The Little Stranger
29
Sarah Waters
A Long Fatal Love Chase (Louisa May Alcott)
A Long Fatal Love Chase
30
Louisa May Alcott
Mary Reilly (Valerie Martin)
Mary Reilly
31
Valerie Martin
The Moth Diaries (Rachel Klein)
The Moth Diaries
32
Rachel Klein
The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)
The Name of the Rose
33
Umberto Eco
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
34
The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux)
The Phantom of the Opera
35
Gaston Leroux
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
36
The Reapers Are the Angels (Alden Bell)
The Reapers Are the Angels
37
Alden Bell
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)
Rebecca
38
Daphne Du Maurier
The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Shadow of the Wind
39
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Sicilian Romance (Ann Radcliffe)
A Sicilian Romance
40
Ann Radcliffe
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