Gothic literature is now a venerated genre of writing. But for much of its history it was scorned. Its bold and rebellious treatment of the subjects of morality, darkness, fear, and sexuality made it the target of moralists who denounced it as an evil corruptor of the public. Let us push aside the cobwebs of history and explore what Gothic stories are, and how they went from being a chilling guilty pleasure to a mirror reflecting the darkness in the human soul.
