“Do not finish the portrait . . .” Nothing is ever quite as it seems in this sinister, slow-build gothic horror comic set in 1930s Seoul, soon to be a drama airing on Disney+. Struggling painter Son Iho is commissioned to paint a portrait of the elderly and reclusive Madam Song. But when he actually meets Madam Song, he finds her to be startlingly young and beautiful—yet she still demands to be painted as though she were 80. In a slowly unfolding revelation, each panel drenched in more dread than the last, Iho starts to suspect the horrifying truth of what she is, and what she might be capable of . . .
There are a lot of strange, dark corners in the world. Doorways that feel wrong. Floorboards with scuffmarks that won’t ever come out. In a gothic horror novel, the dread and creeping is built, just like a house. The setting is a character all its own. From rolling fog to broken cobblestones. Those details let the reader know, oh yeah, we’re about to beunsettled.
Beyond the crumbling mansions and churchyards of classic Gothic fiction, global gothic horror invites readers to understand terror from a different perspective. A story of a young woman locked in an old house will be different, told by a Chinese author, told by an English author, or told by a Nigerian author. Cultural background adds depth to the themes of isolation, fear, and moral decay in gothic horror, perhaps making these stories all the more terrifying.
Step into the darkness and choose a book,it’s time to feel the dread.
The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
When a deadly plague strikes 18th-century Mexico, Alba flees with her fiancé Carlos to his family’s silver mine. On arrival, Alba feelswrong. Carlos’ cousin Elías, a disgraced alchemist, lurks around every dark corner. As Alba faces hallucinations, horrifying body transformations, and worse, Elías seems to be the only one who can help. Full of simmering tension, this novel combines the best of gothic horror and historical romance.
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
Lee flees to Japan after a violent incident involving his roommate. He hides in his father’s new home, a strange, ancient wooden house hidden by sword ferns. When Lee discovers a young woman with a sword in the yard, he is unsure if she is real or simply a figment of his exhaustion. Sen, a 19thcentury Samurai-training, hides from the soldiers who wait to kill her and her family. In the house in the sword ferns, ghosts and truths wait to be uncovered.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
In the slums of 18th-century Paris, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with an extraordinary sense of smell.As a perfumer’s apprentice, Grenouille learns to distill and mix scents. He is obsessed with perfecting the exact scent of grass, wood, and, then one day, the scent of a beautiful young woman. Driven by his obsession, Grenouille hunts down women to distill their body odor for his ultimate fragrance. This German novel reads like a dark and beautiful fairytale.
The Arranged Marriage by Monica Arya
To help her family, Gia is forced to marry her deceased sister’s husband. Gia hopes that despite everything, she can have a good life with Raj in America. After arriving from India, Gia is welcomed by a crumbling home that seems to be haunted by an angry spirit. Arya weaves Indian folklore into this contemporary gothic tale.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
When a young girl finds a mysterious book in her father’s library, she is drawn into his decades-long quest to understand his mentor’s disappearance. The book and her father’s history are connected to the story of Vlad the Impaler and legends of Dracula, but how? The Historian takes readers along for the journey across Europe as the girl digs into the bone-chilling truth.
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
In Colonial Malacca, Li Lan is offered the chance to escape poverty by becoming a “ghost bride” forthe wealthy Lim family. The ritual marriage to their deceased son will guarantee Li Lan a home, but she is wary of the cost. After a troubling visit to the Limmansion, Li Lan finds herself pulled into the Chinese Courts of Hell. Will Li Lan be trapped among paper offerings and restless spirits, or can she find a way out?
The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang
Lennox Manor, a Western-style mansion, sits just outside of Shanghai, crumbling from disrepair. When Lisan Liu is hired as the secretary for Caroline Stanton, Lennox Manor’s new mistress, the manor’s sinister reputation fills Lisan with dread. As secrets from both women’s pasts begin to resurface, whispers of a curse stir amongst manor staff. Visions of ghosts, curses, secret princesses, and blackmail; this book has it all.
Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Something in the jungle is violently attacking men and everyone is accusing the demon-priest. While Amara tries to clear her father’s name, she is tormented by nightmares. The dreams seem to be connected to the happenings in the jungle and the night she was ill.Taking inspiration from Sri Lankan folklore and horror classics, this novel is a delicious exploration of female rage and colonialism.
For more gothic tales, here are 50 gothic novels and stories, and six new gothic romances to read.
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