William Hughes & David Punter 
The Encyclopedia of the Gothic 

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE GOTHIC

‘Well written and interesting [it is] a testament to the breadth and depth of knowledge about its central subject among the more than 130 contributing writers, and also among the three editors, each of whom is a significant figure in the field of gothic studies … A reference work that’s firmly rooted in and actively devoted to expressing the current state of academic scholarship about its area.’
New York Journal of Books
‘A substantial achievement.’
Reference Reviews

Comprehensive and wide-ranging, The Encyclopedia of the Gothic brings together over 200 newly-commissioned essays by leading scholars writing on all aspects of the Gothic as it is currently taught and researched, along with challenging insights into the development of the genre and its impact on contemporary culture. The A-Z entries provide comprehensive coverage of relevant authors, national traditions, critical developments, and notable texts that continue to define, shape, and inform the genre. The volume’s approach is truly interdisciplinary, with essays by specialist international contributors whose expertise extends beyond Gothic literature to film, music, drama, art, and architecture.

From Angels and American Gothic to Wilde and Witchcraft, The Encyclopedia of the Gothic is the definitive reference guide to all aspects of this strange and wondrous genre.

The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Literature is a comprehensive, scholarly, authoritative, and critical overview of literature and theory comprising individual titles covering key literary genres, periods, and sub-disciplines. Available both in print and online, this groundbreaking resource provides students, teachers, and researchers with cutting-edge scholarship in literature and literary studies.

Table of Content

Alphabetical List of Entries ix

General Editors xiii

Notes on Contributors xv

Introduction xxxv

The Gothic A-Z 1-757
Index 758

About the author

William Hughes is Professor of Gothic Studies at Bath Spa University and a past Joint President of the International Gothic Association. His publications include Beyond Dracula (2000), That Devil’s Trick: Hypnotism and the Victorian Popular Imagination (2015) and Ecogothic (2013), the latter co-edited with Andrew Smith. Hughes is also the founding editor of Gothic Studies, the refereed journal of the International Gothic Association.

David Punter is Professor of English at the University of Bristol. His range and depth of critical work has been compared with that of Mario Praz and Edward Said. He has published some twenty books on Gothic, Romantic, modern and contemporary literature, and on psychoanalytic and other literary theory; he has also published four small volumes of poetry. He is generally recognized as the founder of modern criticism of the Gothic, and as an inspiration behind contemporary Goth culture.

Andrew Smith is Reader in Nineteenth Century English Literature at the University of Sheffield. He is a past Joint President of the International Gothic Association. Publications include The Ghost Story 1840-1920: A Cultural History (2010), Gothic Literature (2007, revised 2013), Victorian Demons (2004), and Gothic Radicalism (2000). He is a series editor of ‘Gothic Literary Studies’ and ‘Gothic Authors: Critical Revisions’ (with Ben Fisher) and of The Edinburgh Companions to the Gothic (with William Hughes).