5 Gothic subgenres and their aesthetics
THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN GOTHHOBLIN’S GRIMOIRE, ISSUE 1: GOTHIC.
As with many genres of creative works, what we come to know as "traditional" is just the start, and subgenres pop up and establish themselves over time as creators apply fundamental principles to new settings and start to mix elements together. Gothic media in particular encompasses a wide variety of aesthetics, from dark victorian opulence through to modern day, contemporary dark fantasy. The lines between each also frequently blur, as creators pick and choose what elements work together to create their own setting.
All of the subgenres below build from the traditional, but still should include the main elements of the overall genre such as impressive, overbearing architecture and a resurgence of the past. In many gothic settings, the present is haunted by history, whether that be through physical reminders such as old buildings, ruins or decaying carcasses, or emotional reminders such as mementos from a previous life.
Read on to learn about the aesthetics and themes of just a few more of the styles that have branched off from the original 18th century genre.
Gothic Horror
Supernatural/Paranormal elements. Creeping doubt or unease. The inability to escape. Traditional gothic or Georgian/Victorian style architecture. Buildings in a state of disrepair. Persistent bad weather and/or darkness. Isolation.
Dracula
The Others
Penny Dreadful
Bloodborne
The Castle of Otranto
Southern Gothic
The American South. Decay and dereliction. the post-Civil War South. Juxtaposition of supernatural threats vs real tensions. Hoodoo. Christianity. Social critique. Southern Belle fashion. Bayous and swamps.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
True Blood
The Beguiled
American Horror Story: Coven, Freak Show and Roanoake
To Kill a Mockingbird
American Gothic
New England. The Frontier. Suburbia. Lonesome roads. Isolation. Remote houses. Dark and dangerous woods. Puritanism and associated imagery. Devils. Abhumanism. Rural settings.
Midnight Mass
The Scarlet Letter
Chapelwaite
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown
Sleepy Hollow
Contemporary Gothic
Modern. Suburbia. Family or community. Abandoned petrol stations. Empty diners and laundromats. Wild animals in built up areas. Suburban neighbourhoods at night.
Haunting of Hill House
The Woman in Black
The Hollow Ones
Ratched
Mexican Gothic
Gothic Romance
A quirky or naive heroine. Large manor house or castle. Love triangles. Diaphanous gowns. Roses. Removal from society. Sexual desire. Grand gestures. An imbalance and exchange of power.
Jane Eyre
Crimson Peak
My Cousin Rachel
Phantom of the Opera
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë