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