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Author: Charles Maturin Summary: Follows an immortal, wandering figure who has sold his soul and now seeks someone to take over his pact. It's framed as a series of nested narratives that cover themes of religious skepticism and isolation.

Author: Sheridan Le Fanu Summary: Pre-dating Dracula, this novella explores the theme of forbidden love through a female vampire's relationship with a young woman. The story deals with vampirism, seduction, and the supernatural.

Author: Gaston Leroux Summary: Blending Gothic elements with romance, horror, and tragedy, the novel revolves around a disfigured and tormented musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls obsessively in love with a young soprano.

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson Summary: Revolves around themes of the duality of human nature and the battle between good and evil. Dr. Jekyll invents a potion that allows him to transform into the morally devoid Mr. Hyde.

Author: James Malcolm Rymer Summary: A mid-19th century series of penny dreadfuls that blend Gothic horror with the then-emerging trope of the vampire. It presents the story of Sir Francis Varney, a vampire anti-hero with a complex character.

Author: Gustav Meyrink Summary: Blurs the line between the fantastic and the plausible, presenting a tale rich in Jewish folklore and mysticism. Set in Prague's ghetto, it tells of a man who comes across a mythical creature.

Author: Mary Shelley Summary: Explores themes of ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the human condition. The plot follows scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment.

Author: Bram Stoker Summary: Examines the clash between the rational and the supernatural as well as the theme of invasion. The novel tells the story of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England.

Author: Edgar Allan Poe Summary: A short story that epitomizes Gothic horror through themes of decay, madness, and the supernatural. It narrates the demise of the Usher family and their eerie mansion.

Author: Clara Reeve Summary: A novel that set out to redefine the Gothic novel by eliminating elements of fantasy. The plot centers around the orphaned hero, Edmund, and his quest to reclaim his rightful inheritance.

Author: Matthew Gregory Lewis Summary: A tale of lust, corruption, and downfall, this novel's often grotesque Gothic tropes provide social commentary on hypocrisy within the church. The plot follows the titular Monk as he commits a series of crimes.

Author: Richard Marsh Summary: At the time of its publication, the novel rivaled 'Dracula's popularity and shares many Gothic elements. The story involves a shape-shifting Egyptian creature, revenge, and a paranoiac exploration of the exotic and the pathological.

Author: Shirley Jackson Summary: A seminal work in the psychological horror genre that also includes Gothic elements. The story focuses on a purportedly haunted mansion and the supernatural experiences of its inhabitants.

Author: Oscar Wilde Summary: Explores themes of aestheticism, moral duplicity, and the pursuit of pleasure. The story centers on Dorian Gray, a man who remains eternally youthful while a portrait of him bears the marks of his sins.

Author: Daphne du Maurier Summary: This 20th-century Gothic novel explores themes of memory, past versus present, and jealousy. A young woman marries a wealthy widower only to find herself living in the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca.

Author: Ann Radcliffe Summary: This novel typifies the 'female gothic' genre, combining traditional gothic sensibilities with the struggles of a young woman, Emily St. Aubert. The novel includes themes of sensibility, distress, and the picturesque.

Author: Sheridan Le Fanu Summary: This Gothic mystery novel involves themes of intrigue, murder, and suspense. Following the orphaned Maud Ruthyn, the story traces her unsettling experiences when living under the care of her mysterious Uncle Silas.

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle Summary: A collection of stories that exhibit Conan Doyle's foray into the Gothic genre. These tales touch on Doyle's fascination with the supernatural and the macabre, including stories of family curses and spectral legends.

Author: Horace Walpole Summary: Considered the first Gothic novel, it blends romance and horror, setting the stage for the genre with themes of medievalism, family curses, and the supernatural.

Author: Victor Hugo Summary: Set in medieval Paris, this novel presents themes of love, fate, and prejudice. It tells the story of Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, and his love for the gypsy girl La Esmeralda.

Author: Emily Brontë Summary: A complex narrative of love and revenge. The plot unravels the tale of the all-consuming passion between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how it affects the lives of the people around them.

Author: Ann Radcliffe Summary: A classic Gothic novel, it explores themes of love, vengeance, and superstition. The plot revolves around the tragic love of Vincentio di Vivaldi and Elena di Rosalba, thwarted by a scheming monk.

Author: Henry James Summary: A quintessential Gothic ghost story that also employs psychological intrigue. It tells of a governess who becomes convinced that the children in her care are being influenced by malevolent spirits.

Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Summary: While not classic Gothic, this epistolary novel is foundational for the Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) movement that influenced Gothic literature. It details the tormented love and eventual suicide of its young protagonist, Werther.

Author: E.T.A. Hoffmann Summary: This novella combines elements of the horror and the fantastique. It follows the story of Nathanael's fear of a menacing figure from his childhood and his subsequent descent into madness.

Author: Charlotte Brontë Summary: Combines Gothic motifs with social criticism and a strong, complex heroine. The novel follows the life of Jane Eyre from orphaned child to independent woman.

Author: Jane Austen Summary: While often a satire on Gothic novels, it contains Gothic elements itself. The novel follows Catherine Morland's journey as she navigates love, society, and her own gothic-inspired imagination.

Author: Wilkie Collins Summary: Combining Gothic horror with mystery and sensation novel elements, it revolves around the schemes of a masterful villain, seemingly supernatural apparitions, and a complex inheritance plot.