The Encyclopedia of the Gothic: 2 Volume Set

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 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.

William Hughes is Professor of Gothic Studies at Bath Spa University and, with Andrew Smith, Joint President of the International Gothic Association. His publications include the definitive bibliography of Bram Stoker’s works (with Richard Dalby, 2004) and the monograph Beyond Dracula (2000). 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 recognised as the founder of modern criticism of the Gothic, and as an inspiration behind contemporary Goth culture. Andrew Smith is Professor of English Studies at the University of Glamorgan where he is Head of English and Modern Languages. His books include The Ghost Story 1840–1920: A Cultural History (2010), Gothic Literature (2007), Victorian Demons (2004), and Gothic Radicalism (2000). Smith, with William Hughes, is co–president of the International Gothic Association.

“As a reference work that’s firmly rooted in and actively devoted to expressing the current state of academic scholarship about its area, The Encyclopedia of the Gothic shares all the virtues and shortcomings of that field, including any quirks of selective focus. It’s quite valuable for what it is—and illuminating for what it is not.”  ( New York Journal of Books , 6 February 2013)