For today’s post I have decided to do a countdown of my favorite works of gothic fantasy fiction. For this countdown I will only be choosing works of classical fiction! I hope that you enjoy my thoughts. Without further ado here’s the countdown.
Number 5: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
~This is the classic tale of a mad doctor creating an elixir that allowed him to bring out his shadow in a huge way! It ended up causing mayhem, and taught him a lesson the hard way. This is one that was made into a really awesome musical, which is a very fun watch!
Number 4: Dracula by Bram Stoker
~The classic tale of the vampire. Stoker’s count is famously based upon Vlad the Impaler, but was also inspired by Elizabeth Bathory, who I featured on Femme Fatale Friday on October 1st! My favorite character is, strangely, Lucy. Lucy becomes a vampire when being enthralled by Dracula himself!
Number 3: Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu
~This is the first truly impressive vampire novella. It is something that introduced the lesbian vampire trope. It also served to express the aspects of lesbianism in a safe space of fantasy! I adore this wicked female vampire tale!
Number 2: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
~I adore Oscar Wilde, and his only novel is one of the great works of fiction. Dorian Gray was a young man obsessed with his own youthful beauty. Dorian had a picture painted of him that would become the true image of his soul, as he began to damage his soul! It is iconic and a must read for fantasy and horror lovers!
Number 1: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
~I could not have chosen anything other than Mary Shelley’s incredible story of a man who chose to play god. This is a tale that most people know, but you do not know the full truth of the story unless you read this original novel! I recommend anything associated with the Shelley’s as both were brilliant writers of the Romantic tradition!
Special Mention: Liegia by Edgar Allan Poe
~I did not include this short story in my countdown, but I had to mention my favorite work by the great Master of Horror, Edgar Allan Poe!
~I hope you have enjoyed this countdown. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is inspired by Carmilla. I found the image on https://www.deviantart.com/irenhorrors/art/Carmilla-658342186.
White Rose of Avalon 