Gothic
In literature, the term Gothic refers to a genre that combines elements of both horror and romance which began in the 18th century. It dealt with emotional extremes and very dark themes, was usually set in the buildings of the medieval-Gothic style - castles, mansions, and monasteries, often remote, crumbling, and ruined, and often involved ghosts or other fearful creatures. In many regency romances, the characters are reading Gothic novels such as those by Ann Radcliffe.
The term Gothic came to be applied to any type of story, or art form, that combined a dark and scary tone with a pleasing, thrilling result. Jane Austen even satirized the Gothic novel in her Northanger Abbey in which the heroine finds sinister secrets at every turn and works herself into a state because of the Gothic nature of the house where she is visiting.
The Gothic style is found in present-day romance books in the Gothic genre, which has been further broken down into subcategories such as Modern Gothic, and Southern Gothic. Paranormal and fantasy genres also build on the Gothic background.
