#and 'polidori has one of the best vampire fictions of the era and dracula comes third to me because carmilla exists'

[zombified-queer]

An unfortunate side effect of having studied gothic lit in college is that I have to subject people close to me to my mad ramblings about which version of Frankenstein is more fucked up on the basis of one (1) detail so minor to the plot that most people forget or don't know there is a difference.

[almasexya]

So you started reading Dracula

As someone who loves gothic horror, it's really been a treat watching Dracula Daily absolutely blow up my dashboard this month. The memes and comments on this century old story have really breathed new life (and blood) into a genre that has honestly been a bit overlooked.

So if you're interested in sinking your teeth into gothic horror in between emails from Jonathan and Co., here's some other books in the same vein.

Each entry includes a link to where you can buy the book in question- I've done my best to avoid Amazon and send you over to Bookshop instead, which raises money for local bookstores with every title sold. Thriftbooks is another solid option if you'd prefer to save a little and pick up used books, and chances are your local thrift store has a copy of Dracula or Frankenstein knocking around.

A general warning for any of the older works here, predominantly those from the 1800s: These stories are very much a product of their time. Bigotry against marginalized people can be commonplace, and is rarely if ever remarked upon. This kind of content is inexcusable no matter the era and deserves to be commented on in the broader context of the genre in general, but is unfortunately something that is difficult to avoid when it comes to writing from this time period. If you'd rather not be exposed to that kind of content, I'd recommend sticking to the more modern entries on this list.

Vampires: First Blood Volume 1 and Volume 2 edited by James Grant Goldin

These two collections aim to catalogue as much of the pre-Dracula vampire material as possible. Here you can find Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, the tale of the sapphic vampire and the young woman who comes to know her, as well as Polidori's The Vampyre, which all but codified a number of tropes now common to the genre, and Dracula's Guest, Stoker's lost "prologue" to Dracula. Along the way are tons of less well known vampire stories, both in prose and poem, with introductions and conclusions written by the editor that help place the tales in the larger history of vampire fiction. If you're into the older Victorian era vampire stories, these two collections can get you most of them. It's important to note these are all public domain stories, what you're really paying for is Goldin's editing and observations, which I consider worth the price.

The Virgin Vampire by Etienne de Lamoth-Langon, adapted by Brian Stableford

This one is interesting, the story of a wronged woman who came back from the dead to get vengeance on the man who cast her aside. Another quite early vampire story, this one has only recently been translated. It's a fairly quick read, though at times a bit slow on the plot. A chapter from this story is included in Volume 2 of Vampires: First Blood, so if you pick up that book, you can get a preview of this one.

Blood of the Vampire by Florence Marryat

Alright this one is really odd. It stars as far as I can tell one of the first examples of the "psychic vampire," a young woman who exhausts and kills those to whom she becomes attached. This one is intriguing in that it's written by a woman, and also just really, really racist. The warning above can't do justice to how racist this one is - so be aware of that.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Another gothic horror classic, famously written by Mary Shelley when she was just a teenager. Victor Frankenstein's quest to create life is still a great read today, with the monster's desire for love and companionship firmly placed against the good doctor's revulsion at what he's created. There's really not much to say about this one that hasn't already been said, so make sure to check it out.

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson

This modern retelling of Dracula from the perspective of the Count's brides is a beautiful read, and a perspective that benefits from more attention. Dracula's brides are often background characters who exist mainly to be killed in whatever adaptation they end up in, so it's refreshing to see the relationship developed into what amounts to a queer polycule without any of it feeling forced. The story doesn't follow the events of Dracula, though they get a tongue-in-cheek mention - it's more the story of the brides overcoming the emotional and psychological abuse of Dracula, a man they can't help but still love.

Carmilla and Laura by SD Simper

Sad that the original Carmilla ended the way it did? Well you're in luck, because this retelling is beautifully, relentlessly sapphic. Unlike Dowry of Blood, which is basically its own story, Carmilla and Laura stays true to the majority of the original tale's story beats, tweaking things here and there. The majority of the changes come in the relationship between protagonist Laura and her new vampire guest, who quickly hit it off and start to become something more.

The Vampire Super Pack by Fantastic Stories

This collection has a ton of vampire stories in its 600+ pages, from the familiar public domain works to lots of modern stories. Not a lot of editing here, but being a short story collection there's bound to be something for everyone.

Fangs by Sarah Andersen

This is a cute comic series about a vampire and a werewolf who get into a relationship. You've likely seen this one get posted on tumblr, and since it's a webcomic you can read most of it for free! The printed version does have a few extra panels in it, however. The author (who you probably know better from her more famous webcomic, Sarah's Scribbles) is right at home pulling the pair of classic monsters into the modern age, with cute, evocative art and plenty of jokes.

Unspeakable: A Queer Gothic Anthology edited by Celine Frohn

This is another collection of modern short stories that runs the gamut of supernatural topics, from ghosts and vampires to mermaids and plenty of haunted protagonists. With around 18 stories, there's lots of different perspectives and settings at play here.

The Vampire Chronicles Collection by Anne Rice

A lot has been said about Anne Rice already (and deservedly plenty is negative), but this collection of the first three of the sprawling Vampire Chronicles series is still worth a look, considering this is the series that is largely credited with taking vampires out of the realm of horror movie monsters and planting them firmly into the "tortured sad boy" category. The writing is beautiful and the characters compelling, so if you want to see when vampires really became modernized, this is where to start.

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

Another series, though this one is an alternate history with direct ties to the original Dracula novel, where the titular count succeeds in moving to London and spreading vampirism throughout England after marrying Queen Victoria herself. With a veritable clearinghouse of public domain characters and real people plucked from the pages of history, the Anno Dracula series is a wild period piece that deserves more attention. The later entries in the series move into different historical periods, but the first book is unabashedly Victorian, though also a bit steampunk.

This is hardly an exhaustive list of gothic horror fiction, so feel free to add to it with your favorites. It should at least keep you busy between emails.