‘The Romance of the Forest was Radcliffe’s first popular Gothic novel that used the supernatural and emphasised the landscape.’

‘Alexis’ by Ducray-Duminil published in Lady’s Magazine ‘may have been a source for Radcliffe’s Romance of the Forest because it features numerous parallels to Radcliffe’s novel. These include a subterranean vault, dark hallways, a black chamber, and a voice from beyond.’

‘In her parody Gothic novel Jane Austen lists seven ‘horrid’ novels. The novels were thought to be of Austen’s own invention until they were re-discovered in the 1920s. Valancourt Books republished them in 2015.’
They include:
- Castle of Wolfenback (1793) by Eliza Parsons
- Clermont (1798) by Regina Maria Roche
- The Mysterious Warning, a German Tale (1796) by Eliza Parsons
- The Necromancer; or, The Tale of the Black Forest (1794) by ‘Ludwig Flammenberg’ (pseudonym for Carl Friedrich Kahlert)
- The Midnight Bell (1798) by Eleanor Sleath
- Horrid Mysteries (1796) which is an abridged translation of the Marquis de Grosse’s The Genius by Peter WIll. 

‘Matthew Lewis’ novel details the downfall of Ambrosio from pious monk to profligate sinner, murderer, and r*pist. His novel exemplifies the male Gothic that specialises in bodily horror, sensation, the unexplained supernatural, and graphically brutalising the gothic heroine to titillate the reader.”

‘Radcliffe wrote The Italian in direct response to Matthew Gregory Lewis’ The Monk. Contrary to existing Gothic literature, Radcliffe portrayed her female characters as equal to male characters, allowing them to dominate and overtake the typically powerful male villains and heroes.’

‘This Gothic drama in five acts by Matthew Lewis caused a stir among contemporary audiences because it featured a ghost on stage for the audience to see. This was a spectacular event even by 1790’s Gothic standards.’

‘Ann Radcliffe’s technique of explaining supernatural elements helped the genre achieve respectability in the 1790’s. Throughout her work she advocates for traditional moral value, the rights of women, and reason.’

‘Shelley wrote this Gothic novella at age 16, and based it on Charlotte Dacre’s novel Zofloya; or, The Moor.’

This 1806 Gothic novel by Charlotte Dacre was written under the nom de plume Rosa Matilda. ‘At the time of publication, the novel was heavily criticised for its provocative subject matter, especially its religious and racial themes.’

It challenged feminine roles of the early 19th century depicting strong female characters ‘who present a different image than that of the stereotypical female role within the Gothic novel. These characters manipulate others, behave violently, and are sexually aggressive, which previously had been predominantly male characteristics in Gothic fiction.

Zofloya is known for its use of female characters who deviate from the standard notions of virtuous femininity in the early 19th century. The prominent female characters transgress in ways that are deemed inappropriate int his time period… Many critics consider this novel a deviation from the standard Gothic work, and characterise it as part of the “Female Gothic”. Beatriz Gonzalez Moreno, an English professor at University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, wrote of Zofloya, “Dacre’s novel constitutes a strategically crafted and singular work of complex Female Gothic that speaks to its time by challenging various established views regarding women’s nature and roles.”’