Mary Shelley's curated collection, *Between the Gothic and the Plague*, brings together five gripping tales from different authors, spanning from Horace Walpole’s pioneering gothic work to Jack London’s chilling pandemic narrative. These stories explore themes of apocalyptic dread and societal collapse, blending gothic horror with early science fiction elements. The anthology traces a haunting lineage of fear and human frailty across centuries.
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Mary Shelley's curated collection, *Between the Gothic and the Plague*, brings together five gripping tales from different authors, spanning from Horace Walpole’s pioneering gothic work to Jack London’s chilling pandemic narrative. These stories explore themes of apocalyptic dread and societal collapse, blending gothic horror with early science fiction elements. The anthology traces a haunting lineage of fear and human frailty across centuries.
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This volume contains five stories about plague – some short, some long. Each that builds upon the heritage of the other. This volume contains five stories – some short, some long. Each that builds upon the heritage of the other. It starts with The Castle of Ontarato (1764) by Horace Walpole which is considered the first, “Gothic Novel”; Vathek , An Arabian Tale (1782) by William Beckford, was influenced by Walpole and Arabian Nights; The Last Man (1826) by Mary Shelley carries on the theme of th...
What's Inside
will contain mild spoilers
Romance & sex
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Minor implied sensuality and debauchery in Vathek; otherwise fade-to-black or absent. Sexual Threat of forced marriage in Castle of Otranto.
Violence & gore
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Frequent depictions of plague deaths, violent accidents, and societal collapse; graphic in Poe's masque and London's pandemic aftermath.
Profanity
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No profanity present.
Substance use
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Brief mentions of alcohol in social settings; no glamorization or addiction focus.
LGBTQ+ Rep.
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Subtle homoerotic undertones in Vathek; not central.
Religious content
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References to Christianity in Castle of Otranto and Islamic elements with hellish damnation in Vathek.
Magic & witchcraft
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No evidence found in available sources.
Occult / demonology
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Supernatural apparitions in Castle of Otranto; demonic pacts and rituals in Vathek.
Political content
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Critiques of aristocracy and tyranny in Walpole and Beckford; themes of societal failure in plague stories.
Self-harm / suicide
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Fleeting despair and implied suicidal ideation amid apocalyptic loss in The Last Man.
Abuse & suffering
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Tyrannical cruelty and systemic suffering in Vathek; widespread death and hardship from plagues in multiple stories. Sexual Threat of forced marriage in Castle of Otranto.
Other
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