Something Macabre (13 Classic Gothic Horror Stories and Their Origins Explained)

Rediscover some of gothic horror's greatest tales—and the real fears that inspired them.

Gothic literature is full of monsters and mayhem, abandoned mansions, the supernatural, and plenty of death. Yet the characters and plots in each of these stories often are drawn from real history, science, world mythology, news headlines, and the complexity of the human mind. The heroes, villains, and settings are all comparable in one way or another to something from real life experience, creating a feeling of connection and participation in the story.

Something Macabre showcases thirteen short horror stories—some classics, others more obscure—all of which were impactful when they were published and remain so to this day. Short introductions before each tale reveal the truth behind the fiction, highlighting the historical period in which the story was published, the real-life events that inspired it, the mythological or folkloric influences, and a brief analysis of the work’s psychological themes. From the outdated mental health treatment that inspired “The Yellow Wallpaper,” to the original vampire myths that predated Dracula and Twilight, to creatures from Muslim and Japanese folklore, Something Macabre explores why readers found these stories to be scary in the first place and what influence they still have on modern society. Stories include:

• Washington Irving’s “The Adventure of the German Student”
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• H.R. Wakefield’s “The Red Lodge”
• Algernon Blackwood’s “The Wendigo”
• H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu”
• Aleksey Tolstoy’s “The Family of the Vourdalak”
• F. Marion Crawford’s “The Dead Smile”
• And more!