What do you mean by the Gothic?

Good question! The Gothic has, historically, meant all sorts of things - originally meaning just 'to do with the Goths' (a Germanic tribe), it has been associated with a style of pseudo-medieval architecture and, most importantly for us, a genre or mode of literature.

Gothic literature is characterised by horror and terror, medievalism, and transgression. This can mean transgression in terms of sexuality, gender, social class or norms, or even with nature itself impinging on society. This certainly isn't an exhaustive list, but these are some of the things that we mean when we talk about Gothic literature.