Gothic book recs, anyone?

[auroracloud]

It's not like I'm not drowning in books to read already, but it must be the season: I'd terribly much like to read some Gothic fiction. Anybody got recommendations? I'd especially love things that are in the traditional Gothic romantic style, ie. ancient houses/castles/manors, mysterious manuscripts, secrets from the past, beautiful girls roaming in nightly corridors in lacy nightgowns, etc.; but also very queer. F/f, m/m, something else, give me your recs! Also ones that are properly subverting gender norms in other ways are welcome.

If can also rec traditional Gothic romance that is not so well known and you think it might have slipped my attention. I've read a fair amount of the usual 18th/19th century recs, though not all.

I'm also welcoming things that mash up Gothic with other genres, like Gothic sci-fi, Gothic second world fantasy, etc.

Comments

[hebethen]

I've heard both Gideon the Ninth and Fingersmith described as Gothic -- having read both they don't strike me as particularly classic exemplars, to say the least, but not being a well-read aficionado of the genre myself I concede that my judgment on the matter is perhaps less than final!

[auroracloud]

Ah, I forgot to mention, Gideon the Ninth is already on my to-read list. I've got it reserved from the library, I just need to wait until the library actually gets it. It does sound like it has at least some Gothic Space vibes, whether or not it's properly Gothic! I've read Fingersmith, though it definitely could use a reread, thanks for the reminder! I don't really think it as Gothic, though, more "complicated historical heist with lesbians". Which is a genre there needs to be more of, mind you.

Anyway, thank you for the recs, even I happen to be familiar with them both already!

[jenett]

If you haven't read any Barbara Michaels (who also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, and whose legal name was Barbara Mertz, under which she wrote non-fiction), she has a bunch of great Gothic-style.

Het, but reasonably progressive for when she was writing, and somewhat dated now (the last of the Michaels books was, I think, 1999). Generally heroines with strong agency, and some interestingly quirky historical plots - she's better known for her Amelia Peabody books, but she had a PhD in Egyptology before she started writing, and her archaeology and Egyptology books are some of the best, in my opinion, also the ones riffing on academia.

Houses of Stone, Stitches in Time (the other two in that set are also good. More fun if you read all three, but they stand alone just fine), and Summer of the Dragon are particular favorites of mine, but if you read the blurbs, they should give you a good idea what you're in for.

(huh. Also, I should make a note for next year's Yuletide exchange, honestly.)

[auroracloud]

Thanks for the recs! I've read the first Amelia Peabody book and loved it - I've been meaning to look up more, but the first one was conveniently published in Finnish and easily available, and the rest weren't, so I never got around to tracking them down. But that's a great rec on its own, so I'll definitely have to see if I can track down some of those Gothic style books under her other pen name! I don't even mind het in her case, because I enjoyed how it was handled at least in that first Amelia Peabody book. ;-) Thank you so much!

[auroracloud]

Ooh, I checked our library's catalogue and it seems like a lot of her books have been translated into Finnish, actually! None of them are available in English, but hopefully the translation is good (I ought to read more in my own language anyway, so translations are one way to go). All of the entries in the online catalogue don't mention the original title, and these seem to be from the time when the translated titles often bore no resemblance to the original title, but at least Houses of Stone seems to be available, so I'll start with that. :-)

[cornerofmadness]

Leanna Renee Hieber does some fun new Gothic style stuff (also she's a lovely person) It is not Queer though.I can ask around for that if you'd like on my author's page (as they're all queer authors)

[auroracloud]

Thanks very much! I'll check her out!

[nerakrose]

i'm not super familiar with the gothic genre, but the first book in the dominion of the fallen has been described as gothic, and i can see why - it takes place in the ruins of notre dame. plenty of gothic vibes, doesn't really conform to the genre as such. it's queer though. the second book, which i'm reading now, is a lot less gothic though it still takes place in ruined paris, just somewhere else.

[auroracloud]

Ooh, that's Aliette de Bodard's fantasy Paris series, isn't it? I've been meaning to check it out because I love her other work that I've read so much! And it does seem like it would have some Gothic vibes, and based on the author's comments about it, sounds like it's super queer.

[nerakrose]

it is, yes! i haven't read other stuff by her though i keep meaning to.