The Twilight of the Gothic?: Vampire Fiction and the Rise of the Paranormal Romance

Gothic Literary Studies

by Joseph Crawford

The Twilight of the Gothic? explores the history of the paranormal romance genre from its origins in the horror and romance fiction of the 1970s to its expansion into a genre of mainstream fiction over the last ten years. Tracing the genre from its roots in older gothic fiction written by and for women, Joseph Crawford examines the interconnected histories of the genres of gothic and romantic fiction, from the eighteenth-century works of Ann Radcliffe and Jane Austen to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and the television hit True Blood .

Genres: Nonfiction, Vampires, Gothic, Literary Criticism, 21st Century, Feminism, Academic

350 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2014

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph Crawford is the only person who's ever thought critically about Twilight, and for that, I am prepared to propose marriage.

[brisingr · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love books taking their subject matter seriously and talking respectfully and in an informed matter of popular trends.

[Briana Grenert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, clear, nuanced - I especially loved the chapter on the Twilight books! Extremely informative and exactly what I was looking for :)

[Sneezle McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic history and analysis of the paranormal romance genre and its roots in and reversion to traditional gothic literature!

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

gloriously researched, accessible and witty prose, and beautifully argued. my only complaint is that it misses Blacula/Mamuwalde in its assessment of sympathetic vampire figures. a must-read for vampire scholars or fans.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives an excellent overview of its subject matter and comes to some really persuasive conclusions about the Twilight phenomenon. Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in the field.

[Jo Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very accessible and informative book for those interested in Gothic literature, particularly the rise of the 'paranormal romance' (Anne Rice, Stephanie Meyer et al). It is scholarly yet lighthearted, and the author is hugely knowledgeable on the subject.

[Siobhán Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly I did not finish all of this text, in fact I pretty much skipped all of the parts about Twilight. However, the book provides a fantastic overview of the development of paranormal romance.