Lunar Gothic: The Influence of the Moon on the Gothic Imagination

by Elana Gomel (Editor), Simon Bacon (Editor)

This book explores the captivating intersection of lunar influence and the Gothic imagination, revealing how the moon has shaped narratives of horror, mystery, and transformation across cultures and media. Edited by Elana Gomel and Simon Bacon, this volume delves into the genre of Lunar Gothic, tracing its roots from ancient folklore to contemporary science fiction and horror. Readers will encounter a diverse array of essays that examine the moon's role as both a setting and a character in Gothic narratives. From the haunting presence of lunar deities and werewolves to the eerie landscapes of the moon in science fiction, this collection uncovers the moon's dual nature as a symbol of both enlightenment and terror. Contributors explore themes such as gender, identity, and the supernatural, offering fresh perspectives on the moon's enduring impact on the human psyche. A must-read for scholars and enthusiasts of the Gothic, science fiction, and cultural studies, this book invites readers to reconsider the moon's place in our collective imagination. Whether you are a researcher, student, or curious reader, Lunar Gothic offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking exploration of the moon's dark allure and its influence on storytelling across time and space.

291 pages, Hardcover

Published August 20, 2025

About the author

Born in Ukraine and currently residing in California, Elana Gomel is an academic with a long list of books and articles, an award-winning writer, and a professional nomad. She has taught and researched in Israel, Italy, and the US, and is known in the academy for her (purely theoretical) interest in serial killers, alien invasions, and rebellious AIs. She is the author of more than a hundred stories, several novellas, and six novels of dark fantasy and science fiction. Her latest fiction publications are the dark fairy tale Nightwood (Silver Award in the Bookfest 2023 competition) and Girl of Light, a historical fantasy.

Reviews

[RedDagger · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm admittedly not the main target for this sort of literary analysis, I've still come away from other similar essay collections with something in hand, some newfound appreciation, some worthwhile angles. Usually there's a mix of quality.

Here, nothing stood out. Some - generally the earlier ones - approached "fine"; in general I had the feeling of reading things structured and worded appropriately but with no substance. The big killer is the theming - the introduction promises some cohesive "Lunar Gothic", complains about the lack of academic work on the cultural moon, going on to lament:

Indeed, just as the Moon is often part of the setting for Gothic and horror texts while never the focus, so too it seems to appear in many books and articles addressing the Gothic without being the main topic under discussion.

Unfortunately, this book does exactly this. A few of the essays give it a good shot, but most have basically nothing lunar to say, only awkwardly referencing the moon in their conclusions as a box-ticking exercise.

Add on numerous editing mistakes and some historical inaccuracies, the whole package comes across as rather disappointing.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things like Edgar Allen [sic!] Poe and referring to Polidori's brief “The Vampyre: A Tale” (1819) as a novel quickly undermined my confidence in this repetitive, jargon-caked essay collection.