The Anthology of Colonial Australian Gothic Fiction

Colonial Gothic

by Ken Gelder (Editor), Rachael Weaver (Editor)

This anthology collects the best examples of Australian gothic short stories from colonial times. Demonic bird cries, grisly corpses, ghostly women and psychotic station-owners populate a colonial landscape which is the stuff of nightmare. In stories by Marcus Clarke, Mary Fortune and Henry Lawson, the colonial homestead is wracked by haunted images of murder and revenge. Settlers are disoriented and traumatised as they stumble into forbidden places and explorers disappear, only to return as ghostly figures with terrible tales to tell. These compelling stories are the dark underside to the usual story of colonial progress, promise and nation-building, and reveal just how vivid the gothic imagination is at the heart of Australian fiction.

Genres: Gothic, Short Stories, Anthologies, Horror, Fiction, Literature

282 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Bec]

read what I needed to for class - some were actually very entertaining. I haven't read much gothic fiction so it's been interesting to explore

[Karleah Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of short stories within the Australian Gothic genre. This is one of my favourite genres so I enjoyed it a lot. It features works from some well known and recognisable Australian authors. As always with anthologies, some pieces work better than others. I particularly enjoyed the pieces that connect strongly with landscape. This is a great anthology to start exploring the Gothic genre and how it translates to Australian fiction specifically.

[Debbie Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this collection of stories interesting on how the Gothic genre works within the Australian landscape. Some stories worked better than others, especially those that painted a vivid picture of the country. I was surprised by the treatment used towards indigenous Australians (one in particular), however one does have to take the time period into consideration. On the whole, this collection of short stories is a fascinating read into our country's history.

[Aston Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great alternative to the usual Historical Australian stories of pioneers conquering the land. Even without the traditional Gothic tumbling down houses, these stories portray great psychological dilemma's within a colonial setting...You have to love the haunting/demonic landscapes Australian writers presented.

[Sophie Shanahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great resource.