This is the book for everyone who loves modern Gothic and wants to know where the vampires, ghouls, haunted houses and zombies all began. It takes each element of the Gothic, from the settings of castles and forests to the werewolves and ghosts who infest them, and uses extracts from the original classics as illustrations - and to encourage readers to go on and explore these wonderful works.It is an ideal primer for those studying the Gothic in Key Stages 3 or 4 or A-level: but it is also to be read for the sheer enjoyment. It contains 11 complete short stories from the masters of gothic horror including Edgar Allen Poe, H G Wells,And H P Lovecraft - some familiar, some found mouldering in the crypts - so forming an anthology of some of the best chilling tales of all time. It uses Harry Potter and the Twilight series to framework gothic story-telling and explore the history of the genre. Ideal for school and college students studying the Gothic.