The Castle of Otranto

Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto [1764] is widely regarded as the pioneering work of Gothic fiction in English literature. Combining elements of horror, romance, and the supernatural, Walpole's novel established the genre's enduring tropes of dark, atmospheric settings and melodramatic plot twists. Its influence can be seen in subsequent Gothic literature, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Bram Stoker's Dracula, shaping the way writers explore themes of fear, desire, and the uncanny.

HORACE WALPOLE [1717-1797] was an English writer and art historian. Walpole is perhaps best remembered for his pioneering work in the Gothic genre, particularly his novel The Castle of Otranto [1764] which is regarded as the first Gothic novel in English literature.