Presents an illustrated gothic romantic fantasy reminiscent of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, with tales of vampires, magic, and the undying spirit of lovers which reaches across the centuries.

    Imagine The Preppy Handbook colliding with Charles Addams. Then add a lot more melancholy and a lot more spooky. What Is Goth? dispels the false stereotypes and reinforces the true ones surrounding Goths and Goth culture. "To the mundane," Voltaire writes, "Goths are weird, black-clad freaks who are obsessed with death; they are sad all of the time. Take a closer look at the Goth scene, however, and you will find a rich tapestry of ideas and practices and a menagerie of colorful characters. Oh, dear. I said 'colorful.'" Yes, Goths are pale, wear black clothing, love black makeup (on men and women), mope, listen to real downer music, and perfect the art of living in a perpetual state of ennui and melancholy. But there's so much more to being Goth. Goths come from all walks of life. Many are teenagers who live with their parents; others are doctors, lawyers, musicians, and so on. Most Goths are highly literate and creative, but all real Goths have to dress the part. In other words, "Abandon all hope ye who enter a Goth club in khakis " Eerily illustrated, What Is Goth? is the perfect book for any Goth, Goth wannabe, or "mundane" who is hopelessly confused by all the gloom.

    Ruby Gloom is already a best-selling apparel and accessory design of "Mighty Fine's, for 'tweens and teens, especially goth girls. Now she introduces herself with seventeen slightly offbeat lessons for life, as seen from the shadowy Victorian mansion where she hangs out with her cat, Doom, the seven skeletons in her closet, and the occasional ghost (They're so dramatic!). Absence makes the heart grow fonder

    Lind has a brilliant way with words, creating a vivid atmosphere and filling it with characters that come to life with his words." --Diana Bennett, The Midwest Book Review All Ana Vasilifata ever wanted was a simple life, with a good husband, children, and a happy home. What she found was a vampire who made her his bride. And when she fled to England in the winter of 1665, she found a stake at the hands of a fearful and angry mob. Over three hundred years later, an accident reanimates Ana in the quiet town of Meriwether, Iowa. She flees to an abandoned house where she meets Joshua Davidson, a kind-hearted carpenter who helps Ana adjust to this strange place and time. As her friendship with Joshua deepens, Ana begins to hope she can finally find the peace she has always sought. But dangers still haunt her, for even now there are some who believe in the stories of vampires. This time she is not friendless -but, she wonders, would Joshua continue to help her if he knew what she was? And even if he would, could he protect her from all the monsters lurking in the shadows?

    For instance, Roman Dirge (Deady Meets Lenore), Gris Grimly, Crab Scrambly, a very special Deady tale by none other than Neil Gaiman, and other shocking guests!

    It makes an explicit connection between the veils, masks and disguises of Gothic convention, and historically-specific fashion discourses, from the revealing chemise-dress popularized by Queen Marie Antoinette to the subcultural style of contemporary Goths. In so doing it sheds new light on the cultural construction of Gothic bodies. Taking an original interdisciplinary approach, Catherine Spooner offers readings of literary, cinematic and popular cultural texts in the context of fashion from the 1790s to the 1990s. Progressing chronologically from the novels of Radcliffe and Lewis through the "sensation" fiction of the Victorian period and the Gothic fiction of the fin-de-siècle, Fashioning Gothic Bodies culminates with twentieth-century film and the supposed resurgence of the Gothic in pre-Millennial culture.

     Provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies. Explains the origins and development of the term Gothic. Explores the evolution of the Gothic in both literary and non-literary forms, including art, architecture and film. Features authoritative readings of key works, ranging from Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto to Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. Considers recurrent concerns of the Gothic such as persecution and paranoia, key motifs such as the haunted castle, and figures such as the vampire and the monster. Includes a chronology of key Gothic texts, including fiction and film from the 1760s to the present day, and a comprehensive bibliography.