Trying to define the difference between Gothic and Horror is difficult. Ann Radcliffe once said,

‘Whereas terror is a feeling of dread that takes place before an event happens, horror is a feeling of revulsion or disgust after the event has happened.’

The usual way to look at the difference is that Horror seeks to provoke a visceral reaction in the reader. Monsters are often tangible threats to life, symbolizing the battle between good and evil. The language is graphic and gory, aiming for a direct emotional punch.

Whereas Gothic is a more subtle form of terror. It uses supernatural elements to explore the darkness within humans, focusing on the psychological and emotional impact of past tragedies. The language is often poetic and evocative, with a focus on dark imagery and atmospheric settings. Gothic stories often feature dual timelines and themes of inherited trauma, highlighting social issues like male abuse and control.

Ultimately it seems to me to be a continuum. A Richard Laymon book is always going to be on the Horror end of the spectrum. Books like Wuthering Heights will always be on the Gothic end of the spectrum. Most books probably fall somewhere in between.

Some have tried to make the distinction dependent on the sex of the writer. They point to the fact that male writers usually write Horror while female writers usually write Gothic. But since gender is merely a social construct (as my daughters have taught me) it is probably not that easy. Shirley Jackson after all is always classified as a Horror writer. And during the 1970s Gothic paperback craze, a lot of male hard-boiled and action writers followed the money and wrote Gothics.

When I am looking for a book online at the library, I will usually start with the keyword of Gothic. If I do not find something available that catches my fancy, I will change the keyword to Horror.

At my local used paperback bookstore, I will occasionally also need to browse the Romance section since often Gothics end up there. I always get a kick out of the looks I get when I am browsing through the Romance books with a few hardboiled, noir, and western paperbacks in my hand. (Yes, the very picture of the “Indiscriminate Reader”.)

Here at ClimbingSky I am trying to hit both ends of the continuum since both have their place. Which end of the continuum do you generally prefer?