Emerging in the late 19th century, this subgenre of gothic literature merges traditional gothic themes (horror, mystery, and the supernatural) with anxieties about British imperialism and colonial decline. Patrick Brantlinger coined the term “Imperial Gothic” in his 1988 book Rule of Darkness: British Literature and Imperialism, 1830–1914 (excerpt here)
This style of literature reflects fears of cultural regression and the weakening of British dominance. Central to it is the trope of "reverse colonization," where colonial forces disrupt Western civilization, echoing concerns about the empire's fragility. There’s a sense that the modern world offers fewer opportunities for adventure and heroism, often resulting in individual regression, also known as "going native". The stories often explore English anxieties about the tension between the nation’s xenophobia and its imperialist drive, tapping into fears of the racial 'other' in the colonies.
Notable works like Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde illustrate these themes by depicting supernatural and psychological horrors highlighting concerns about racial and cultural "otherness" within the British Empire.
Some common elements of Imperial Gothic include:
Remote, desolate landscapes
A vulnerable heroine
Supernatural elements like ghosts, dreams, and eerie voices
Social Darwinist terms
Devolution
Postcolonial literature offers powerful examples of "the empire writing back"* that have been inspired by the xenophobia of Gothic novels. For instance, Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso reimagines Bertha from Jane Eyre, renaming her Antoinette and turning her into the heroine of her own story.
Add these Imperial Gothic reads to your list for spooky season:
Pharos the Egyptian (1899), Guy Boothby
Jane Eyre (1847), Charlotte Brontë
Greenmantle (1916), John Buchan
Riddle of the Sands (1903), Erskine Childers
Heart of Darkness (1899), Joseph Conrad
“Lot No. 249” (1892), Arthur Conan Doyle
“The Brown Hand” (1899), Arthur Conan Doyle
“The Ring of Thoth” (1890), Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sign of Four, Arthur Conan Doyle
She (1887), H. Rider Haggard
After London (1885), Richard Jefferies
“Mark of the Beast” (1890), Rudyard Kipling
Brood of the Witch Queen (1918), Sax Rohmer
Tales of Secret Egypt (1918), Sax Rohmer
The Daughter of Fu Manchu (1931), Sax Rohmer
The Bat Flies Low (1935), Sax Rohmer
Story of Henrietta (1800), Charlotte Smith
“The Beach of Falesá" (1892), Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Isle of Voices" (1893), Robert Louis Stevenson
“The Master of Ballantrae” (1889), Robert Louis Stevenson
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
Dracula (1897), Bram Stoker
Jewel of Seven Stars (1903), Bram Stoker
Sanders of the River (1909), Edgar Wallace
“The Truth about Pyecraft” (1903), H.G. Wells