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