8 Queer Gothic Novels to Read by Candlelight
I just finished reading An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson, and I adored it. It was exactly the kind of atmospheric reading experience I want from a gothic, and it inspired me to write this list…but soon I realized it would very quickly be mostly sapphic vampire novels, so I’ll have to make a separate list for that. Instead, I’ve focused on the non-vampire queer gothics you should pick up this autumn.
There is a long tradition of queer gothic novels, including 1872’s Carmilla (I highly recommend the edition edited by Carmen Maria Machado) and 1959’s The Haunting of Hill House. I will forever defend that the original novel by Shirley Jackson is queer — no one could convince me that Theo is a straight woman — and now it has a queer authorized sequel: A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, which I highly recommend for fans of the original.
Over the years, gothics have evolved past the sapphic subtext in novels like Rebecca to canonical queer main characters. They’ve also gotten a bit more diverse, though I’d like to see a lot more by authors of colour. October is the perfect time to enjoy a queer gothic novel, so light a candle, curl up under a blanket, and pick up one of these queer gothics.
The Animals At Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey
You know what makes a gothic manor even more creepy? Filling it with taxidermied animals. In 1939, Hetty Cartwright is tasked with protecting a natural history collection that has been moved out of London and into Lockwood Manor for safekeeping. There, she meets Lucy Lockwood, who has been confined to the house for her “bad nerves.” Soon, they realize the animals are moving on their own, and pieces are going missing, which means there’s something else lurking in the house…
The Manor House Governess by C. A. Castle
To me, nothing says gothic like a crumbling manor. The Manor House Governess isn’t historical, but it plays homage to gothic classics — the kind that the main character reads voraciously. Brontë Ellis is a genderfluid orphan who struggled to fit into the all-boys boarding school he grew up in. When he’s hired as a live-in tutor at Greenwood Manor, he’s accepted for his gender presentation and is welcomed into the Edwards family — except by oldest brother Darcy, who Bron is attracted to despite his better judgment. When a fire destroys much of the estate, Bron discovers dark secrets in the wreckage.
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen
Roos is never alone: she has a spirit companion only she can see named Ruth. That’s always been enough company for her — until she meets Agnes during one of her seances. Agnes is a young widow who invites Roos to her crumbling estate. Their attraction becomes undeniable, but Roos’s new life is shattered when someone is murdered and Roos is the obvious suspect. Now, she’ll have to prove her innocence by finding the real killer.
The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen
This one is out today! In this epistolary gothic, John Sackville writes his last testament from a cell as he mourns his secret lover. His story takes readers from Scotland to Ukraine to Tibet and Mongolia. John begins in his idyllic childhood, then describes his obsessive interest in Eastern religions and languages. This field of study leads him to travel with his lover, where they stumble on an apocalyptic cult and otherworldly evils. This is a classic gothic novel for fans of Stoker and Lovecraft. Content warning for racism.
Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen
Nick left the Nebraska farm years ago, but now he’s received a letter from his abusive father, Carlyle, hoping for a deathbed reconciliation. Nick’s brother, Joshua, was disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian descent, and he received the same letter. Back at the farm, Nick and Emilia grow closer, but as they begin an affair, Nick suspects she has sinister — even supernatural — intentions. Interspersed are scenes from Nick’s adolescence, including his queer awakening and a haunting figure on the farm.
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
Frannie Langton is on trial for the murder of her employers, and it’s true that she was found covered in their blood — she just can’t remember what happened before that. As the trial progresses, Frannie’s story unfolds, from her time enslaved to her scarring experience as an apprentice to a cruel scientist to her time as a servant to the Benhams — and the relationship that developed between her and her employer Marguerite. This queer gothic was made into a miniseries available on BritBox.
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
When Andrew’s best friend Eddie dies of an apparent suicide, Andrew steps into his academic life to try to understand what happened, which is how he discovers the world of fast cars, hard drugs, and hot guys where Eddie spent his nights. This is a queer Southern gothic with dark academia elements that’s The Secret History meets Fast and the Furious, but it’s also an examination of toxic masculinity and the pervasive white supremacy in academia. This is a creepy, consuming read that will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve closed the covers.
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
I promised no vampire novels, and technically, this isn’t a vampire novel…it’s just a novel about people who drink blood. Marion is barely scraping by, which is why she jumps at the chance to be a blood maid. It means living in luxury, with the one small drawback that your employer drinks your blood for its health benefits. She joins Countess Lisavet’s harem of blood maids, who are all desperately in love with Lisavet and competing to get her attention. Soon, Marion realizes her devotion to the mercurial Lisavet will destroy her, but there doesn’t seem to be any way out…
Those are just a few of the many excellent queer gothic novels out there. For more, check out Queer Fear: 13 Thrilling Queer Gothic Books. Paid subscribers can also check out the 5 Queer Books I’m Reading for Halloween Month.
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What’s your favorite queer gothic novel? Let’s chat in the comments!
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