Gothic is a literary and artistic movement that emerged in Great Britain in the late 18th century. As a subset of the broader Romanticism movement, the Gothic aesthetic dealed with the darker side of human nature through themes of horror, mystery, and the supernatural. It is defined by its distinct atmosphere, which evokes feelings of suspense and dread. The movement took its name and primary visual motifs from the medieval Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages, utilizing settings like decaying castles, ruined abbeys, and gloomy landscapes to create a mood of oppressive antiquity .

The movement's origin is traced to Horace Walpole's 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto , which he subtitled "A Gothic Story." The book established many of the genre's foundational tropes, including hidden passages, ancient prophecies, and supernatural occurrences. Following Walpole, the first wave of Gothic literature was advanced by authors such as Ann Radcliffe, known for developing the "explained supernatural" where seemingly paranormal events are later given rational explanations, and Matthew Lewis, whose 1796 novel The Monk embraced more explicit horror and scandalous themes.

Throughout the 19th century, the Gothic aesthetic evolved and expanded. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) integrated elements of science and philosophy, while the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe shifted the focus from external horrors to internal, psychological torment. The aesthetic's influence permeated mainstream Victorian literature in the works of the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens. It culminated in late-Victorian classics like Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), which explored anxieties surrounding identity, science, and societal decay.

The influence of the original Gothic movement has been long-lasting. It laid the essential groundwork for the modern Horror genre in literature and film. Its fascination with darkness, morbidity, and romanticized decay provided the core thematic inspiration for the Goth subculture, which originated in the late 20th century.

In the beginning of the start of Gothic literature, the old cathedrals and buildings were starting to become ruins and filled with mystery, horror, and darkness. However, to the medieval churchgoers, the buildings looked quite different to what most people imagine is a Gothic building now. Because of accumulated smoke, Gothic buildings at the time of the literary movement were dark, gloomy, and evidence of the paranoia and superstition of Medieval peoples. True Gothic buildings during the medieval period were bright, filled with light, and had rainbow-colored stained-glass as a celebration of beauty and light.

In 1757, Edmund Burke published a treatise called Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful where he discussed two aesthetic categories: the Beautiful and the Sublime. The beautiful,  according to Burke, was a gentle feeling  derived from pleasure that had a relaxing effect on the body.

The first Gothic novel is credited to The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, published in 1764. It inspired many of the Gothic tropes that persisted throughout the genre: ancient prophecies, a castle that seems alive, and concern over sexuality and familial bloodlines. His fascination with Medieval art and ways of thinking is what inspired the novel, and this association with the era will continue throughout the genre.

Later, multiple authors published other novels during the same time period: Clara Reeve, Ann Radcliffe, William Beckford, and other authors wrote novels that affirmed Gothic tropes of horror and the supernatural.

Goth is a subgenre of rock music. Goth music is about "swirly" sounding guitars, a notable bassline and sparse percussion. It could be said that goth music borrows from gothic media. In fact, Bela Lugosi's Dead was inspired by the original actor of the same name, Bela Lugosi. Bauhaus have shown their love for other types of gothic media, such as merchandise that features The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Goth fashion, especially subgenres like Romantic Goth , is heavily inspired by the Gothic aesthetic.

For more works in this genre, see the TVTropes page .

Book adaptations aren't included, as there are many variations.

Please note that this is different to Goth music, which includes rock, electronic, and other contemporary elements. The music of Gothic media tends to be sinister-sounding classical music, often with organ.