The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

I'd say it's a little bit of both, the revival works probably made people interested in the older literature, who might not have cared to read any of it otherwise. Kind of like when an old book goes out of print and suddenly pops back into circulation for whatever reason, and becomes a classic even if it was considered rubbish by critics back when it was originally published.

Many gothic works in the 18th century appealed mainly to those people capable of reading....and then even many of those were drawn away from the literature because of Church influence.

Gothic literature wasn't just found on the European continent either. The middle 1700's found Japan producing a nice amount of "Gothic" literature as well.

Revivals occur, I suppose, when more and more people begin to stretch their wings and look for other truths about their other self and tend to become engaged in depth with what would be called the "dark side" of the equation

Well here's the thing- you said that back when the movement had first begun it was like- the dark side of indivualism... well- I think that it is different now. Back then things were only thought of and written down- thats where they ended *most of the time*
It's different now because the majority of things being written down are experienced or will be attempted...
We encounter "dark" events on a daily basis now- or view them on a television...so I don't think that the "gothic literature" holds the same effect it used to

I think it is because now it is acceptable to embrace the darker nature of things thanks to movies novels and other media

I don't think people have changed all that much since Gothic novels like The Monk and The Castle. What has changed is the media available to us. The novel is still with us of course but we now have cinema and the Internet. I'm sure quite a number of readers of the Gothic in the late 1800s would be horror movie fans today. I'd imagine some would even be on this site... maybe they are, if you believe in reincarnation (or immorality for that matter!)

Maybe people are beginning to find things in goth that connect with their lives.

Oh, how happy you make me, Sacred, with your thought-provoking threads!! Thank you.

I don't think the Gothic "movement" ever played itself out. It may have had peaks and valleys in strong popularity, but it has remained steadily productive for its fan base.

Gothic literature has been described as "pleasing terror." Now, while atmosphere and style may update with the times, a good scare has always been appealing. And who can resist stock characters like villains and damsels in distress, tyrants, and shall we say it...vampires? And oh, those dark and elegant old castles past their prime...

From Walpole, to Shelly, Byron, Poe, Lovecraft, Stephen King, Anne Rice, and even Rowlings, Gothic is a sure-hit among those of us who LIKE rollercoaster rides, mystery, magic, and the things that go bump in the night.

I definitely do not think that the gothic movement or literature had any correlation with Hippies! Hippies are,or were, beautiful, free people who loved and lived a beautiful existence. I just happen to know this, hehehe.

Gothic literature was embraced during the late 1800s and early 1900s by the upper class as fascination with spirits and spirit communication became popular. Mainly embraced by women, the spirit medium burst forth as the most sought after form of entertainment as a result of the resurgence of gothic literature. But as the mediums were found to be mostly hoaxes, the literature lost it's appeal until it's revival in recent years. The general public have just become more aware of the fact that although an entertainment medium may display violence, sex, or death, that does not make it "evil". So acceptance for such a piece would be more widely recognized and more easily obtained.

I think the reason why Gothic literature themes occur again and again is partly due to the fact that, its populairty rarely dies because the stories are so clasic.

And also the themes, Life, death, beauty, nature, fear, right and wrong are always relevant, there is a certain element of fantacy which will always caputre peoples imagination.

I can say that I am pleased with the responses thus far. As for me, I think this pattern ties in with the whole "History Repeats Itself" idea.

A fantastic thread, thank you for the thoughts on this!

Do you feel that the course of subject will gravitate more towards techno/energy ideas, with more graphic detail in the sex and violence, in reponse to desensitisation?

Th influence of the internet and ideas similar to that in the opening scene of 'Blade', form a sort of neo tech-noir vision. I can only see this becoming more prominent, in order to appeal to a younger generation.

I think that Goth, whilst never dead, is having something of a revival, alongside the 'trendy' influence.