India, Aug. 17 -- When you hear the term "gothic", you might picture someone with white face paint, black eyeliner, leather jackets, and studs. But there's much more to the word than its modern subcultural associations. It is also a literary genre that has given us some of the best novels in history.

Emerging in the late 18th century, gothic novels generally feature dark and gloomy settings, often centred around a charismatic and sinister aristocrat with his large mansion or estate, which frequently becomes a character in its own right. In fact, in many of the best gothic novels, the mansion or estate often has a name - Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre (1847), Manderley in Rebecca (1938), Wuthering Heights in well, Wuthering Heights (1847)....