As the end of October draws near, one can’t help but think of Halloween and the classic monsters that have been created by Gothic horror writers. The 19^th century was full of talented authors that sparked fear in the hearts of contemporaries – and in us centuries later – through their works. Some of the most famous are Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker.

19^th Century Horror Stories

Victorian horror novels were a very popular genre in the 19^th century. With the Industrial Revolution and its accompanying urbanization, there was a lot of anxiety about new technology and all the societal changes that came with it. These stories were a way for authors to explore these fears, often with a supernatural element.

The Life of Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley was born as Mary Godwin in August of 1797 to political philosopher William Godwin and mother Mary Wollstonecraft, who unfortunately passed away less than two weeks after her daughter’s birth. While she never had a proper education, she was surrounded by intellectuals who would visit her father. In 1801, her father remarried, and her relationship with her new stepmother was tumultuous.

She published a children’s book at the age of 11. At 17, she started an affair with Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was a political follower of her father. This strained her relationship with her father, and was further complicated by the fact that Shelley already had a wife. They married after the suicide of his first wife. In 1814 Mary Shelley had a daughter Clara who passed away a few days after her birth; her later novel Frankenstein would be partly inspired by a dream where she brought Clara back to life.

In 1816, Shelley met Lord Byron, a poet who held a ghost story contest with his guests. Mary Shelley won the competition with Frankenstein, which was then published in January of 1818. After her husband’s death by boating accident in 1822, Shelley spent much of her time editing and preserving his poetry. She also continued writing her own work; The Last Man, published in 1826, is often seen as her best novel. She died in 1851 at the age of 53 by what might have been a brain tumour.

Her Legacy

Mary Shelley has been considered the mother of science fiction because of Frankenstein. She challenged the societal expectations of the 19^th century through her work, paving the way for other female writers. It was only in 1989 that an academic biography of her was published; before that, she was remembered as Percy Bysshe Shelley’s wife and the writer of Frankenstein. Now, she is remembered as one of the most important literary figures of the 19^th century.

Recent Adaptations

The most recent adaptation is the 2026 movie The Bride!, which is based on Frankenstein and is just over two hours long. If you’re in the mood for something a little longer, a two hour and thirty-minute Frankenstein was released in 2025.

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was born in January of 1809. His father left the family in 1810 and his mother passed away in 1811, so he went to live in Virginia with John and Frances Allan. Poe went to the University of Virginia but racked up a debt gambling and couldn’t continue into a second year. After a failed stint in the United States Army, he decided to focus primarily on writing.

Poe published his first collection of poems in 1827 and worked for various periodicals and literary journals. In 1836 he married his cousin Virginia Clemm, when he was 27 and she was 13. He wrote many works, mostly consisting of poetry and short stories. In 1838 he published a longer poem called “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym,” which might have been an inspiration for Moby Dick.

He gained publicity by winning a prize from the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper with “The Gold Bug” in 1843. In 1845, he published “The Raven,” which made him known throughout the United States and remains one of the most well-known poems in literature to this day. Poe continued writing until he mysteriously died in 1849.

His Legacy

Edgar Allan Poe is often seen as the architect of the modern short story. He made contributions to both the detective and science fiction genres. He had a heavy hand in shaping Gothic literature and had a distinct writing style that modern writers still try to imitate. Poe set the groundwork of psychological horror for many later authors to follow.

You can find a list of his complete works here: https://poemuseum.org/poes-complete-works/.

Recent Adaptations

Most recently, the Gothic film The Raven came out in January of 2026, based on Poe’s most famous works. In 2023, a series came out on Netflix titled The Fall of the House of Usher, which once again takes inspiration from multiple of Poe’s works. Filming began in February of this year for a dark comedy film based on The Masque of the Red Death, which might be released in 2027.

The Life of Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker was an Irish writer who lived from November of 1847 to April of 1912. He was part of a family of nine but spent the first seven years of his life bedridden due to an unknown illness. Stoker spent much time watching his family and neighbors through his window and listening to his mother’s stories. In 1864, he enrolled in Trinity College. He went on to get both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts.

His first published book was an 1879 manual for his job at the Civil Service. Stoker left the Civil Service that same year to co-manage the Lyceum Theatre in London. He continued writing outside of his job, beginning Dracula in 1890 and finally publishing it in 1897, while publishing other works in between.

After Dracula, Stoker produced more horror and mystery books. These include The Mystery of the Sea in 1902, The Jewel of Seven Stars in 1903, and The Liar of the White Worm in 1911. Only after his death in 1912 did Dracula become an international sensation, with theatre adaptations and a 1931 Universal Studios movie.

His Legacy

Stoker had a huge influence on the Gothic horror genre and formed the foundation for vampire literature to come. Dracula has been one of the most famous and best-selling vampire stories since the 20^th century, and many representations of vampires follow what he established with his character of Count Dracula. Hundreds of books, movies, and short stories have been inspired by his work.

Recent Adaptations

An audiobook of Dracula released in October of this year on Audible. The most recent film depiction came out in 2025, also called Dracula.