Curious About the Origins of Horror Literature

[stacyreed]

I’ve been diving into classic literature lately, and something interesting came to mind — what was the first horror book ever written and how did the genre actually begin?

From what I’ve read, many people consider Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (published in 1818) as one of the earliest true horror novels. It blends fear, science, and emotion in a way that feels very modern even today.

But then I also came across The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, published in 1764, which is often called the first Gothic novel. Some argue that this is actually where horror fiction really started, with its haunted castles and supernatural elements.

There are even older works with dark and eerie themes, but they may not fully fit into what we now define as “horror.”