Gothic… science fiction? What does that mean? This post is an overview of the primary characteristics I’m referring to when I describe my novels as Gothic sci-fi.
I write Gothic science fiction to describe the atmosphere and themes that predominate my novels. ‘Gothic’ is the emotion and psychology of the story. ‘Science fiction’ is the mechanism I use to examine the potential dangers of technological advancements outpacing concomitant ethics.
Who?
The characters in a Gothic novel, regardless of sub-type, tend to have a shifting or uncertain conception of self. Gothic characters are confronted with stressors in the form of supernatural occurrences or psychological instability. They internalize their trauma even as they project the echoes of their damage onto the environment.
Characters in a Gothic science fiction novel have the same underpinning psychology, but in addition to supernatural and psychological stressors, there is the added stress of a malignant technological advance.
The Best of Science Fiction defines the “level of characterization” as moderate, relying primarily on archetypes such as “virginal maiden, isolated hero [and] evil villain.” I agree these are basic personas common to Gothic literature, but the depth of character varies by author.
What?
Gothic literature is a narrative style typified by being “moody.” Dread and anxiety are the baseline emotions, punctuated by or culminating in awe. This is not the “awe” of amazement, but awe as descriptor for an incapacitating, terror-inducing confrontation with the sublime. The mechanism of awe is due, at least in part, to a narrative pacing that nurtures the transition from anxiety to terror; Gothic novels do not rely on jump scares, gross-outs, or overt violence to frighten readers.
Gothic science fiction transfers the locus of emotion from the supernatural or psychological to fears or uncertainty about technology and science. In general, Gothic sci-fi novel does not overlap with hard sci-fi; the science is believable but not derived in a rigorous way from current science. As with more general Gothic literature, Gothic sci-fi is a literary mechanism for the examination of larger social, political, or ethical fears.
When?
Gothic literature is not anchored in a specific moment or epoch. It is, instead, a structure designed to provoke a specific psychological impact over the course of time. The structure of a Gothic novel can be transposed to any “when” and maintain the affective impact, even if the underlying catalyst for the transition from dread to awe may be more or less “antiquated” to a contemporary reader.
A science fiction novel operating within the confines of the Gothic genre tends to fix “when” the plot occurs at some point in the future, although not always in the distant future. Gothic sci-fi also plays with concepts of time, ranging from subtle undertones of temporal uncertainty to outright time travel. Even if the “when” is a braid of timelines, the overall structure maintains the same focus of leveraging time to achieve an emotion.
Where?
In Gothic fiction, place is more than just setting; place is a character, complete with a traumatic past and an ability to shape the plot that rivals, or even exceeds, that of the human characters. The importance of where matters far less than the mood evoked in the reader. In a sense, where is located within the psyche of the reader.
Gothic science fiction is characterized by an environment distorted, threatened, or destroyed by technology or science. This does not imply that Gothic sci-fi is a polemic against technological or scientific advances. If anything, Gothic sci-fi is a warning that the danger is not science, but a failure to develop ethics, laws and protections concomitant with scientific advances.
In a Signals from the Edge post, Understanding Sci Fi Subgenres: Gothic Science Fiction, author Isaac Payne writes, “Gothic science fiction continues the tradition of putting into words what we think about at the darkest hour of night.” The ‘where’ of a Gothic sci-fi is within the reader, right next door to the generalized fear of the unknown.
Why?
Gothic literature is written to evoke reasonable concern about an aspect of culture. Authors in the Gothic mode are stealth activists. They provoke readers into questioning cultural trends they may not have recognized as troubling, but which deeply concerns the author.
Gothic science fiction authors focus on the existential or physical dangers of technology developed and wielded without moral, ethical or practical oversight.
Well-executed Gothic literature is a nuanced examination what now is shadowy but which the author believes will emerge as a present and real danger, of which humanity should be wary.
Sources
Several excellent posts informed my examination of Gothic literature. I owe a debt of gratitude to:
Mikhaeyla Kopievsky
“Preview” functionality did not load; this site every bit as impactful, well-written, and interesting as any of the others, so don’t be misled by the absence of a preview. The main sites are https://homeforfiction.com/ and https://blog.homeforfiction.com/.
Isaac Payne
Uncredited Author who wrote an interesting high-level analysis of the elements of Gothic sci-fi
https://www.thebestsciencefictionbooks.com/subgenre/gothic-science-fiction
Erzsebet Carmean 