01-25-2008, 09:29 PM
Gothics are masquerading as romantic suspense and supernatural romance at present. If you're looking for books with romance, life-threatening suspense, and some sort of puzzle or mystery (if that's your definition of a gothic), you'll find them in these categories, though most of them have present-day settings. The historical gothics that are set in mansions and castles are rare, but occasionally a few get published, mostly with spine labels of "Historical Romance." You have to read the book descriptions carefully to find these. I doubt very much that the historical gothic will have a resurgence in popularity. I've been waiting over 35 years for it to regain popularity. I don't foresee current or later generations seeking its revival, as most of them don't read well, if at all, and if they do read, they are too grounded in the present and are looking toward the future, rather than the past. I predict that books will eventually be replaced by movies entirely, as few people will have time or inclination in the future to spend that much time reading. Note the trend toward graphic novels. I think that's a step in that direction, also.
