One of my many vintage interests has been collecting paperbacks from the Dark Shadows TV series.
I have found most of them at car boot sales over the last 25 years.
Dark Shadows was a gothic TV soap featuring classic monsters and ran from 1966 to 1971. It had and has a cult following and spawned films, comics, radio plays, toys, games and kits.
Many of the Dark Shadows paperbacks were authored by Marilyn [aka Dan] Ross. These gothic stories became part of the sub-genre of literature known as gothic romance, which has its roots in the 18th Century and even the Brontes.
Modern gothic romance like Dark Shadows novels blossomed in the Sixties and Seventies with publishers like Paperback Library and Ace Gothic. I also have a collection of their gothic romances.
Gothic romance featured dark settings, lost loves, commanding men, love-stricken ladies, ruined castles and many other gloomy devices.
For me the covers have always held my fascination. The true modern gothic romance paperbacks covers almost always featured a fleeing maiden, a country house in deep shadow and most curious of all, a single illuminated window! See for yourself here. How fabulous is that!
Have you any gothic novels or other gothic collectables readers? Have you ever seen Dark Shadows on TV?
Wonderful creepy mills and boon stuff Woodsy, so very much of its time. The cover graphics are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYes, the convention about having one window illuminated is really fascinating. Like a hidden language!
ReplyDeleteYep, a distinct narrative theme. And you never have ugly women dashing about in M & S sensible jim jams, its always a debutante with perfect makeup and diaphanous gown!
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