The Castle of Otranto

On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed under mysterious circumstances. His calculating father, Manfred, fears that his dynasty will now come to an end and determines to marry his sons bride himselfdespite the fact he is already married. But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union, as the curse placed on Manfreds ancestor, who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto, begins to unfold. First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto is a founding work of Gothic fiction.