This is not a scolarly article but rather, something I started writing for myself, to define the different genres better and to see where I was going with my own writing. The point was to gather my favourite literary genres that were related to each other, to define them and to see what were their key concepts and tropes, and to compare them to each other. It also helped me understand what my sources of inspiration were, where I was treading, and to find new sources of inspiration. In this "book", I'll try to define these genres, list some of their tropes and concepts, give some cultural and historical background, list some authors who have contributed to these genres worldwide, and then draw parallels with the other arts (for instance, one can't talk about Romanticism in literature without mentioning it in music and visual arts). Here are the genres I'll be discussing: * Dark Romanticism * Gothic Fiction * Fantastique * Cosmic Horror Let me know if there's another similar genre you'd like me to discuss here.

❝The world is a madhouse, and all the people in it are delusional and blind.❞ Pai Momozono can see 'monsters' of long-forgotten folklore. As she watches the shaky balance of the status quo that keeps two halves of one world crumble, she has to uncover the secrets of years she can't remember to find out which world she belongs to. All while one who doesn't have all the strings plays puppet master from the shadows. × TL;DR - identity crisis. Dark Fantasy | Romance | New Adult | Action | Horror | Diverse Lit | Japanese folklore Longer summary is inside. Season 1-3 complete, finale season coming soon. Pretty long chapters (don't @ me, you have been warned). My love of Japanese culture inspired this. This is realistically written, not an anime pass-off. THIS IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON WATTPAD. IF YOU'RE READING THIS ELSEWHERE, PLEASE REPORT IT.

'The Last Samurai' meets 'Shōgun', meets 'The King and I'... For years she believed herself to be cursed. Every time she grew close to someone they were taken away from her, paying the ultimate price. And now the curse struck again... Lottie has been falsely accused of her uncle's murder. She must escape or she will hang. It's 1854 and America's lawless West is not a place where a lonely woman can count on justice. Then, by the turn of fate, she is given a chance to revisit Japan and seek the people who raised her. In Imperial Japan, divided between isolationists and modernists, she finds an unexpected love and a new sense of belonging. She also finds someone else. Someone from her past... What will she choose? Where will her loyalties lie? Cover design by More Visual Ltd.

In order to uncover the mystery behind her sister's death, Li Jingrui will stop at nothing even if she must become a palace maid to serve a stern bastard prince for eternity. ***** A mountain that hides the secrets of the past, a decree written with blood, a fraud emperor, and a bastard heir. When her sister mysteriously dies in the palace, Li Jingrui endeavours to find the culprit and seek justice. But when she disguises as a maid and is appointed to work under an enigmatic and dangerous bastard prince, vengeance may not be the only thing she must deal with. Caught between a sinister plot, a forbidden romance, and twisted truths and lies, she must fight to stay alive while protecting the bastard prince who has her heart in his clutches. - [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] COMPLETED | Under last round of editing. 无色郁金 Highest rank: #2 - HistoricalFiction FEATURED ON OFFICIAL WATTPAD: @Romance @Fantasy @HistoricalFiction @Action @MythandLegend @Magic @WattpadHistoricalRomance

It is the dawn of the first age and the fallen Lords of Heaven are fighting over that newest of creations: mankind. Only Karux, a young herdsman tormented by horrific dreams of the future, can unite the tribes of men and protect them from the chaos, madness and death the fallen lords bring. To do this, he must first discover the secret names and shapes of magic with only an autistic six-year-old girl to aid him. Foreseeing his death and the death of the woman he loves, he must overcome betrayal, hold back a growing curse and train a people with no concept of war to fight against an inhuman enemy. --- Kingdom of the Stone is part 1 of a 2 part story. It is continued in The Stone King, both of which are complete.

"The world we live in is fueled by power, greed, and the lust to have more. It's a world designed to contaminate others. " For the past twenty five years, tension has been building on the continent of Alangterra with the four great kingdoms are locked in a dangerous struggle for supremacy. Ever since the destruction of Asteria, the fifth kingdom, in a freak accident the scales of power have been tipped, shattering centuries of peace. As the right hand to the king of Ithrace, Vance Ryder uses his sharp mind and charm, to collect information and defend Ithrace as war looms over the horizon. Dedicated to his king, Vance will do anything necessary to protect Ithrace. That is until he receives disturbing news from one of his informants that leads to him questioning his beliefs. Raised in luxury, Princess Selena of Ithrace, is oblivious to the world outside the castle walls. Naive and idealistic, Selena believes the tensions between the kingdoms will fade with time. But, when she starts experiencing horrific visions from a mysterious person, Selena learns her paradise is short-lived and everything she knew was a lie. Jake Ronhas, has recently become a level five mage, halfway to becoming a Grand Master mage. Blessed with great magical power, Jake is destined to take his mentor's position of Grand Master. However, Jake secretly yearns to live an unrestrained life without being tied down by obligations. Jake will quickly learn however destiny can't be avoided and he must confront his future or else Alangterra may perish because of his selfish desire. Soon, the fates of the three young adults intersect, when news arrives from the edges of the kingdoms who share their borders with Asteria about villagers disappearing in the dead of night. Thrust into an elaborate search to uncover the mystery of the disappearing villagers, they discover what happened to Asteria was no accident and the sins of the past have returned to take vengeance.