A new exhibition at the University of Aberdeen invites visitors to meet ghosts, vampires and the supernatural as they step into a world of Gothic terror and explore how Gothic literature used fear to both terrify and excite readers.
Opening in the Sir Duncan Rice Library on May 19, 2025, the exhibition explores why we are so intrigued and excited by things that scare us. Using the rich collection of 18th and 19th century Gothic literature cared for by University Collections, the exhibition highlights how the genre explores transgressive themes through their tales of monsters and villains.
Visitors will see early editions of key Gothic novels including Castle of Otranto (first published 1764), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), and M. R. James’s Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904). These texts, and many more on display, are used to explore how fields such as queer theory and Postcolonial readings have brought new meanings to these stories that have fascinated audiences since their publication.
An immersive space highlights the tropes used by authors to evoke a sense of fear in readers and will allow those who visit to get creative and explore the darker side of their imaginations, creating Gothic plots and stories. A cosy Victorian reading provides space to settle down and enjoy a good book, while Old Aberdeen Library will also have a selection of Gothic writing available to check out and read at home.
Curator Christina Mackenzie said: “Gothic literature has an enduring appeal as shown by the popularity of many of these texts centuries after they were written.
“This has been such a fun and revealing exhibition to work on and we’ve really tried to explore that throughout – the way these texts tell scary stories on the surface, but have been reinterpreted over time to question the monstrosity of the ‘monsters’.”
‘Fear & Fascination’ will be accompanied by a rich events programme, kicking off with Sophie Coulombeau’s talk Brothers & Lovers: Frances Burney and the Gothic on 29 May.
‘Fear and Fascination: A Gothic Exhibition’ will be open in the Sir Duncan Rice Library Gallery, Bedford Road, Aberdeen AB24 3AA, 11am-7pm Mon-Fri, 1pm-4pm Sat & Sun, from 19 May to 7 December 2025.