Early Gothic (1760s-1820s):
* Horace Walpole: Often credited with the first Gothic novel, "The Castle of Otranto" (1764).
* Ann Radcliffe: Pioneered the "female Gothic" with novels like "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794) and "The Italian" (1797).
* William Godwin: Author of "Caleb Williams" (1794), a Gothic novel with political and philosophical themes.
* Matthew Lewis: Known for the sexually suggestive and violent "The Monk" (1796).
* Mary Shelley: Author of the seminal Gothic novel "Frankenstein" (1818).
Late Gothic (1820s-1890s):
* Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the macabre, known for short stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Raven," and "The Fall of the House of Usher."
* Nathaniel Hawthorne: His novels like "The Scarlet Letter" (1850) and "The House of the Seven Gables" (1851) explored themes of sin, guilt, and the past.
* Charlotte Brontë: "Jane Eyre" (1847) is a Gothic romance that explores themes of social class, love, and repression.
* Emily Brontë: "Wuthering Heights" (1847) is a passionate and brooding novel that explores themes of love, revenge, and the supernatural.
* Bram Stoker: Author of the classic Gothic horror novel "Dracula" (1897).
Modern Gothic (20th century onwards):
* H.P. Lovecraft: Created a unique "cosmic horror" subgenre with stories like "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Dunwich Horror."
* Stephen King: A prolific writer who popularized the horror genre and wrote many Gothic novels like "Carrie," "Salem's Lot," and "The Shining."
* Anne Rice: Known for her vampire novels like "Interview with the Vampire" (1976) and "The Vampire Lestat" (1985).
* Neil Gaiman: Author of "The Sandman" comic series and novels like "American Gods" and "Coraline," which blend Gothic elements with fantasy and myth.
This is just a small sampling of the many important Gothic writers. There are countless other authors who have contributed to the genre, and it continues to evolve and inspire new works today.
To learn more about specific writers or periods, you can search for them online or look for books and articles on the history of Gothic literature.