This year's Halloween special sees us joined by Australian horror author Kyla Ward as we talk all about the women in white: gothic fiction - what is is, and is it still relevant after nearly 300 years.

In this episode, Kyla provides us with an overview of the history of gothic fiction, including the infamous 'women in white'. Then we look at the narrative elements of the gothic genre, and how these have spilled over into other forms of genre fiction. Next we do a deep diver into the character archetypes that appear in gothic fiction, and the roles they play in the stories via Gail Carriger's text 'The Heroine's Journey'.

We also explore the politics (of course!) of gothic tropes, and the connection between gothic and noir. Finally, we explore how gothic fiction is used today and if the archetypes are still relevant.

For detailed show notes and more information about the books, tv shows, movies, roleplaying games and computer games we discuss in this episode, check out the podcast website, ⁠podcultureoz.com⁠.