23 - Laura Purcell and the Art of Darkness

Let’s get Gothic! Our guest this week is Laura Purcell, doyenne of the dark, heiress of historical fiction (and other alliterative titles). Laura blew away the cobwebs wrapped around spooky period fiction with her breakout smash, The Silent Companions in 2017. She followed up with The Corset and Bone China and now she’s back with her newest Gothic novel, The Shape of Darkness.  

The novel examines all the wrinkles and crannies in the Victorian underbelly, from spirit mediums, to mesmerism, and the uncanny art of silhouette portraits. Trust me, you’ll want one for yourself.

We talk about the line between gothic and horror, why writing historical fiction can be a way to sneak your horror under the radar, and whether the stereotypes of the period make it frustrating to write about Victorian women. After all, how many times a day can a woman swoon?

In an unrelated anecdote, Laura also divulges her secret terror of sloths. 

Oh, and I waffle on about the history of gothic fiction cos I just can’t resist lecturing people.

Other books discussed include:

• The Residence (2020), by Andrew Pyper
• The Haunting of Alma Fielding (2020), by Andrew Pyper
• Shadowland, or Light From the Other Side (1897), by Elizabeth d’Esperance
• “The Blue Lenses,” in The Breaking Point (1959), by Daphne du Maurier
• “The Mezzotint”, “A View From A Hill” and “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come To You My Lad”, found in The Collected Ghost Stories of M.R. James 

Enjoy!

The Shape of Darkness was published by Raven Books on January 21st 2021.

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to Adrian Flounders for graphic design.