The Monk (Essential Gothic, SF & Dark Fantasy)

An original gothic masterpiece of madness, lust and terror. Dripping with dark and moody intent, Matthew Lewis introduces us to the sinful world of Ambrosio, a monk in an ominous Madrid monastery. The seemingly pious Ambrosio reveals himself to have a less than admirable character as he lusts after one of his students. Driven bored by the ease of his prey however, Antonio soon descends into performing unspeakable actions with the aid of witchcraft and violence. As the horror escalates, it seems the devil himself has had a hand at every turn, steering Ambrosio down a pit of desolation where hopes of redemption diminish with every breath, every repulsive act…until Ambrosio is forced to face the very evil he commands. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.

Master of the gothic tale, Matthew Gregory Lewis was born in 1775. At the age of 19 he published his novel The Monk which held such luridly gothic imagery, that it became a real classic of the genre. Not long after he became a member of the House of Commons for the Whig Party, his sensational writing not affecting his public standing. Taking the influence of  writers such as Ann Radcliffe to heart, he continued to write in the horror-gothic genre, but will always be remembered for testing the limits of the gothic novel in The Monk, a tale which was to inspire those who wrote after him.