Moon Mausoleum
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
In this chilling tale by J. S Le Fanu, the death of a corrupt church sexton on Christmas Eve unleashes supernatural events in his churchyard—as though his spirit lingers, disrupting the holy peace. First published in 1871.
One of the earliest works of vampire fiction, featuring a female vampire and her relationship with the protagonist. “Carmilla,” written by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872, predating Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” by twenty-six years. The novella follows the protagonist Laura, who becomes entangled with the enigmatic Carmilla, a beautiful and seductive stranger. As their relationship deepens, Laura begins to experience mysterious illnesses and disturbing nightmares. Le Fanu’s tale explores themes of desire, sexuality, and the supernatural, with Carmilla embodying both allure and danger. Through its eerie atmosphere and psychological depth, “Carmilla” has left an indelible mark on the vampire genre, influencing countless subsequent works in literature, film, and popular culture.
A haunting narrative of a man plagued by a demonic monkey. A novella first published in In a Glass Darkly, an 1872 collection of ghost stories.
First published as “Schalken the Painter” in Dublin University Magazine, May 1839. Republished in The Purcell Papers, 1880.
Penny Dreadful is an old term used during the nineteenth century to refer to cheap popular serial literature. Sort of like pulp fiction. It was also called penny blood, penny awful, or penny horrible. It means a story published in weekly parts, with the cost of one (old) penny. The main plot of these stories were typically sensational, focusing on the adventures of detectives, criminals, or supernatural entities.
This is exactly what Penny Dreadful was, and what it payed homage to. So we found some old stuff the series borrowed or was inspired by. And there is A LOT.