<p> Eighteenth-century critics believed Gothic fiction would inspire deviant sexuality, instill heretical beliefs, and encourage antisocial violence--this book puts these beliefs to the test. After examining the assumptions behind critics' fears, it considers nineteenth-century concerns about sexual deviance, showing how <I>Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dorian Gray,</I> and other works helped construct homosexuality as a pathological, dangerous phenomenon. It then turns to television and film, particularly <I>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</I> and David DeCoteau's direct-to-video movies, to trace Gothicized sexuality's lasting impact. Moving to heretical beliefs, <I>Gothic Realities</I> surveys ghost stories from Dickens's <I>A Christmas Carol</I> to <I>Poltergeist</I>, articulating the relationships between fiction and the "real" supernatural. Finally, it considers connections between Gothic horror and real-world violence, especially the tragedies at Columbine and Virginia Tech.</p>