Contemporary creative writers, intellectuals, photographers, painters and other artists have all contributed to this volume exploring the idea of 'gothic' in New Zealand culture. From Martin Edmond's abandoned houses, to Ian Lochhead's Victorian corrugated iron structures, to Otis Frizzell's tattoos, from Peter Jackson's movie-making to ghost paintings – there's plenty of it. As the editors suggest, gothic is 'endemic to New Zealand's self-representation'.

The book grew out of the editors' teaching and research following an ‘Antipodean Gothic’ conference at Massey University, Albany, in 2002. They have extended their interests beyond the literary or strictly academic, taking in NZ culture in a broad sense.