History of the Infamous Penny Dreadful

 

History of the Infamous Penny Dreadful

Origins and content

Immersing in the 1830s, the penny dreadful, quickly became infamous. As the population's literacy grew, so did the rise of these books. Being cheaply made on flimsy paper, penny dreads were easily disposable and accessible to the masses. (Anderson) Seeing as these booklets were only a penny a piece, as little as a twelfth of the price of an installment of Charles Dickens. (Anderson) 

    

    The first ever penny dreadful was published in in 1836, Lives of the Most Notorious Highwaymen, Footpads, & c. It contained over 60 issues and packed with illustrations. (Mystery Tribune) Penny dreadfuls featured the works of writers for, both the suited States and England, being inspired by authors like Edgar Allen Poe, Brahm Stoker, and Conan Doyle. Surprisingly, Louisa May Alcott also contributed to the genre! Her short story was titled "Lost in a Pyramid; or the Mummy's Curse", featuring a cursed flowers and a warning against taking what isn't yours. (Mystery Tribune) However, she published the story anonymously to protect her reputation because of the image people had about penny dreadfuls.

    

    These booklets had darker and cruder topics than the mainstream literature at the time, which unfortunately led to its reputation and name as "penny awful" - referring to their quality, cheapness, and content. But their accessibility and shortness introduced the idea of reading being used for leisure. (Mystery Tribune) Penny dreadfuls were impactful in numerous ways. For example, the story Varney the Vampire, established many vampire tropes such as vampires having sharpened teeth!  

Audience and moral panic

    The period penny dreadfuls became popular was characterized by a growing interest in youth culture and juvenile delinquency (Dunae). Being so affordable, only sold for a penny, these booklets quickly became popular for entertainment! But, because of the "scandalous" nature of the penny dreadful, (hence the name) was one target of moral panic of the time period. It was feared that the violent and sometimes sexual matter covered would negatively impact young readers. (Anderson) There are numerous factors in these fears such as fears about social upheaval and a perceived threat to tradition.

Legacy 

Despite the backlash Penny Dreadfuls faced, they made a large impact on literature and culture. They introduced audiences to horror and crime fiction that hadn't been covered previously and became more popular in the 20th century. (Bose). Similarly to Dracula, Penny Dreadfuls covered ambiguous morality, fear, humanity versus monstrous foes, the unknown, and the contrast between good and evil. Both pieces of literature reflected the period's interest in darker - more macabre topics. They showcased the many sides of humanity and how it can be twisted.

Decline

Toward the end of the 19th century, the Penny Dreadful lost favor. This was due to pressures for "real literature", (opposed to Charles Dickens as mentioned earlier) and the call for censorship due to moral panic. (Springhall)

    Overall, the Penny Dreadful reflected fears of the 19th and 20th centuries and introduced new horror tropes and ideas just as Dracula did. Both sources portray the monstrous and unknown as a corrupting force to be fought against! Their subject matter themes point to a larger concern over morality, the macabre, sexuality, and societal reactions to its portrayal.

Sources

Anderson, Hephzibah. “The Shocking Tale of the Penny Dreadful.” BBC News, BBC, 24 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160502-the-shocking-tale-of-the-penny-dreadful. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Bose, Swapnil  Dhruv. “The ‘penny Dreadful’ Serials: Moral Panic and Gothic Horror.” Far Out Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023, faroutmagazine.co.uk/moral-panic-penny-dreadful-gothic-horror/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Published by The Gothic Bookworm View all posts by The Gothic Bookworm, et al. “The Penny Dreadfuls: A Brief History.” The Gothic Bookworm, 13 Oct. 2020, thegothicbookworm.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/the-penny-dreadfuls-a-brief-history/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Springhall, John. “‘Penny Dreadful’ Panic (I): Their Readers, Publishing and Content.” SpringerLink, Macmillan Education UK, 1 Jan. 1998, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-27458-1_3. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Tribune, Mystery. “Penny Dreadfuls: The Ultimate Guide to Their Origins, Decline and Legacy.” MysteryTribune, 16 Feb. 2020, mysterytribune.com/penny-dreadfuls-the-ultimate-guide-to-their-origins-decline-and-legacy/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Images

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/R5HRG2/life-of-john-stevens-the-highwayman-life-of-joseph-lorrison-lives-of-the-most-notorious-highwaymen-footpads-and-murderers-london-published-by-e-lloyd-44-wych-street-strand-manchester-heywood-manchester-liverpool-smith-liverpool-portsea-bonney-portsea-1836-1837-source-c140b58-page-25-author-prest-thomas-peckett-R5HRG2.jpg

https://www.spookyisles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Varney-the-Vampire-2.jpg