The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace
Walpole. It is generally held to be the first gothic novel,
initiating a literary genre which would become extremely
popular in the later 18th century and early 19th
century. Thus, Castle, and Walpole by extension is
arguably the forerunner to such authors as Ann
Radcliffe, Bram Stoker, Daphne du Maurier, and
Stephen King.
The story involves a German professor (Otto Lidenbrock in the original French, Professor Von Hardwigg in the most common English translation) who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel (Harry), and their guide Hans encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy.