Vathek

by William Beckford

"Vathek" by William Beckford is a Gothic novel composed in French beginning in 1782 and first published in English in 1786. The story follows Vathek, a tyrannical caliph consumed by an insatiable thirst for forbidden knowledge. When a mysterious stranger offers him access to the legendary Palace of Underground Fire and its supernatural powers, Vathek enters a dark pact that demands terrible sacrifices. His journey toward damnation leads him through seduction, betrayal, and increasingly monstrous acts, as warnings from heaven go unheeded by his relentless pride.