This comprehensive collection offers a complete introduction to one of the most popular literary forms of the Victorian period, its key authors and works, its major themes, and its lasting legacy. Places key authors and novels in their cultural and historical contextIncludes studies of major topics such as race, gender, melodrama, theatre, poetry, realism in fiction, and connections to other art formsContributions from top international scholars approach an important literary genre from a range of perspectivesOffers both a pre and post-history of the genre to situate it in the larger tradition of Victorian publishing and literatureIncorporates coverage of traditional research and cutting-edge contemporary scholarship