 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
 Title page of the 1786 edition. | |
| Author | William Beckford |
|---|---|
| Translator | Reverend Samuel Henley |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Gothic novel |
| Publisher | J. Johnson (English) |
Publication date | 1786 (English), 1787 (French) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale or The History of the Caliph Vathek) is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford. It was composed in French beginning in 1782, and then translated into English by Reverend Samuel Henley[1] in which form it was first published in 1786 without Beckford's name as An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript, claiming to be translated directly from Arabic. The first French edition, titled simply as Vathek, was published in December 1786 (postdated 1787).[2] During the twentieth century some editions include The Episodes of Vathek (Vathek et ses épisodes), three related tales intended by Beckford to be so incorporated, but omitted from the original edition and published separately long after his death.[3]
- ^ "Colonial Williamsburg | the World's Largest Living History Museum".
- ^ Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 35. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.
- ^ George Watson, ed. (1971). The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. Volume 2; 1660–1800. Cambridge University Press. p. 1969. ISBN 0-521-07934-9.