Penny dreadful
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Penny Dreadful was a term applied to nineteenth century British fiction publications, usually lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny. The term, however, soon came to encompass a variety of publications that featured cheap sensational fiction, such as story papers and booklet “libraries.” The Penny Dreadfuls were printed on cheap pulp paper and were aimed primarily at teenage boys from the working class, though there is some evidence that many girls read them as well.
Related
paraliterature - British literature - British exploitation
In other countries
Groschenroman (DE) - dime novels (USA) - romans de gare (FR)
The term penny dreadful, meaning "cheap and gory fiction" dates from c.1870 --Online Etymology Dictionary [Jan 2006]
