Image via Tor Books Add Collider on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover By David Caballero Published Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT David is a Senior Editor at Collider focused primarily on Lists. His professional journey began in the mid-2010s as a Marketing specialist before embarking on his writing career in the 2020s. At Collider, David started as a Senior Writer in late 2022 and has been a Senior Editor since mid-2023. He is in charge of ideating compelling and engaging List articles by working closely with writers, both Senior and Junior, as well as other editors. Occasionally, David also reviews movies and TV shows and writes episode recaps. Currently, David is also writing his second novel, a psychological horror satire that will, hopefully, be picked up for publication sometime next year. Sign in to your Collider account Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap The Gilded Age recently returned for its long-awaited fourth season, and fans couldn't be more excited. The show has achieved a significant audience thanks to its lush, dramatic portrayal of Gilded Age New York , an era that carries an air of dignified opulence that makes it both alluring and foreign. Indeed, the period has slowly achieved more recognition, thanks in no small part to the show, and now many new books are following suit.
This year, renowned author Nghi Vo released her newest effort, The Scarlet Ball , a Gothic fantasy set in Gilded Age New York that defies everything you thought you knew about the setting and genre. Filling beautiful and luxurious ballrooms with blood rituals, sacrifices, and demonic pacts, the book is a fascinating subversion of common Gothic tropes, resulting in a must-read title that's sure to entrance you from the first 10 pages.
Image via Tor The Scarlet Ball follows Judith Ban , a half-French, half-Vietnamese former convent girl turned courtesan and thief trying to escape her dark past. Arriving in Gilded Age New York, she becomes entangled with the powerful Howard family and makes a dangerous deal with the matriarch: Judith will pose as the family's missing granddaughter, Iphigenia , using magic to stitch the girl's face over her own and infiltrate high society, where a series of events lead to the titular ball at the end of the social season. There, elemental forces of nature assume the guise of men and court young women , looking to consume them, literally. However, Judith's plan takes a dangerous turn when she attracts the attention of a storm demon who is not all he seems.
The book is the latest effort by Nghi Vo, the acclaimed author whose fantasy novella, The Empress of Salt and Fortuna , earned her the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novella. Vo's work is highly evocative and subversive: for example, she's also the mind behind The Chosen and the Beautiful , a sapphic twist on F. Scott Fitzgerald 's seminal The Great Gatsby , widely considered a strong contender for the title of Great American Novel .
The Van Rhijns in key art for Gilded Age Season 3 Image via HBO When we think of Gilded Age New York, chances are our minds go immediately to the hit HBO show , which not only reintroduced the period into the mainstream but also came to define our collective perception of it. Thus, we think of opulent lifestyles, lavish balls, aggressive pursuit of fo…