Penny Dreadful: Explore the origins of TV's hottest gothic drama 

"I thought… wouldn\'t it be fascinating if I took inspiration from Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde and starting mixing and melding these stories into one new narrative."

devised in the mind of Oscar nominee and Golden Globe-winning writer

John Logan - you can watch the video below to hear more on the topic:

Drawing from what he refers to as his "master texts", Logan created a rich tapestry of horror in

Below, we explore the show\'s literary origins and how they link to the television series, as well as charting a few of the show\'s more obscure inspirations.

Let\'s start with the obvious - the show\'s title was derived from a 19th century slang term for serialised publications printed on cheap pulp paper and often featuring sensational, lurid story content.

Though some considered these \'Penny dreadfuls\' (so named because each new \'chapter\' cost one old penny) a corrupting influence, there was no denying the popularity of these trashy Gothic thrillers, particularly among working-class males of the time.

...or, The Modern Prometheus. Published when its author Mary Shelley was just 20 years old, this tale of a scientist who is obsessed with the notion of creating life and \'gives birth\' to a monstrous semi-human creature is now one of the most famous and influential novels ever written, in any genre.

features both Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and his creature and while it places them within Logan\'s "new narrative", their depiction in the series is more faithful to Shelly\'s work than many films and television projects ostensibly adapted from her novel.

A far cry from the Machiavellian figure he\'s often portrayed as, Shelley\'s Victor is an eccentric but ultimately tragic figure, horrified by the devastation that he and his creature have wrought - much like Treadaway\'s version of the character.

Rory Kinnear\'s Caliban also bears a closer resemblance to the creature of the novel than, say, Boris Karloff\'s famous monster - as in the book, Kinnear\'s \'beast\' is full of rage yet intelligent and articulate.

His adopted name, of course, is drawn not from Shelly but from Shakespeare and

- Proteus (Alex Price) - takes his moniker from another of the Bard\'s works,

Released in serial form, branded indecent and falling subject to censorship upon original publication, it\'s easy to see why John Logan was drawn to Oscar Wilde\'s

Wilde\'s handsome, hedonistic young man who strikes a sinister bargain to stay young forever is brought to life on the show by American actor Reeve Carney, affecting a flawless English accent and seducing the great and good (and bad) of Victorian London.

was kept secret when the series was first announced - though publicity materials ultimately conferred the true identity of Timothy Dalton\'s mercurial explorer Sir Malcolm.

The father of one Mina Murray - a major character in Stoker\'s tome who becomes the subject of Dracula\'s attention - Malcolm is driven by a burning desire to locate his missing daughter on the show.

as Abraham Van Helsing - a vampire hunter and Dracula\'s ultimate nemesis in the book, on the show he is Victor Frankenstein\'s ageing mentor.

from the very beginning, series 1 available now with Sky Box Sets. Season two will arrive on Sky Atlantic from May 5.

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More: US TV, Penny Dreadful, John Logan, Timothy Dalton, Reeve Carney, Harry Treadaway, Alex Price, Rory Kinnear

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