"Vathek; An Arabian Tale" by William Beckford is a Gothic novel composed in French beginning in 1782 and first published in English in 1786. The story follows Vathek, a tyrannical ninth caliph consumed by insatiable thirst for forbidden knowledge. When a mysterious stranger offers him access to the legendary Palace of Underground Fire and its supernatural powers, Vathek descends into increasingly dark acts, sacrificing innocents and renouncing his faith. His obsessive quest leads him toward Istakhr and a fate that promises either ultimate power or eternal damnation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)