Vathek, a virtual fantasy autobiography of William Beckford, was the first Oriental Gothic horror novel in English literature. First published in 1786, it relates the story of the villainous Caliph Vathek, a man devoted to sensual pleasures and obsessed with the acquisition of knowledge and beautiful objects alike, who builds a great tower to 'penetrate the secrets of heaven'. Set in the exotic surroundings of Arabia, Vathek is a classic tale of lust for riches and power, where magic, trickery and betrayal abound.