The History of the Caliph Vathek by William Beckford

THE HISTORY OF CALIPH VATHEK is a fictional Arabian tale based on the the life of the Caliph Al-Wathiq.  Vathek, an ambitious ruler, seeks supernatural powers through any means necessary.  He renounces Islam and engages in debauchery and other evils with his mother, Carathis, in an attempt to further his power.  As punishment for his sins, Vathek is condemned to a hell ruled by the demon Eblis where he endures cruel torments.

William Thomas Beckford (1760-1844) was an English Gothic novelist, patron of the arts, and art collector.  Beckford inherited £1 million in cash, land, and several Jamaican sugar plantations as young boy, making him the richest commoner in England.  A noted art collector, Beckford would sell and repurchase pieces on impulse, building an impressive collection much of which now resides in the National Gallery in London.