Someone recently asked about academic views of #goth culture. This thread compiles a few dozen of sources on exactly this topic.
Ready to fill ye olde bookshelf?
The Gothic: A Very Short Introduction - Nick Groom, 2012
[crash course on gothic, with a clear path from classical-era goths to modern subculture]
Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture — Paul Hodkinson, 2002
[a foundational text, as much about methodology as goth history/music]