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In his introduction to this collection, Arthur B. Reeve asks "What is the fascination we feel for the mystery of the ghost story?" He's got a lot of thoughts on the question, of course. But you know, in the end, an aficionado can know a lot more by looking at who wrote the stories -- and this volume contains a great list, including Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Daniel De Foe, E.F. Benson, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Ellis Parker Butler, Leopold Kompert, M.R. James, Rudyard Kipling, and Vincent O'Sullivan. ... Read more

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The Weird Tale.
_The Weird Tale:Arthur Machen, Lord Dunsany, Algernon Blackwood, M. R. James, Ambrose Bierce, and H. P. Lovecraft_ is an account of various writers of the weird tale by S. T. Joshi.These authors wrote stories which may be regarded as "weird tales", a phrase used by Lovecraft especially in his famous essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature".The weird tale may be distinguished from the ghost story, science fiction, and psychological horror.This book consists of an introduction followed by accounts of each of the various writers and ending with important bibliographical information.Joshi's viewpoint is clearly sympathetic to scientific rationalism and atheism, which is problematic, though he does provide a good if somewhat biased overview of each of these major writers.

The first chapter of this book is "Arthur Machen:The Mystery of the Universe".Machen, born in Wales, was an antiquarian who developed a unique worldview opposed to Protestantism, rationalism, materialism, progress, and puritanism which emphasized his Anglo-Catholicism.Though Joshi chooses to regard this as a fault, I believe Machen's worldview remains particularly interesting.Machen wrote several weird stories which were based in his worldview including such tales as "The White People" and "The Great God Pan".

The second chapter of this book is "Lord Dunsany:The Career of a Fantaisiste".Dunsany was an Irish writer and fantaisiste who wrote plays and later stories.Dunsany's writings emphasized outer gods, though he himself may have been an atheist.Indeed, Joshi describes Dunsany's writings as "Nietzsche in a fairy tale".Dunsany's famous works include _The Gods of Pegana_ and _The King of Elfland's Daughter_.

The third chapter of this book is "Algernon Blackwood:The Expansion of Consciousness".Algernon Blackwood was a mystical writer who rebelled against an Evangelical upbringing to embrace the wisdom of the East including the _Bhagavad Gita_ and the doctrines of Buddhism.Blackwood's writings reveal a love for nature and an enthrallment with mysticism and the expansion of consciousness.Blackwood was also involved to some extent in the secret mystical society, the Golden Dawn.Joshi traces out the development of Blackwood's philosophy and his stories in terms of "awe", "horror", and "childhood".Blackwood's famous tales include "The Wendigo", "The Willows", and _The Centaur_.

The fourth chapter of this book is "M. R. James:The Limitations of the Ghost Story".M. R. James was the son of an Anglican priest who wrote ghost stories in the genre of the weird tale.While James never developed fully a worldview, something which Joshi believes to be problematic, his stories nevertheless provide an encounter with the supernatural.

The fifth chapter of this book is "Ambrose Bierce:Horror and Satire".Ambrose Bierce was a caustic wit, a cynic, and an atheist who served in the Union army during the Civil War and later was to disappear heading south towards Mexico (presumably having been caught up in the Mexican Civil War).Bierce's stories feature elements of his extreme cynicism and misanthropy.Bierce also wrote ghost stories featuring encounters involving the Civil War.In addition, Bierce compiled the infamous _Devil's Dictionary_ revealing his cynicism about politics and religion.

The sixth chapter of this book is "H. P. Lovecraft:The Decline of the West".Lovecraft was a unique writer of the weird tale, who wrote for pulp magazines and engaged in amateur journalism.Lovecraft's writings reveal his worldview which is materialistic and rationalist (though he would later come to reject his earlier dogmatic materialism under the influence of developments in theoretical physics including relativity theory and quantum mechanics).In addition, Lovecraft's political beliefs prove enigmatic, though he began as an aristocratic ultra-conservative and a racialist who expressed abhorrence at immigrants and other races in his stories, he came to embrace a form of "fascistic socialism" and to marry a Jew.Lovecraft was particularly influenced by the philosophy of Nietzsche and Spengler and his stories reveal his belief in the decline of the West thesis.Lovecraft's stories emphasize cosmicism in which man is shown to be utterly without hope in a cosmos empty of meaning and in which both science and religion fail him.Lovecraft was influenced by Dunsany's outer gods and wrote much on elder beings from other dimensions, though he was later to "demythologize" his gods making them into extraterrestrials.Lovecraft also was influenced by the folklore of New England.Lovecraft's famous works include "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" and _At the Mountains of Madness_.

This book offers an excellent introduction to various writers who composed weird fiction.Joshi's biases are apparent, but his extensive research into the writings of these individuals is tremendous.In particular, it is interesting to note how each of these writers formed a unique philosophical worldview which came to influence their stories to such a great extent.

A real critic for real readers
In The Weird Tale, Joshi analyses the work of half a dozen writers whose influence on the modern supernatural horror story is either incalculable (Lovecraft, James and possibly Bierce) or else not nearly large enough (Blackwood, Machen, Dunsany). Joshi's central theoretical tenet is that weird fiction is an inherently philosophical mode, since it offers writers the chance to remake the world according to their own rules. H P Lovecraft is the prime example, possessing a coherent and thoroughly worked out philosophy which colours and powers all his best work. Much the same applies to Blackwood, though his mystical and sometimes sentimental author's personality was the polar opposite of Lovecraft's. Similarly, Machen's mysticism (whenever he could keep off his Anglo-Catholic hobbyhorse for long enough), Bierce's misanthropy and Dunsany's unique and complex blend of anti-modernism and ultra-Olympian cynicism all provide Joshi with a lens through which to see their work in its most rewarding light. The only writer for whom Joshi displays little enthusiasm is M R James, primarily because his work never goes beyond the ghastly-revenant plot - however inventively James may manage it at times. Joshi is miraculously well-read, has a sharp eye for the best among frequently voluminous works, and is even honest enough to say when he's talking from prejudice rather than analysis. The Weird Tale brings genuine literary criticism to bear on a genre where literary and critical standards have been debased to a condition rather worse than that of science fiction, and is of vast help in pointing out the works to whose quality writers (and readers) of supernatural fiction could aspire. ... Read more

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Nothing stirred; the ripple on the lake had died away; there was no wind; the forest lay a single purple mass of shadow; the yellow sky, fast fading, threw reflections that troubled the eye and made distances uncertain. But there was no sound, no movement; he saw no figure anywhere. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Spiritualism; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; ... Read more

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Witchcult, Satanism, Sorcery, Lycanthropy ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1915Notes: This is an OCR reprint of the original rare book. There may be typos or missing text and there are no illustrations.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1915Original Publisher: MacmillanSubjects: Fantasy fiction, EnglishNotes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free.Excerpt: CHAPTER IIIDEATH OF A MERE FACTThere was a man named Jinks. In him was neither fancy, imagination, nor a sign of wonder, and so he -- died.But, though he appears in this chapter, he disappears again so quickly that his being mentioned in a sentence all by himself should not lead any one astray. Jinks made a false entry, as it were. The children crossed him out at once. He became illegible. For the trio had their likes and dislikes; they resented liberties being taken with them. Also, when there was no one to tell them stories, they were quite able to amuse themselves. It was the inactive yet omnipotent Maria who brought about indirectly the obliteration of Mr. Jinks.And it came about as follows:Maria was a podgy child of marked individuality. It was said that she was seven years old, but she declared that eight was the figure, because some uncle or other had explained, " you're in your eighth year." Wandering uncles are troublesome in this kind of way. Every time her age was mentioned she corrected the informant. She had a trick of moving her eyes without moving her head, as though the round face was difficult to turn; but her big blue eyes slipped round without the least trouble, as though oiled. The performance gave her the sly and knowing aspect of a goblin, but she had no objection tothat, for it saved her trouble, and to save herself trouble -- according to nurses, Authorities, and the like -- was her sole object in existence.Yet this seemed a mistaken view of the child. It was not so much that she did not move unnecessar... ... Read more

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Fifteen stories of fantasy and horror from one of the greatest storytellers and literary stylists of all time--Algernon Blackwood. Unified by the theme of the Elementals of Nature, these stories "are the quintessence of some of the most inspired creativity you will find anywhere in the world of supernatural fiction," as Mike Ashley notes in his introduction. ... Read more

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A Literary Masterpiece
Fifteen stories of fantasy and horror from one of the greatest storytellers and literary stylists of all time - Algernon Blackwood. Unified by the theme of the Elementals of Nature, these stories "are the quintessence of some of the most inspired creativity you will find anywhere in the world of supernatural fiction," as Mike Ashley notes in his introduction. Take a walk through the garden... - from book's back cover ... Read more

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Spring Books printing of "Tales of the Mysterious and Macabre"
Although this is a good collection of stories by Algernon Blackwood, interested buyers should know that this Spring Books publishing has an incredible amount of errors, typos, etc. I have the fifth edition (1972) wherein all of these errors are still present. The stories are great, but if you're looking for a respectable copy, find a collection printed by another publisher. ... Read more

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Dr John Silence, widely respected and admired, is known as a 'psychic doctor'. The cases that his special powers are called upon to deal with are out of the ordinary, intangible and of a difficult nature best described as 'psychical afflictions'. In this collection of cases, John Silence uses his spiritual insight to solve the afflictions of his patients, with all the skill and perception of the first-class psychic detective for which he has become celebrated. ... Read more

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not-quite-classic tales
A collection of nineteen occult stories by famous authors (Kipling, Hawthorne, Doyle, Saki) arranged into four categories (Secret Societies and Cults, Witchcraft and Magic, Spiritualism, Prophecy).While the stories are generally of high quality, some may-- inevitably-- already be familiar to readers of classic horror (James' "Casting the Runes"), some are a bit dated, and a few don't represent the best works of their authors (O'Henry's "Pheobe").The arranging of the stories into the four categories is a bit awkward, also.Worth a look for those interested in early horror. ... Read more

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We may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all. ... Read more

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An extraordinary chapter of autobiography, which describes the author's life between his twentieth and thirtieth years. When he went to Canada at the age of twenty he had never tasted alcohol or tobacco or been inside a theatre, and had only obtained books surreptitiously. He was, in fact, as 'green' as could be - and naturally he paid the consequences. After a brief stay in an office he invested his small capital in a dairy farm, which soon went out of business. Nothing daunted, Mr. Blackwood and his friend tried to run a public house, with disastrous consequences. They made a getaway to New York, and it was there that most of the adventures and the most extraordinary took place. The author's experiences as a crime reporter, his relationships with the 'confidence man' Boyd, and the eccentric old mendicant Alfred H. Louis, his brief but exciting career as a gold prospector are not easily forgotten. The book was originally published under the title Episodes Before Thirty, and Mr. Blackwood has considerably revised the text for the present edition. ... Read more

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And they group themselves now and then," I continued, with painful candour, for I longed to see the pictures he had spoken of, "group themselves into globes and round balls of fire, and the lines that flash about sometimes look like triangles and crosses--almost like geometrical figures. Nothing more. ... Read more

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The same walls, too, carried mirrors in which I used sometimes to see reflected the misty lawns of childhood, the daisy chains, the wind-torn blossoms scattered through the orchard by warm rains, the robbers' cave in the long walk, and the hidden store of apples in the hayloft. She was my inseparable companion then--but, when the door slammed, the mirrors cracked across their entire length, and the visions they held vanished for ever. Now I am quite alone. At forty one cannot begin all over again to build up careful friendships, and all others are comparatively worthless. ... Read more