Bibliography 2016-18

Tartarus Press

publishers

Bibliography

1990-1995

2016-2018

Tartarus Press

Bibliography

2016-18

under construction...

2019:

251: HOUSE OF THE FLIGHT-HELPERS, by Philomena van Rijswijk, 22nd March 2019. 310 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-09-7.

250: COPSFORD, by Walter J.C. Murray, 28th January 2019. 203 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-11-0.

Featured in the Susssex Express

249: THE BALLET OF DR CALIGARI AND MADDER MYSTERIES, by Reggie Oliver, 1st January, 2019. 297 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJInternational in printed cloth stamped in gilt and silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 400 signed, numbered copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-08-0.

Contains: From Madder Mysteries: ‘A Donkey at the Mysteries’, ‘The Head’, ‘Tawny’, ‘The Devil’s Funeral’, ‘Baskerville’s Midgets’, ‘The Game of Bear’ (with M.R. James). And more: ‘The Final Stage’, ‘The Endless Corridor’, ‘The Vampyre Trap’, ‘The Ballet of Dr Caligari’, ‘Love and Death’, ‘Porson’s Piece’, ‘Lady with a Rose’, ‘Author Note’.

Review:

'Lovers of dark fiction will welcome with enthusiasm a new collection by Reggie Oliver,by far one of the very best living authors in that genre. . . . Graced by exquisite illustrations drawn by Oliver himself, the book is a real treat for any fan of great fiction.' Mario Guslandi, Hellnotes.com

2018:

248: THE CLOCKWORM AND OTHER STRANGE STORIES, by Karen Heuler. 3rd December 2018. 252 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJInternational in printed cloth stamped in gilt and silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-10-3.

Review

'Heuler’s voice is refreshingly original, and readers will find these stories remarkably inventive and brimming with ideas not found anywhere else in contemporary fantasy fiction.' Publishers Weekly 'starred' review

‘Nineteen strange and intriguing stories, brilliantly written.’ Horla.org

247. WORMWOOD, Issue 31, Edited by Mark Valentine, 22nd October April 2018. 88 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJInternational.

Contains: ‘Beyond Lud: The Poetry, Prose, Translations from the Russian, and Longer Fiction of Hope Mirrlees’ by Colin Insole, ‘A State of Emergency: Jocelyn Brooke’s The Image of a Drawn Sword’ by Mat Joiner, ‘After The Flood’ by Ibrahim Ineke, ‘Karel Babánek and the (Forgotten) Golden Age of Czech Fantasy’ by Tony Mileman, ‘The Dark and Decadent Dreams of Doctor Doyle’ by Paul M. Chapman, ‘Looking Backward from Tomorrow: Mack Reynolds and His Pulp Fiction Utopias’ by John Howard, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

246. PAULISKA, OR, MODERN PERVERSITY, by Jacques-Antoine Révéroni, baron de Saint-Cyr. Translated by Eric Butler. 17th October 2018. 234 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJInternational in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-07-3.

Review:

"Révéroni’s deliciously lurid novel is a heady dram of vintage gothic . . . With its many moments of fade-to-black fainting, hairbreadth escapes, and rationalizations of what may be supernatural, this book is a high melodrama sure to appeal to fans of the writings of Ann Radcliffe, Matthew Gregory Lewis, and other classic gothicists." Publishers Weekly

245. THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE, by John Gaskin. 2nd October 2018. 192 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781723783456.

Contents: ‘Foreword’, ‘The Memento Mori’, ‘Wolvershiel’, ‘Addendum to a Confession’, ‘Wings’, ‘The Pit’, ‘Empty Places’, ‘Party Talk’, ‘The Double Crossing’, ‘Night Music’, ‘The Master of the House’, ‘The New Inn Hall Inheritance’, ‘Where Shadows Lead’.

Reviews

'A splendid collection of stories to be savoured slowly but deeply, just like a glass of vintage wine.' Mario Guslandi, SFRevu

'Here crouch 12 superb tales of the unknown and the numinous, each one as finely crafted as could be wished, ready to pounce upon the unsuspecting reader's imagination.' M.R. Cosby's Blog

'...a mastery of the classic English ghost story that all lovers of the genre will relish.' Ghosts and Scholars

'Touched with irony and graveyard humor, his stories will appeal to fans of classic ghostly fiction.' Publishers Weekly

'I suspect this book will remind many of us why we first fell in love with the genre.' Supernatural Tales Blog

244. THE LONG RETREATING DAY, by John Gaskin. 2nd October 2018. 217 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. 9781723781841.

Contents: 'Preface', 'Three Songs of Youth', 'The Conceit of the Dancing Man', 'Tapiola', 'St John's Wood', 'The High-Stepping Man', 'The Long Retreating Day', 'From Lydia with Love and Laughter', 'The Bay Platform', 'Rigor Mortis', 'Road Closed', 'Omega', 'Three Songs of Age'.

Reviews

'Economically written and deeply felt nightmares of atmospheric subtlety and stark spiritual horror. . . reaffirming the importance of structure and lyricism in a genre too often represented by slap-dash sensationalism.' William Simmons, Hellnotes

'...if you like solid, elegant fiction apt to make the act of reading almost a physical pleasure, then this is a book you shouldn't miss for any reason. . . . this volume is a literary gem that everybody should be entitled to enjoy.' Mario Guslandi, Agony Column

'At their best, Gaskin's stories are excellent...' Simon Kurt Unsworth, All Hallows

243. THE LIBRARY OF THE LOST, by Roger Dobson. 2nd October 2018. £14.95. 280 + xvi pages. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781723710872.

Contents

'A Remarkable Man by Javier Marías', 'Introduction by Mark Valentine', 'The Mysterious Montague Summers', 'W.B. Yeats and The Golden Dawn', 'Sherlock Holmes: The Last Mystery', 'M.P. Shiel and Arthur Ransome', 'A Palimpsest of The Three Impostors', 'Julian Maclaren-Ross', 'Black Magic Against the Beast', '‘A Weird and Marvellous Pursuit’', 'Edward Bulwer-Lytton', 'John Gawsworth: King of Redonda', 'The Return of Prince Zaleski', 'The Wrenne Jarman Mystery', 'Terror By Night', 'The Book in Yellow', 'New Arabian Frights', 'Madam Satan', '‘A Trade of the Damned’', 'Lucian in the Labyrinth', 'The Weird World of Dennis Wheatley', 'Cartographer of Myth', 'A Checklist of the Writings of Roger Dobson'.

242. THE PURPLE CLOUD, by M.P. Shiel. 2nd October 2018. 278 + xv pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781720229674.

Reviews:

"Tartarus has done us proud. This is a beautifully made edition of a remarkable novel, together with the original magazine illustrations finely reproduced, and an illuminating introduction. Moreover, The Purple Cloud is worth reading quite apart from its considerable literary merits, as an important and influential genre work." - Reggie Oliver, All Hallows

"An acknowledged classic of post-apocalyptic science fiction, Shiel's ode to human persistence and his harsh physical/spiritual evolution marked a return to the author's decadent style of composition!"- William Simmons, Hellnotes

241. PUTTING THE PIECES IN PLACE and LITERARY REMAINS, by R.B. Russell. 14th September 2018. 284 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon.

Contains: ‘Putting the Pieces in Place’, ‘There’s Nothing That I Wouldn’t Do’, ‘In Hiding’, ‘Eleanor’, ‘Dispossessed’, ‘Literary Remains’, ‘An Artist’s Model’, ‘Llanfihangel’, ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima’, ‘Another Country’, ‘Loup-garou’, ‘Blue Glow’, ‘A Revelation’, ‘Asphodel’, ‘Where They Cannot Be Seen’, ‘Afterword’.

Reviews for Putting the Pieces in Place:

"...an excellent and very satisfying debut collection..." - Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year Volume Two.

"The hallmark of these stories is their subtlety. Putting the Pieces in Place is a wonderful debut from an author who is among those leading the way in blending horror and the strange tale." - The Speculative Fiction Junkie

"Ray Russell's stories in Putting the Pieces in Place are captivating for their depth of mystery and haunting melancholy. These qualities place Russell in a tradition of authors that includes Sheridan LeFanu and Ramsey Campell, storytellers whose works proceed with a creeping uneasiness that leaves a lasting impression on the reader." - Thomas Ligotti

". . . classy, tasteful stories of quiet horror told in an unassuming, polished narrative style. Mostly starting out as mainstream tales, Russell’s stories gradually convey a subtle feeling of disquiet as, page after page, the supernatural or the horrific unobtrusively creeps in. . . . In short, an enticing, remarkable collection proving that it was high time Russell would start a career as a writer. I’m looking forward to his next book." - Mario Guslandi, Hellnotes

"R.B. Russell has produced a work of timeless elegance which wouldn’t be out of place among the classic European ghost stories collections. The stories are all richly enigmatic with a subtle horror subtext. The European setting give the stories a distinctive feel, everything here is slightly, subtly different. - Highlander's Book Reviews

"As with Henry James, one might ask whether Russell is telling stories of the supernatural or of the psychological. It comes down to perception and this superb collection illustrates how each of us has a different way of putting the pieces in place." - Brian J. Showers, Rue Morgue

"In “Putting the Pieces in Place” R.B. Russell plays with human emotions without drawing a perceptible line between reality and fiction, passion and obsession, and creates an atmosphere of unease without pointing exactly the reason for it."- Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews

"Russell's horror is profoundly internal - the horrors of alienation, of loss, of obsession, even of love. Fans of Walter de la Mare take note. Hartley makes a good point of reference … for like him and his successor Robert Aickman (and by that logic his predecessor Henry James also deserves a mention), Russell is concerned primarily with giving you a glimpse of daily life gradually warped into another perverse shape without you knowing it. … an outstanding collection." - Andy McQuade in Gorezone, June 2009

"...the author's gift for a finely-turned sentence and a well-crafted tale." - David Longhorn in Supernatural Tales 15.

Reviews for Literary Remains

"Literary Remains by R. B. Russell (PS) is the second collection of stories by a writer who in the past few years has been making a name for himself with his well-written weird and dark fiction, although he's still better known for being the publisher of Tartarus Press. The ten stories, eight new, are all well worth reading." - Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year 3

"...readers are held spellbound by Russell’s elegant prose." - Dead Reckonings # 10

"This is an engaging and enjoyable collection from a writer whose work, through the power of suggestion implicit in each text and the oblique narrative strategies, brings to mind that of Aickman, perhaps crossed with some of the more adventurous strands of European cinema." - Peter Tennant, Black Static

"...a worthy successor to R.B. Russell's first collection, Putting the Pieces in Place. It should appeal to those who enjoy well-crafted short stories in general, and strange stories in particular." Peter Bell, Supernatural Tales 18:

"...a remarkable read..." - David Longhorn, Supernatural Tales 17

"This collection sets the bar high for himself, not to mention future authors, but also ensures a special place for his fiction in the contemporary weird's bright future. " - The Grim Blogger

"...strangely beautiful prose . . . compelling stories. " - Risingshadow.net

"...all the stories are elegantly written, clever, classy tales apt to delight the reader throughout the whole volume..." - Mario Guslandi, Bookgeeks

"A fine collection at times reminiscent of Machen, Aickman, Ligotti and others but always with that unique R.B Russell style." - Tales from the Black Abyss

"I shall also need to seek the 'sold out' Putting the Pieces in Place, another anthology by RB Russell (Ex Occidente Press) because I now feel I want to be a RB Russell completist! - Des Lewis, Weirdmonger

"The stories in this collection are, to be sure, effective taken individually (I first read "Loup-garou," an unsettling story that has less to do with werewolves than you might imagine, in an anthology, and very much admired it). But read as a cohesive whole, preferably in one sitting, they reveal a profound awareness of human drives and limitations, an understated but very real sense of the large and small tragedies that characterize our lives. Literary Remains is dark fantasy of the first order." - Brendan Connell, The Stars at Noonday

Review for the combined volume:

"Russell is an accomplished storyteller." Aurealis, 118

240. DREADS AND DROLLS, by Arthur Machen. 5th September 2018. 248 + x pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN9781717969231

Contents: ' 'Introduction, by R.B. Russell, 'Note, by Arthur Machen, 'The Man With the Silver Staff', 'The Mystery of Mr Haddock', 'Ceremony on the Scaffold', 'Mr Lutterloh', 'A Lament for London's Lost Inns', 'Madame Rachel', 'Sir Benjamin The "Baron" ', 'Our Betty's Day Out', 'How The Rich Live', 'The Highbury Mystery', 'Deadly Nevergreen', 'Polite Correspondence', 'How Clubs Began', 'The Ingenious Mr Blee', 'Old Dr Mounsey', 'Casanova in London', ' "Doubles" In Crime', ' "Characters" ', 'The Euston Square Mystery', 'More Inns', 'The Adventure of the Long-Lost Brother', 'The Power of Jargon', 'The Little People', 'The Campden Wonder', 'Morduck the Witch', 'The Man From Nowhere', 'Before Wembley', 'The Strange Case of Emily Weston', 'The Gay Victorians', 'A Castle in Celtic Mists', 'A Tale of a Turbot', 'Chivalry', '7B Coney Court', 'Concerning Cocktails', 'Mothers-in-Law', 'A Pretty Parricide', 'The Cry of a Captive', 'Our Funny Friends', 'Twins', 'Hungry Weather!', 'The Medicine-Man's Magic', 'The Best of Everything', 'The Merry Widow', 'Knocking Legends To Smithereens', 'One Night When I Was Frightened', 'The Wood Family', 'Houses', 'The People of the Wild', 'Laugh When You Awake', 'The Little Brown Things', 'Shakespeare's 'Bare Bones', 'The Simplicity of Genius', 'Books that a Queen May Read', 'Society and the Savage', 'Those Doctors!', 'The "B" in Baconian Bonnets', 'The Scholar and the Sun-Myth', 'Dr Johnson's Disappearing Act', 'When the Much-Travelled Man Comes Home', 'England's Last State Lottery', Bibliographical information.

239. HERALD OF THE HIDDEN, by Mark Valentine. 5th September 2018. 218 + ix pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781718085848.

Contents: ‘Introduction’. Ralph Tyler Stories: ‘St Michael & All Angels’, ‘The Folly’, ‘Madberry Hill’, ‘The Ash Track’, ‘The Grave of Anir’, ‘William Sorrell Requests’, ‘The Hermit’s House’, ‘Herald of the Hidden’, ‘Heritage of Fire’, ‘The Almanac’. Other Early Stories: ‘The Guardians of the Guest Room’, ‘Go to the West’, ‘Tree Worship’, ‘Twilight at Little Brydon Cricket Club’, ‘Woken by Candlelight’, ‘Their Special Glee’. ‘Acknowledgements.’

Reviews

'Among the current weird and supernatural fiction authors, Mark Valentine has established a position as one of the most original and interesting. He rarely if ever sets out to horrify, but rather to awe and mystify, even to inspire; an aim he usually succeeds in achieving.... Herald of the Hidden and Other Stories is a typically classy Tartarus hardback: at £35 it's not cheap, but worth every penny, in my opinion.' Rosemary Pardoe, Ghosts and Scholars, 24

'Valentine never puts a foot wrong...' Mark Andresen, The Pan Review

'All these stories were collected at the suggestion of the legendary editor Richard Dalby, who selected many of them for his famous collections. It was a good idea.' David Longhorn, Supernatural Tales

'...for those who appreciate a traditional ghost story well-told, this volume can sit proudly on your bookshelf beside the greats.' Stewart Horn, British Fantasy Society

'Readers who enjoy the new brand of "urban fantasy" will find here the top-notch, classy, but down-and-dirty detective noir version.' Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column

Valentine '. . . draws from a heritage of writers that I find fascinating and marries it with a lively imagination, a curious nature and a writing style that embraces both the then and the now to produce stories that feel timeless.' Wyrd Britain

238. MORBID TALES, by Quentin S. Crisp. 5th September 2018. 226 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781718126596.

Contains: Foreword, The Mermaid, Far-Off Things, Cousin X, A Lake, The Two-Timer, The Tattooist, Ageless, Autumn Colours.

Reviews

'Crisp will surprise and delight you with his marvellous writing skill and the ability to convey a profound sense of universal horror, cosmic menace and spiritual desolation.' Mario Guslandi, The Alien Online

'Attempting to find a frozen moment, description, or phenomena with which to express a breath of cosmic fear and awe, Crisp achieves with this collection a remarkable scrapbook of terror.' William Simmons, Cemetery Dance

'The power of the best stories here is in the way in which Crisp has been able to use his influences to reflect deep within himself and draw out something that is strikingly new.' Douglas Campbell, All Hallows

237. THIS SPECTACULAR DARKNESS, by Joel Lane. 5th September 2018. 228 + ix pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781719848800.

Contents: 'Foreword’ by Mark Valentine, ‘Acknowledgments’, Critical Essays for Wormwood by Joel Lane: ‘The Dark Houses of Cornell Woolrich’, ‘The October Revolution: Ray Bradbury’s Existential Paradigm for the Horror Genre’, ‘The Territory of the Others: The Dark Fiction of Theodore Sturgeon’, ‘No Secret Place: The Haunted Cities of Fritz Leiber’, ‘Ruins of Time: The Mortal Terrors of Harlan Ellison’, ‘The Ruins of Reality: Thomas Ligotti and the Uses of Disenchantment’, ‘World Gone Wrong: H.P. Lovecraft’s Mythology of Loss’, ‘Forever Always Ends: Robert Aickman’s Visions of Afterlife’. Other Critical Essays by Joel Lane: ‘Strange Eons and the Cthulhu Mythos’, ‘Negatives in Print: The Early Novels of Ramsey Campbell’, ‘Beyond the Light: The Recent Novels of Ramsey Campbell’, ‘Writers in the James Tradition: Ramsey Campbell’, ‘The Double Edge: Robert Aickman’s Supernatural Stories’, ‘The Master of Masks’, ‘A Dream by the Old Canal’, ‘Hell is Other People: Robert Bloch and the Pathologies of the Family’. Appreciations of the Writings of Joel Lane: ‘Mapping the Territory: Joel Lane’s Essays’, by John Howard, ‘The Paper Ghosts: Reflections on Five Early Stories’, by Mark Valentine, ‘“Where the Gods are Rotting”: The Poetry of Joel Lane’, by Mat Joiner, ‘Socialism or Barbarism: Joel Lane’s Blue Trilogy and the poetry of the lost’, by Nina Allan. ‘Publication History.’

Reviews:

'Joel Lane...was an exceptionally astute and sympathetic critic of supernatural horror' and 'Lane is particularly good on the modernist horror of Fritz Leiber, with its distinctive feel for the urban environment', also 'For Lane, worthwhile supernatural horror is always about something more: a displacement and distillation that crystallizes human situations in a moment of of metaphorical truth'. Phil Baker, Times Literary Supplement

'A fitting tribute to J0el, whose life was cut too short.' Rosemary Pardoe, Ghosts and Scholars, 31

'This is an excellent non-fiction book and deserves a place on the shelf of any serious scholar of the genre.' The British Fantasy Society

236. THE OLD KNOWLEDGE, by Rosalie Parker. 5th September 2018. 120 + ix pages. £12.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781718147911.

Contents: 'Introduction' by Glen Cavaliero, 'The Rain', 'Spirit Solutions', 'In the Garden', 'Chanctonbury Ring', 'The Supply Teacher', 'The Old Knowledge', 'The Cook's Story', 'The Picture', 'Acknowledgements'

Reviews:

'Parker has a way of crafty spinning that makes each story work.' Aurealis magazine

'... straightforward, unassuming prose belies a keen psychological insight. Old knowledge is never without its secrets and mysteries, and neither is The Old Knowledge.' The Stars at Noonday

'The stories to be found in this slim volume are chilling to be sure, and engrossing in every way. But there's a bigger picture than just the stories themselves. These stories take us not to a different world, but a different vision of this world.' Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column

'. . . a beautifully produced collection of nine stories by Rosalie Parker, in which themes of ancient knowledge intrud[e] into the modern world. . . My favourite out of all that’s on offer, there’s a delightful ambiguity to ‘The Cook’s Story’ . . . The atmosphere of a country house and the life of wealthy people are brought to vivid life . . . with a sense of the madness and alienation that’s bubbling away beneath the surface and just waiting to explode.' Peter Tennant, Black Static

'The Old Knowledge is perfect reading for a winter's afternoon when the light is beginning to fail. Curl up by the fire in your holiday cottage, open a good bottle of red, and enjoy.' Katherine Haynes, Ghostly Company Newsletter

'Well crafted prose hinting in soft tones at the darker side of reality.' Mario Guslandi at The Short Review.

'Parker shows considerable skill at creating dramatic tension and moods of menace that will appeal to fans of subtly told tales of the macabre.' Publishers Weekly

'This book, despite its disarmingly simple pure prose style and traditional-seeming supernatural plots, is possibly more intriguing than many a book with dense textured styles and ostensibly complicated plots. An eye-opener for me.' D.F. Lewis, My Last Balcony: Real-Time Reviews

'With a clear descent from the school of classic ghost stories these tales are another branch of the evolutionary tree for the ghostly weird tale, exploring modern relationships and feelings in a timeless style.' The Black Abyss

235. THE ST PERPETUUS CLUB OF BUENOS AIRES, by Eric Stener Carlson. 29th August 2018. 220 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN9781717989192.

Reviews

"The multi-layered narrative is full of surprises, and the conclusion provides a modest grace note that beautifully befits the tale." - Christopher Fowler, Financial Times

"If there is one book you should spend your hard earned money on this year, you should make it The Saint Perpetuus Club of Buenos Aires. If you like Strange Tales, Mysteries, or Thrillers – or if you just enjoy an eloquently written piece of literature – you should not miss the opportunity to pick this book up. This is the finest book I have had the pleasure of reading this year. It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end." - She Never Slept!

"At bottom, it’s a deal with the Devil story, and as always in these it’s the Devil who has the last laugh, but made special by the distinctive tone and the wealth of ideas planted in the text. Recommended." Peter Tennant, Black Static 17

"...before I had even read a page, I wanted to love the story as much as I loved the paper it had been printed on and the binding it had been sewn into. ... And I did love it, but I loved it in a strange, unsettling, way. Carlson has created a story that is neither occult, nor science fiction nor theology even though elements of all are included." - David Mitchell, Bibliobuffet

"Unpredictable and steeped in allusions to classic and contemporary works, this spry exercise in magic realism can be enjoyed as a parable on how our reading transforms our perception of the world." - Publishers Weekly

"This work should appeal to fans of good writing and the occult. The prose is top-notch and great care has been taken in providing the reader with an intellectual, multi-layered story." - Grim Rictus Reviews

"...a captivating novel written in a sparkling style, precise yet imaginative." - Mario Guslandi at Rick Kleffel's Agony Column

"The first-person narrative is a slow burn that erupts into a furnace spilling with untameable flame." Aurealis magazine, issue 119

234. LE GRAND MEAULNES, or, THE LOST DOMAIN, and MIRACLES, by Alain-Fournier, 29th August 2018. 294 + xv pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781718118811.

Contents: The Tantalising Elsewheres of Henri Alain-Fournier by Adrian Eckersley/ Le Grand Meaulnes by Henri Alain-Fournier; trans. by R. B. Russell/ How Far Should We Believe in "Miracles"? by Adrian Eckersley/ Translated by Adrian Eckersley: Miracles/ Summer Misery/ Young People/ The Shower/ Tale of the Sun and the Highway On This Great Road/ Round/ Through Summers/ Highway Shanty/ Under This Tepid Remnant/ The First Fogs of September/ The People of the Manor/ And Now That There's Rain.../ On the Road Which Drops Down/ Woman's Body/ Dialogue as Christmas Approaches/ [Untitled]/ The Poisoned Woman/ The Pleasure Party/ In the Very Small Garden/ Three Prose Poems: (Major Manoeuvres, The Tailor's Guestroom, March Before Daybreak)/ Love Seeks Out Abandoned Places/ Magdalene/ The Miracle of the Three Village Ladies/ The Quarrel and the Night in the Cell/ Public Holidays/ The Miracle of the Farmer's Wife/ Portrait. Jacket by Peter Strausfeld.

233. A COUNTRY STILL ALL MYSTERY, by Mark Valentine, 29th August 2018. 306 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781717947840.

Contains: ‘Introduction', '"A Country Still All Mystery": Machen, Sarban and Otherworldly Landscapes', '"An Atlas of Unknown Worlds": Mary Butts, John Metcalfe and Stories of Strange Regions', '"A Landscape of the End of the World": The Supernatural Terrain of Francis and Eric Brett Young', 'Borderland Mysteries: The Thrillers of R.C. Ashby', 'The Islands Beyond: The Books of Robert Atkinson', 'Half- Seen Shadows: C.R.J. Carstairs and the Great', 'Crying For Elysium: The Pagan Fantasies of Forrest Reid', 'Courted by an Orchid: The Mystical Fantasies of Ronald Fraser', 'The Singer of Samarkand: James Elroy Flecker', 'The Third Alias: A T.E. Lawrence Mystery', 'The Roads to Shangri-La: James Hilton and the Mysteries of the East', 'The Ceremony at Arnsburg: Playing the Glass Bead Game', 'In an Unresting Land: Randolph Stow’s The Girl Green as Elderflower', 'Towards Tir-Nan-Og: Lord Dunsany’s The Curse of the Wise Woman', 'The Last Wolf in England', 'Beyond the Boundaries: Extra-Parochial Districts', 'The Wind in Their Faces: The After-Life of Becket’s Assassins', 'Inheritance of Shadows: John Meade Falkner’s Other Novels', 'Written in Smoke: Oliver Onions’ The Hand of Kornelius Voyt', 'Against the Abyss: Carnacki the Ghost-Finder', 'Gentleman Renegade: A.J. Raffles, Cricketer and Crook', 'Teaching Yourself to Think: Eric Ambler’s Spy Stories', 'Holy Treasures: Three Arthur Machen Mysteries', '‘This Cackling Old Gander’: The New Age and Arthur Machen', 'Gentle Mephistopheles: The Fiction of Frank Baker', 'Cope & Fenwick: A Reminiscence, and a Checklist', 'The Amber Chapel', 'The Original Tower of Moab', '"Who Could Damn Hardest": A Muggletonian Influence upon "Casting the Runes"?', 'The English Catalogue', 'Acknowledgements'.

232. HAUNTED BY BOOKS, by Mark Valentine, 29th August 2018. 296 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint printed by Amazon. ISBN 9781717959416.

Contains: 'Introduction', 'Studies of Sad Beauty: Robert Aickman, Philip Steegman & Arthington Worsley', 'A Dandysme of the Soul: Michael Arlen', 'Inner Bohemia: The Mystical Fiction of Mary Butts', 'With Whisperings and Mumblings: Walter de la Mare’s ‘Seaton’s Aunt’', 'The Stranger Who Opens the Door: The Novels of Claude Houghton', 'Goodbye, Mr Fothergill: James Hilton’s Knight Without Armour', '‘A Demon in Reverse’: Cosnahan’s Magical Influences', 'Under This Strange Grey Sky: The Fantasies of Vernon Knowles', 'The Writer in the Railway Carriage: H.A. Manhood', 'And I’d Be The King of China: The Strange Life of Charles Welsh Mason', 'Masks in Flanders: Major Morris’ Lost Classic', 'Offerings to Mercury', 'Viper in the Temple: The Novels of L.H. Myers', 'Lost Radiance: The Fiction of Lewis Grassic Gibbon', 'Jerusalem in England: A Note on the Work of L. Furze Morrish', '‘I Walk Through the World’: The Writings of Geoffrey Pollett', 'Mr Shakespeare’s Gunpowder Plot', 'The MS in a Red Box', 'The Mysteries of the Pomegranate: Sax Rohmer’s The Orchard of Tears', 'Possible Masterpieces: The Novels of J.C. Snaith', 'The Ultimate Oddness: A Book of Whimsies', 'Secret Names: The Hermetic Fiction of Peter Vansittart', '‘Or Opaline Algol’: A Lost Edwardian Poet', 'A Small Place of Worship: The Last of the Johnsonians', 'What Became of Dr Ludovicus: Ernest Dowson & Arthur Moore’s Lost Shocker', 'Wraiths: Some Lost Poets of the 1890s', 'The Piccadilly Goat', 'Reviews of Unwritten Books', 'Acknowledgements'.

231. INNER EUROPE, by John Howard and Mark Valentine, 3rd September 2018. 242 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJInternational in printed cloth stamped in gilt and silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-05-9.

Contains: ‘The Roses of Ravenna’, Mark Valentine, ‘Here is My Country’, John Howard, ‘Tregarrion’s Bequest’, Mark Valentine, ‘Another Sea’, John Howard, ‘The Fencing Mask’, Mark Valentine, ‘The Light of Adria’, John Howard, ‘The Concession’, Mark Valentine, ‘Orient Imperial’, John Howard, ‘The Antinomy to Zeno’, Mark Valentine, ‘Sun Voyager’, John Howard, ‘The Dragons of Medea’, Mark Valentine, ‘Threshold’, John Howard, ‘Lost Gonfalon’, Mark Valentine.

230. FIGUREHEAD, by Carly Holmes, 9th July 2018. 246 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJInternational in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-06-6.

Contains: ‘The Demon L’, ‘Miss Luna’, ‘Little Matrons’, ‘Sleep’, ‘Ghost Story’, ‘Dropped Stitches’, ‘Like Water Through Fingers’, ‘Maria’s Silence’, ‘Piece by Piece’, ‘The Glamour’, ‘Wich’, ‘Three for a Girl’, ‘Strumpet’, ‘Runty’, ‘Into the Woods’, ‘Alter’, ‘Before the Fairytale’, ‘Bake Day’, ‘Friday’, ‘Heartwood’, ‘Figurehead’, ‘They Tell Me’, ‘Woodside Close’, ‘A Small Life’, ‘Beneath the Skin’, ‘Rootless’. ‘Acknowledgements.’

Reviews:

"The 26 stories in Holmes’s impressive first collection of fantasy fiction alternate between skillfully orchestrated forays into traditional supernatural horror and modern vignettes steeped in the magic of classic fairy tales." Publishers Weekly, "starred" review

"...great heights of truly exquisite description" British Fantasy Society

"This is an impressive body of twenty-six pieces which are by turns surprising, intriguing, poignant and humorous, and always intelligent." Horla magazine. (Carly Holmes has also been interviewed here.

229. HOLIDAYS FROM HELL, by Reggie Oliver, 25th May, 2018. 310 pages. £14.95. Paperback reprint. ISBN 978-1-912586-04-2. The first 200 copies are numbered and signed by the author.

Contains: ‘Introduction' by Robert Shearman, ‘Holiday from Hell, ‘The Silken Drum’, ‘The Green Hour’, ‘The Perfect Author’, ‘Absalom’, ‘The Druid’s Rest’, ‘The Rooms are High’, ‘The Prince of Darkness’, ‘The Book and the Ring’, ‘The Maze at Huntsmere’, ‘Trouble at Botathan’, ‘A Day with the Delusionists’, ‘Rapture’, ‘Love at Second Sight’, ‘Afterword’.

Reviews:

"Each of the 14 stories in Oliver’s seventh collection (after Flowers of the Sea) is a gem of subtly evoked horrors whose climaxes are skilfully understated but still effectively chilling." from a "starred" review in Publishers Weekly

"Oliver is the leading contemporary exponent of the antiquarian ghost story as established by M.R. James." Locus

"Oliver also provides neat and evocative line drawings as illustrations at the start of each story, making this an all-round, very attractive package." Peter Tennant, Black Static 62

"...a wonderful, enticing collection of great stories, apt to prove once again what an incredibly deep pleasure reading can be." Mario Guslandi, British Fantasy Society

228. THE QUEST FOR CORVO, by A.J.A. Symons, with an Introduction by Mark Valentine, 17th May 2018. 362+xviii pages. £45.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 150gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-01-1.

Review:

"Newly reissued by Tartarus Press in a handsome illustrated edition, superbly introduced by Mark Valentine." Michael Dirda in The Washington Post

227. ARTHUR MACHEN'S 1890s NOTEBOOK, edited by The Friends of Arthur Machen, published 1st May, 2018, 348+viii pages. Paperback reprint by TJ International. ISBN 978-1-912586-03-5.

226. WORMWOOD, Issue 30, Edited by Mark Valentine, 26th April 2018. 88 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJInternational.

Contains: ‘ "The best Vitality / Cannot excel Decay": Echoes of Literary Decadence in the Fiction of Caitlín R. Kiernan' by James Goho, 'Another Kind of Fairyland: Margaret Benson’s The Court of the King' by Joseph Hinton, 'A Scientist reads Algernon Blackwood’s The Fruit Stoners' by Rebekah Memel Brown, 'Phantasmion and Phantastes' by William Charlton, 'Impostor in the Hebrides: The Strange History of Ada Goodrich Freer' by Peter Bell, 'Night-Doings in Victorian England: The Sojourn of Ambrose Bierce' by Tim Foley, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

225. TREE SPIRIT AND OTHER STRANGE TALES, by Michael Eisele, 3rd April 2018. 291 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-02-8. Contents: ‘Mouse’, ‘Aedan of the Taexili and the Giant’, ‘Leshi’, ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Come Not High’, ‘The Professor and the Nixie’, ‘Tree Spirit’, ‘Willow Rawnie’, ‘Mr Saria’, ‘The Wife’, ‘Brown Jenkins’, ‘The Gardinel’, ‘The Black Man’, ‘The Selchie’, ‘The Nun’s Tale’.

Reviews:

"Beguiling" Publishers Weekly

"Again, we are in the folk-horror territory of fantasy, melding Hoffmann, Carter and Pullman." The Pan Review

Tree Spirit has also been the subject of a "running review" at the Supernatural Tales blog and a "real-time" review by D.F. Lewis.

"These two collections [Tree Spirit and The Girl with the Peacock Harp] contain stories that are polished, quirky and eccentric; that won’t quite fit into any genre straitjacket but instead entertain and enthral in part by virtue of their protean nature." Peter Tennant, Black Static

224. THE MACABRE TALES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, 1st March 2018. Large format sewn hardback book of 436 + xviii pages, printed lithographically on 150gsm Munken pure rough paper, with sewn sections, decorated boards, silk ribbon marker, head and tailbands, and d/w. 400 numbered copies.

Contains: 'Introduction' by Brian Stableford. ‘Metzengerstein’, ‘MS. found in a bottle’, ‘The assignation’, ‘Berenice’, ‘Morella’, ‘King Pest’, ‘Shadow—A Parable’, ‘Silence—A Fable’, ‘ Ligeia’, ‘How to Write a Blackwood Article’, ‘The Devil in the Belfry’, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘William Wilson’, ‘The Conversation of Eros and Charmion’, ‘The Man of the Crowd’, ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, ‘A Descent into the Maelström, The Colloquy of Monos and Una, ‘Never Bet the Devil Your Head’, ‘Eleonora’, ‘The Oval Portrait’, ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, ‘The Mystery of Marie Rogêt’, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, ‘The Black Cat’, ‘A Tale of the Ragged Mountains’, ‘The Premature Burial’, ‘Mesmeric Revelation’, ‘The Oblong Box’, ‘Some Words with a Mummy’, ‘The Imp of the Perverse’, ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’, ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, ‘Hop-Frog’, ‘The Lighthouse’.

The Macabre Tales of Edgar Allan Poe contains all of the illustrations by Harry Clarke for the 1923 edition of Tales of Mystery and Imagination, with one illustration reinstated (for 'Morella'), and a variant added ('The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar'). In total there are 8 colour plates (tipped-in by hand), 23 full page black and white illustrations, and numerous ornaments.

2017:

223. HOLY TERRORS, by Arthur Machen, 16th December 2017. Paperback reprint, 70 pages. £5.95. ISBN 978-1-905784-99-8

Contains: ‘The Cosy Room’, ‘The White Powder’, ‘The Bowmen’, ‘Ritual’, ‘The Happy Children’, ‘Midsummer’, ‘Afterword’, ‘The Friends of Arthur Machen’.

222. WORMWOOD, Issue 29, Edited by Mark Valentine, 30th November 2017. 88 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by CPI/Anony Rowe.

Contains: ''John o’ Dreams and the Siren Voices in Hope Mirrlees’ Lud-in-the-Mist' by Colin Insole, '"Incurable": Lionel Johnson, the Disconsolate Decadent, Part 2 by Nina Antonia, 'Peak Victorian' by Henry Wessells, 'A Forgotten Radical Voice: Edward Upward' by Nick Wagstaff, 'From Canterbury to the Stars: The Dark Imagination of Philip E. High' by John Howard, 'Further Recollections of Robert Aickman' by Richard Dalby, 'The Young Antiquary: Ulric Daubeny' by Richard Dalby, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

221. THE LONDON ADVENTURE, Or, The Art of Wandering, by Arthur Machen, 13th November 2017. 252 + xi pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in blue printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-97-4. Contents: 'The London Adventure', From the London Evening News: 'The Night Sky of London', 'Peter Pan', 'The Enchanted City', 'A Night on the Thames', 'Wonderful London', 'A Study in Back Streets', 'More about Back Streets', 'Wonderful London: Some of Its Unwritten Laws', 'London in Brave Attire', 'When I was Young in London', 'London Thirty Years Ago', The Young Man in the Blue Serge Suit', 'The Joy of London', 'Re-Discovery of London', 'Sunday Night in London', A Night at the Café Royal', Night in London', 'How Spring Came to Kew', 'I Recommend a House', Ghosts of the Strand', 'Hornsey House of Nightmares', 'Racketty Ghost Breaks Out Again', 'Bertie’s Banging Ghost'.

Recommended by Michael Dirda in the Washington Post.

220. DEVIL'S DAY, by Andrew Michael Hurley, 19th October 2017. 249 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in green cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 signed copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-98-1.

Winner of the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award for best second novel.

Reviews:

"The nebulous presence of the Devil is evoked so palpably in this novel that at times I hardly dared look up when reading for fear of seeing him grinning at me from the chair next to mine. But the book would not be so terrifying were Hurley less adept at making the reader believe in his characters . . . Hurley's riveting, disturbing novel is about the ways in which both communities and families create myths to make sense of their pasts, and about how the comforting embrace of these myths can turn, if they are allowed to become too powerful into a stranglehold." Literary Review

"The new master of menace. This chilling follow-up to The Loney confirms its author as a writer to watch . . . Hurley doesn't need the devil's help to grip you. His taut writing does that for him. Nature's routine cruelties are caught with a fierce accuracy that Ted Hughes would have admired." Sunday Times

"Hurley is a superb storyteller. He leads you up on to the moors, into the eye of a snowstorm, dropping little clues, sinister hints at devilment and demonic possession. Then he changes course, scuffs over the prints in the snow, springs new villainies on you, abandons you overnight in the hills." The Times

"Beautifully captures a bleak landscape and the feeling of something evil and unknowable in the moors, the hills and the byways." Sunday Express

"Hurley is a fine writer, with concerns that place him a little to the left of the literary mainstream, a remove that makes him extremely interesting." John Boyne, Irish Times

"This impeccably written novel tightens like a clammy hand around your throat." Daily Mail

"This is a story with pull. Its lively, building sense of evil is thoroughly entangled with the assumptions of the way of life depicted, that apparently timeless relationship of the smallholder and the moor." Guardian

"Makes for impressively uncomfortable reading." TLS

"A gorgeously written novel that leaves the reader wondering and perturbed." Metro

"Devil's Day is evocative and unsettling, exploring the potency of tradition, place and allegiance in a brutal rural environment." Daily Express

"The follow up to The Loney deploys myth, landscape and the tropes of horror to chilling effect." FT

"Andrew Michael Hurley's The Loney was one of the surprise stand-outs of last year, and a worthy winner of the Costa First Novel Award. His new novel, Devil's Day is equally good . . . it is a work of goose-flesh eeriness . . . Hurley's work is like a reincarnation of novels such as John Buchan's Witch Wood or the stories of M.R. James. His prose is precise and his eye gimlet." The Spectator

"A master of flesh-creeping menace. Around macabre happenings in a remote farming community on the bleak moors of the Lancashire-Yorkshire border, he weaves a terror tale of human vulnerability. Hidden horrors surface. Eerie malevolence flickers. Nature's routine cruelties are caught with a fierce accuracy that Ted Hughes would have admired." Sunday Times, Books of the Year

"Andrew Michael Hurley is adept at making his readers' spines tingle." The Times, Books of the Year

219. MIRROR DEAD, by Magda McQueen, 1st September 2017. 254 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in blue cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-94-3.

Reviews:

"...The book is not really a ghost story in the traditional sense, but it is a superb tale of possession. It certainly belongs in the supernatural category, but its complex psychology goes well beyond any easy classification. Put simply, this is by far the best written modern horror story I have yet experienced." Nigel Robert Wilson, British Fantasy Society

"Mordantly amusing ... Readers fond of dark fantasy with a light touch will be rewarded." Publishers Weekly

"A great piece of paranormal writing that will keep you guessing right up to the end. Highly recommended.' Druid Life

"Magda McQueen has written a startling debut." Russell C.J. Duffy

218. A COUNTRY STILL ALL MYSTERY, by Mark Valentine, 9th August 2017. 306 + xii pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in blue cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 41 black and white photographs. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-95-0.

Reviews:

'Mark's easy, elegant and erudite style, and his vast knowledge of books, places, forgotten legends and folklore, ensure that every single essay is an enjoyable read.' Rosemary Pardoe, the Ghost and Scholars Newsletter 32

'A Country Still All Mystery is a delightful and fascinating collection of essays about books, landscapes, writers, publishers, and the pleasures derived therefrom. Mark Valentine introduces us to his passion for old books, and recounts some of the pleasurable zig-zags this has sent him on. Readers of Machen and Hodgson will find much of interest in each article.' Jay Rothermel, Easily Distracted

'A hugely recommended read for anyone with an interest in the roads less travelled and in the words spoken with a quieter resonance." Wyrd Britain

217. SEVEN STRANGE STORIES, by Rebecca Lloyd. 24th May 2017. 245 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in blue cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-96-7.

Contains: ‘The Monster Orgorp’, ‘Jack Werrett, the Flood Man’, ‘Christy’, ‘The Pantun Burden’, ‘Again’, ‘Little Black Eyes and Tiny Hands’, ‘Where’s the Harm?’.

Reviews:

"An exquisite collection of macabre tales..." which "...will appeal to readers who like stories that are subtle as well as strange." Publishers Weekly

"... a very strong collection, one that adds new ideas to the genre of the weird, while at the same time recognising the debt to all those who have gone before. Lloyd is shaping up to be a major talent, one with a unique vision and compelling style." Peter Tennant in Black Static 62

"Contains some unforgettable classics of the 'strange stories' genre." D.F. Lewis

'Where's the Harm' has been chosen by Ellen Datlow for her Best Horror of the Year Volume 10.

216. WORMWOOD, Issue 28, Edited by Mark Valentine, 9th May 2017. 88 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by CPI/Anony Rowe.

Contains: 'Among the Toiling Masses: On Robert Aickman’s "Meeting Mr Millar"’ by Philip Challinor, 'Herbert Moore Pim: Hibernian Hierophant, Chameleon of Identity, Sorcerous Scribbler' by Adam Daly, 'Incurable: Lionel Johnson: The Disconsolate Decadent, Part 1' by Nina Antonia, 'Kipling’s Fancy: "Wireless" Communication and Cross Correspondences, by Jacob Huntley, 'The Fairy Suffragettes: Evelyn Sharp, Bessie Hatton and Mary de Morgan' by Mark Andresen, 'Devil’s Tor: A Voyage from Arcturus' by Robert Eldridge, 'The Eternal Feminine: David Lindsay’s Fixation as Developed in Devil’s Tor' by Thomas Kent Miller, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

215. THE HOUSE OF THE HIDDEN LIGHT, by Arthur Machen and A.E. Waite. 3rd April 2017. Paperback reprint, 99 + xxviii pages. £14.95. ISBN 978-1-905784-93-6

Contains: 'Introduction' by R.A. Gilbert, 'The Quest for the Hidden Book' by R.A. Gilbert, 'The House of the Hidden Light' by Arthur Machen and A.E. Waite.

Reviews:

"In this handsome new edition from Tartarus Press, the editor R.A. Gilbert ... plausibly [suggests] the book to be a coded record of the two men's exploits in the bars and taverns of the metropolis, a secret diary of their boozy peregrinations, a grimoire of London pub life." Times Literary Supplement

"Tartarus Press, one of the few specialty presses making available for modern audiences rare and obscure macabre literary treasures, joins forces with Ferret Fantasy to offer macabre afficionados a gift that at once serves as a collector's edition of mystical allegory, a semi-autobiographical account of two men's spiritual coming of age, and an obscure, mystery-charged text. " - Underworlds Magazine

214. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ARTHUR MACHEN, by Arthur Machen. 24th March 2017. 309 + xii pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI Antony Rowe Ltd in pictorial cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. Four colour plates on art paper. 350 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-92-9.

Contains: ‘Introduction' by Stewart Lee, ‘Far-Off Things, ‘Things Near and Far’.

Recommended by Michael Dirda in the Washington Post.

213. HOLIDAYS FROM HELL, by Reggie Oliver, 26th January, 2017. 310 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in blue cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 500 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-91-2.

Reviews:

"Each of the 14 stories in Oliver’s seventh collection (after Flowers of the Sea) is a gem of subtly evoked horrors whose climaxes are skillfully understated but still effectively chilling." from a "starred" review in Publishers Weekly

"Oliver is the leading contemporary exponent of the antiquarian ghost story as established by M.R. James." Locus

"Oliver also provides neat and evocative line drawings as illustrations at the start of each story, making this an all-round, very attractive package." Peter Tennant, Black Static 62

"...a wonderful, enticing collection of great stories, apt to prove once again what an incredibly deep pleasure reading can be." Mario Guuslandi, British Fantasy Society

2016:

212. THIS SPECTACULAR DARKNESS, by Joel Lane, edited by Mark Valentine and John Howard, 1st December, 2016. 338 + x pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in black cloth stamped in silver, gilt, copper and metallic red, with frontispiece portrait, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-90-5.

Contains: 'Foreword’ by Mark Valentine, ‘Acknowledgements’, Critical Essays for Wormwood by Joel Lane: ‘The Dark Houses of Cornell Woolrich’, ‘The October Revolution: Ray Bradbury’s Existential Paradigm for the Horror Genre’, ‘The Territory of the Others: The Dark Fiction of Theodore Sturgeon’, ‘No Secret Place: The Haunted Cities of Fritz Leiber’, ‘Ruins of Time: The Mortal Terrors of Harlan Ellison’, ‘The Ruins of Reality: Thomas Ligotti and the Uses of Disenchantment’, ‘World Gone Wrong: H.P. Lovecraft’s Mythology of Loss’, ‘Forever Always Ends: Robert Aickman’s Visions of Afterlife’. Other Critical Essays by Joel Lane: ‘Strange Eons and the Cthulhu Mythos’, ‘Negatives in Print: The Early Novels of Ramsey Campbell’, ‘Beyond the Light: The Recent Novels of Ramsey Campbell’, ‘Writers in the James Tradition: Ramsey Campbell’, ‘The Double Edge: Robert Aickman’s Supernatural Stories’, ‘The Master of Masks’, ‘A Dream by the Old Canal’, ‘Hell is Other People: Robert Bloch and the Pathologies of the Family’. Appreciations of the Writings of Joel Lane: ‘Mapping the Territory: Joel Lane’s Essays’, by John Howard, ‘The Paper Ghosts: Reflections on Five Early Stories’, by Mark Valentine, ‘“Where the Gods are Rotting”: The Poetry of Joel Lane’, by Mat Joiner, ‘Socialism or Barbarism: Joel Lane’s Blue Trilogy and the poetry of the lost’, by Nina Allan. ‘Publication History.’

Reviews:

'A fitting tribute to J0el, whose life was cut too short.' Rosemary Pardoe, Ghosts and Scholars, 31

'This is an excellent non-fiction book and deserves a place on the shelf of any serious scholar of the genre.' The British Fantasy Society

211. WORMWOOD, Issue 27, Edited by Mark Valentine, 10th November, 2016. 90 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJ International.

Contains: 'The Dystopian Bones of Peake’s Castle Gormenghast' by James Butler, 'Lords of All Power: The Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novels of Robert Hugh Benson: Part 2' by John Howard, ' "A Death Most Peculiar and Sad": LeeRoy J. Tappan and the Omar Khayyam Cult' by Gavin Callaghan, 'Amyas Northcote’s Ghostly Companies' by Mike Barrett, 'Worlds: The Life and Theurgic Artistry of Andrei Bely' by Avalon Brantley, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

210. THE GIRL WITH THE PEACOCK HARP, by Michael Eisele, 21st October 2016. 268 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI/Antony Rowe Ltd in burgundy cloth, printed, stamped in gilt and silver, with ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-89-9.

Contains: ‘An Old Tale’, ‘The Beginning’, ‘The Music’, ‘The Lighthouse’, ‘The Eyes’, ‘What Dreams May Come’, ‘Gloria and the Selchie’, ‘Frogs’, ‘Milosh’, ‘Sanity’, ‘Kelpie’, ‘Monkey’, ‘The Girl with the Peacock Harp’, ‘The Change’, ‘Rolf’.

Reviews:

"Eisele demonstrates uncommon skill at exposing the hearts and minds of his characters and giving their conflicts an emotional immediacy, no matter how weird their circumstances." Publishers Weekly

"I think this book will appeal to anyone who enjoys richly-imagined, intelligent fiction. They are not easy to classify, and certainly don't qualify as horror or ghost stories per se. Instead they occupy a fascinating region where myth and legend overlap with the fears and crises of all-too-real world." David longhorn, Supernatural Tales

Also included in Michael Dirda's Holiday Book Picks at the Washington Post.

209. GREEN THOUGHTS AND OTHER STORIES, by John Collier, 15th September, 2016. 293 + ix pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in green cloth stamped in blind, gilt and silver, with ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-88-2.

Contains: 'Introduction', 'Man Overboard', 'Green Thoughts', 'Special Delivery', 'Thus I Refute Beelzy', 'Evening Primrose', 'Witch’s Money', 'Are You Too Late or Was I Too Early', 'De Mortuis', 'Fallen Star', 'Pictures in the Fire', 'Wet Saturday', 'The Lady on the Grey', 'Old Acquaintance', 'The Devil, George, and Rosie', 'Ah, the University!', ''Midnight Blue', 'Gavin O’Leary', 'Little Memento', 'The Steel Cat', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'In the Cards','The Invisible Dove Dancer of Strathpheen Island', 'Spring Fever', 'Youth from Vienna', 'A Matter of Taste', 'A Dog’s a Dog'.

Reviews:

"A handsome hardback brimming with his unique, wicked, dandyish style." Tim Martin, Daily Telegraph

"...an attractive showcase of a talented writer’s fiction ... likely to resuscitate the author’s reputation and elicit new interest in his work." Mario Guslandi, Nudge

208. THE SOUND OF HIS HORN AND OTHER STORIES, by Sarban, 12th August, 2016. 331 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in dark blue cloth stamped in silver, with ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 350 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-88-2.

Contains: ‘The Sound of His Horn', 'The Sacrifice', 'The Sea-Things', 'Number Fourteen', 'The King of the Lake’.

Reviews:

The Sound of His Horn is the subject of in-depth analysis at the Los Angeles Review of Books.

207. THE HIDDEN BACK ROOM, by Jake Wyckoff, 14th July, 2016,306 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in dark grey cloth with affixed vignette photograph by David Baker, with ribbon marker, head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-85-1

Contains: ‘The Hidden Back Room’, ‘Tanoroar’, ‘Gut Punch’, ‘On Balance’, ‘The Rain-Dirty Valley’, ‘The Homunculus in the Curio’, ‘A Blood Without Blood’, ‘The Dreams of Pale Night’, ‘The House on North Congress Street’, ‘Details’, ‘Comfortidor’, ‘In the Library’, ‘Les Ombres Chinoises’, ‘Stronger Than All Storms’.

Reviews:

"Wyckoff creates characters with whom the reader can easily identify, and that makes their dramas seem all the more disturbing when events move them into the more shadowed recesses of personal experience. His stories abound with surprises that even diehard readers of weird fiction are not likely to anticipate." Publishers Weekly

"Wykoff’s stories are elegantly crafted, aesthetically pleasing." This is Horror

"Recommended." Teleread

"Readers who enjoy a good dose of terror mixed with their reality will want to book The Hidden Back Room." Rick Kleffel, Narrative Species

206. WORMWOOD, Issue 26, Edited by Mark Valentine, 19th May, 2016. 90 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJ International.

Contains: 'Inner Rooms: A Weird, Ecstatic Cosmology', by Daniel Watt, 'The Strange and the Supernatural in the Short Stories of Rudyard Kipling', by Colin Insole, 'Lords of All Power: The Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novels of Robert Hugh Benson: Part 1', by John Howard, 'A Weekend with a Latterday Henry Ryecroft: Roger Dobson and the Lost Club’s Last Literary Expedition', by Mark Samuels, 'D.K. Broster: Short Voyages through Dark Waters', by Mike Barrett, 'Reality within "Supernatural" Tales', by John Gaskin, 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, 'Late Reviews' by Douglas A. Anderson, 'Camera Obscura' by John Howard.

205. ARTHUR MACHEN'S 1890s NOTEBOOK, edited by The Friends of Arthur Machen, published May, 2016, 347+viii pages. Available to members of The Friends of Arthur Machen. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in pictorial cloth, with head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-83-7.

204. MULADONA, by Eric Stener Carlson, published 18th April, 2016, 290 pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in pictorial cloth, with head and tailbands. 350 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-84-4.

Reviews:

"Carlson makes Vergil's increasing sense of helplessness as each is told seem palpable and believable. This book will appeal to readers who believe that childhood fears are often the most potent." Publishers Weekly

"Muladona’s story-within-a-framework structure recalls the Decameron of Boccaccio, though the dark tone is more reminiscent of Dante. It’s a dense tangle of cruelty, anguish, intrigue and history run riot that would be worthy of Borges himself." Whistlingshade

"Muladona is original, fresh, and above all, it is a thinking person's horror novel ... well thought out and intelligently written ... Highly, highly recommended for readers who enjoy the work of excellent writers and for people who like their horror novels more on the cerebral side. This is a good one, folks." Oddly Weird Fiction

"Carlson captures the terror of an almost-remembered nightmare, juxtaposing the familiar and the strange with ease.", Rick Kleffel at KQED

"...a brilliant work of American Gothic supernatural horror." David Longhorn, Supernatural Tales

203. THE COSY ROOM AND OTHER STORIES, by Arthur Machen, with an Introduction by James Machin, published 16th February, 2016, 189 + xviii pages. £35.00. Sewn signatures, printed on 110gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ International in pictorial cloth, with head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-81-3. Contains: ‘Introduction’ by James Machin, ‘The Double Return’, ‘A Wonderful Woman’, ‘The Lost Club’, ‘The Holy Things’, ‘Psychology’, ‘Torture’, ‘Witchcraft’, ‘The Turanians’, ‘The Rose Garden’, ‘The Ceremony’, ‘Midsummer’, ‘Nature’, ‘The Hidden Mystery’, ‘Munitions of War’, ‘Drake’s Drum’, ‘A New Christmas Carol’, ‘The Islington Mystery’, ‘The Gift of Tongues’, ‘The Cosy Room’, ‘Awaking’, ‘Opening the Door’, ‘The Compliments of the Season’, ‘N’

202. MASQUES OF SATAN, by Reggie Oliver, 15th February, 2016. Paperback reprint, 322 pages. £14.95. ISBN 978-1-905784-80-6

Contains: 'Introductory', 'The Man in the Grey Bedroom', 'Grab a Granny Night', 'The Children of Monte Rosa', 'Mr Poo-Poo', 'The Silver Cord', 'The Road from Damascus', 'Mmm-Delicious', 'Puss-Cat', 'The Old Silence', 'Music by Moonlight', 'Blind Man’s Box', 'Shades of the Prison House, a novella', 'The End of History'.

201. THE BITTERWOOD BIBLE, by Angela Slatter, Introduction by Stephen Jones, Afterword by Lisa L. Hannett, Illustrated by Kathleen Jennings, 29th January 2016. Paperback reprint, 277 + viii pages. £14.95. ISBN 978-1-905784-82-0

Contains: 'Author’s Note', 'Introduction' by Stephen Jones, 'The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter', 'The Maiden in the Ice', 'The Badger Bride', 'The Burnt Moon', 'By My Voice I Shall Be Known', 'The Undone and the Divine', 'The Night Stair', 'Now, All Pirates are Gone', 'St Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls', 'The Bitterwood Bible', 'Terrible as an Army with Banners', 'By the Weeping Gate', 'Spells for Coming Forth by Daylight', 'Afterword' by Lisa L. Hannett, 'Acknowledgements'.

2011-2015