Tartarus Press

Bibliography

 

2021-2022

 

under construction...

 

2022:

 

305: LITERARY HAUNTINGS: A GHOST STORY GAZETTEER, edited by R.B. Russell, Rosalie Parker and Mark Valentine. 1st December 2022. 309 pages. £45.00. 350 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-43-1.

 

304: THE FERRY OF SOULS, by A.L. Salmon. 7th November 2022. 262 pages. £40.00. 300  copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-44-8. Contains: ‘Introduction’ by Johnny Mains, The Ferry of Souls: ‘The Ferry of Souls’, ‘A Garden of Dreams’, ‘The Picture: A Tale of a Cornish Village’, ‘The Sea Child’, ‘The Gods in Exile’, ‘The Ship of Desire’, ‘The Were-Wolf’, ‘The Moorland Stream’, ‘The Payment’, ‘Mirage’, ‘Aphrodite’, ‘The Place of Haunting Sorrows’, ‘Autumn’, ‘The Child in the Fields’, ‘The Monk’s Vigil’, ‘A Proselyte’, ‘The Return I’, ‘The Return II’, Two Poems: , ‘Pleading’, ‘Circe’, Waysides & Byways: Studies of Loneliness’, 1. The Old Road’, ‘II. The Dreamer’, ‘III The Lake’, ‘IV. The Wind on the Heath’, ‘V. The Light’, ‘VI. The Dancing-Floor’, ‘VII. On the River’, ‘VIII. A Way of Escape’, ‘Father Paul’, ‘The Novice’, ‘The Musician’, ‘False Dawn’, ‘ “A Cameron” ’, ‘ “For the Fallen”: A Sketch in Dialogue’, ‘The Beasts that Perish’, ‘The Doctor’, ‘ “They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships” ’, Additional Stories: ‘Calling the Dead’, ‘The Horror’, ‘A.L. Salmon: A Bibliography’.

 

303: DARK ARTS, by Eric Stener Carlson. 15th September 2022. 243 pages. £40.00. 300  copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in wibalin cloth stamped in copper, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-40-0. Contains: ‘Author’s Introduction’, ‘Golden Book’, ‘Coffee Shop’, ‘Divining Rod’, ‘Leopard-spotted Scarf’, ‘Corridor’, ‘Bradycardia’, ‘Stray’, ‘Strasse 60, Berlin’, ‘Salt’, ‘Monsieur Machine’, ‘I Loved You at Your Darkest’, ‘The Atelier’.

Reviews:

'A traditional structure and simple yet elegant style add to the impression that these modern tales could be timeless classics.' Lisa Tuttle, The Guardian

'These subtle, oblique tales are sure to appeal to fans of weird fiction.' Publishers Weekly

'... exquisite, lyrical ... beautiful, offbeat.' Mario Guslandi, Horror World

 

302: THE FIG GARDEN AND OTHER STORIES, by Mark Valentine. 17th May 2022. 235 pages. £40.00. 350 signed copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in wibalin cloth stamped in copper, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-39-4. Contains: 'Except Seven’, ‘Seaweed Tea’, ‘Character’, ‘The Pale Sentinels of Asphodel’, ‘For She Will Have Her Harvest’, ‘Candle Land’, ‘The Veiled Republics’, ‘The Forwarding Agent’, ‘The Witch Heath’, ‘Red Lion Rising’, ‘The Fig Garden’, ‘Afterword: ‘The Real Map of England’, Acknowledgements.

 

301: WORMWOOD 38, Edited by Mark Valentine, 12th May 2022. 130 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJ Books. Contains: ‘Editorial’ by Mark Valentine, 'Of Witches, Druids & Werewolves: The Supernatural Novels of J.W. Brodie-Innes' by Peter Bell, 'Boundaries of Friendship: Two Nephews and Their Uncles' by John Howard, 'An Ecstasy of Repetition: The Flower Power Phantasmagoria of The Seeds' by Iain Smith, 'Charles Dickens and the Ghost Story' by Thomas Kent Miller, 'Laidlaw Books: A Forgotten Publisher of Fantasy and Modernism' by Douglas A. Anderson', 'Monocles, Hawthorn, and Memory, or, A Short Despatch on a Long Book' by Henry Wessells', 'The Wormwood Interview: Rosemary Pardoe', ‘Under Review’ by Reggie Oliver, ‘Camera Obscura’ by John Howard.

 

300. STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS, by Walter de la Mare, edited by Rosalie Parker, with an Introduction by Mark Valentine, 11th April 2022. Two sewn hardbacks of 304+xiv and 288 pages. £80. Sewn signatures, printed on 130gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Bath Press in grey wibalin cloth stamped in gold, with a silk ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 500 copies. ISBN 978-1-905784-02-8.

Contents: Introduction, A:B:O., The Moon's Miracle, The Riddle, The Giant, The Quincunx, The Pear-Tree, The Bird of Travel, Seaton's Aunt, The Vats, Promise at Dusk, The Creatures, Miss Jemima, The Looking-Glass, Out of the Deep, Winter, The Green Room, The Scarecrow, Alice's Godmother, Mr Kempe, A Recluse, All Hallows, The Game At Cards, Crewe, The House, 'What Dreams May Come', Strangers and Pilgrims, A Revenant, The Guardian, An Anniversary, Music, Bad Company, Bibliographical Information.

Reviews:

'This is a fantastic (in every sense) book of tales.' - Ian McMillan, The Times, 14th July, 2007.

'A beautiful edition of supernatural English fiction, subtle and disquieting rather than out and out frightening.' - Stuart Maconie, The Guardian, 13th February 2008.

'Best known as a poet and a writer of children’s fiction, Walter de la Mare can also deservedly take his place amongst the ranks of early twentieth-century writers of supernatural fiction.' Jenny McDonnell, The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies.

'Strangers and Pilgrims is a rewarding selection of tales, not a few of which are masterpieces, by an unduly neglected writer whose work will never be out of date. I envy readers who are coming to Walter de la Mare’s writing for the first time.' Paul Kane, The Compulsive Reader

 

299: WHAT I WAS AFRAID OF, by Eric Hanson. 10th March 2022. 237 pages. £40.00. 300 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in wibalin printed cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-37-0. Contains: 'Pilbeam', 'Billy Shaws', 'The Dream Parents', 'Candyland', 'I Love You, Douglas', 'Never Mind, Mr Fairchild', 'Midnight', 'Mort', 'Fugitive Joy', 'Lily, Lily, Piccadilly', 'Little Pictures', 'An Introduction to Fiction', 'Undine', 'Black Sedan', 'Dresden', 'Equilibrium', 'Insurance', 'Minor Points of Anatomy', 'What I Was Afraid Of'.

Reviews

"The upshot of Hanson’s perceptions and writing is to gnaw away at existence itself, to undermine reality, to loosen the reader’s hold on the world that supposedly surrounds us all.  Eric Hanson takes you to the nicest, safest place in the world, a place more terrifying than you thought you could imagine." Narrative Species (The website also includes a fascinating interview with Eric Hanson.)

"Hanson’s new short-story collection, What I Was Afraid Of, is a book of fears, suspicions, uncertainties, bewilderment, confusion, guilt, and unease. It’s an exploration of things that never happened, and couldn’t happen because we are safe inside, under the covers, with the doors locked. A standout is “An Introduction to Fiction,” which captures the unique indignities of being an unknown never-was in a sea of literary luminaries." Airmail

"These are stories out of the Twilight Zone, dark dreams of weird and sinister happenings. Things don't always add up; actions might not make sense. . . . A dark, disturbing yet undeniably fascinating read." Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune

"The concept behind Eric Hanson’s collection What I Was Afraid Of is intriguing: stories rooted in fear and the unknown tied together at the end by an extract of Hanson’s memoir.... Hanson doesn’t shy away from stories that might make a reader uncomfortable ...  It is in these stories where Hanson shines." Aurealis, 152

"A surprise lurks beyond every sentence of What I Was Afraid Of—usually an unsettling one. This assured collection of stories by Eric Hanson is both eerie and eerily good." Ben Yagoda, author, About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made.

 

300: THE TALLOW-WIFE AND OTHER TALES, by Angela Slatter, 7th March 2022. 342 + vii pages. £17.95. Paperback. Contains ‘Introduction’ by Helen Marshall, ‘The Promise of Saints’, ‘The Tallow-Wife’, ‘What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely’, ‘Embers and Ash’, ‘Bearskin’, ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’, ‘Of Ghosts and Glory’, ‘A Stitch in Time’, ‘Sleeping Like Snow’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘And a Young Husband to Bury Me’, ‘By Such Paths’, ‘Afterword’, ‘Acknowledgements’.

Finalist in the World Fantasy Awards 2022

Reviews

"Slatter’s characters and settings are so richly described that the pages feel akin to paintings on a canvas. Accompanied by lovely illustrations by Jennings, this is an exciting, intelligent must-read." Publishers Weekly

"Angela Slatter is a dark enchantress and her exquisite stories are likely to steal your soul (or at least your enthralled attention). The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales will also compel you to read or re-read the previous entries in this fantastic mythos." Paula Guran in Locus

"Wonderful prose and ... enticing narrative style, where words are musical notes and the stories are symphonies." Black Gate

"The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales is a deliciously sophisticated and layered collection." Aurealis #136

 

298: ROBERT AICKMAN: AN ATTEMPTED BIOGRAPHY, by R.B. Russell, cover art by Joseph Dawson. 3rd February 2022. 396 + vi pages, including an index, and a 20pps plate section. £45.00. 500 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ Books, in wibalin cloth stamped in gilt and silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-36-3.

Review

"Clear-eyed and dispassionate." Margaret Drabble, Times Literary Supplement

"Nobody knows more about this author of beautifully composed, hallucinatory short fiction than R.B. Russell. Robert Aickman: An Attempted Biography — the subtitle echoes Aickman’s memoir, The Attempted Rescue — reveals a man, both charming and rabidly opinionated, who seems to have polarized everyone he met. . . ." Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

"Masterful. . . Russell is quite aware that a biography of Aickman can only be attempted because, from moment to moment, what Aickman experienced and what he imagined are hard to separate. It is a virtue of this biography that it shows how, for Aickman, experience was what he imagined." The New York Sun

"Finessing of Aickman’s reputation will be further enhanced by R.B. Russell’s detailed, intelligent and comprehensive biography, which is surely the last word on the author – it is impossible to imagine more justice being done to his reputation." Barry Forshaw, CrimeTime

"This book is formidably well-written and researched. Russell has interviewed many people who knew Aickman, and their responses have been exceptionally articulate and illumin­ating. These first-hand impressions of the man are one of the book’s great strengths. A good biography will tell you what it was like to know the subject; a very good one will give you an idea of what it was like to be the subject: Russell’s Robert Aickman attempts both and succeeds." Reggie Oliver, Wormwood 38

"An Attempted Biography" now enjoys a place of honor on my favorites bookshelf -- I am just completely in awe of what Russell has accomplished here." the real stuff

"...insightful, revealing information about a true master of horror." Dejan Ognjanovic, Rue Morgue

"The massive biography is, first of all, a work of love ... but also an effective display of Russell’s capacity as a devoted scholar in the genre of dark fiction."  Blackgate.com

"Ray Russell’s highly readable biography of Robert Aickman gives an unparalleled glimpse into a life that contained more psychological complications than is usual even amongst authors of “strange stories”. ... All credit to [Tartarus Press] and to Ray Russell for being unflinchingly objective in the biography of a writer whose writings he and Tartarus Press obviously value immensely." Phantasmagoria magazine #21

 

297: SHE SLEEPS, by R.B. Russell, 14th January 2022. 302 pages. £17.95. Paperback.

Reviews

'[A] cleverly wrought crime thriller.'  Publishers Weekly

'...the much-anticipated first novel from an author widely admired for his strange tales.' Washington Post

'Russell's elegant but effective prose ... leads the reader with ease through the many twists of the plot making the novel an engrossing and quite enjoyable reading experience.' Gumshoe Review

' ... a little gem that as exciting as it is nostalgic... This has at first, a hint of High Fidelity, but written by a writer who in contrast to Nick Hornby can actually write.' Gerrit Wustmann, Rocks

'Beautifully written, as always.' Nicholas Royle

'This is a delightful novel, gripping in its way and posing important questions about the role of art in our lives, then leaving the reader along with everybody else to puzzle out the answers that fit. I loved it.' Peter Tennant, Black Static

 

2021:

 

296: A MAZE FOR THE MINOTAUR, by Reggie Oliver, 29th November 2021. 340 pages. £17.95. Paperback.

Reviews:

"Needless to say, the book is a total delight both for fans of dark fiction and for any lover of great fiction in general. Oliver is a born,  gifted storyteller and whatever he writes keeps the reader totally hooked and spellbound." Mario Guslandi, Horror World

"I have to tip my hat to this man who's given me so many hours of reading pleasure over the last few years, and to Tartarus as well for bringing forth this eighth volume of Oliver's stories.  It is definitely one not to miss whether you are a regular fan of Oliver's stories, or a reader drawn to the realm of the strange or the weird.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling a bit off kilter after reading this book -- it's part and parcel of the Oliver experience." Oddly Weird Fiction

 

295: SPHINXES AND OBELISKS, by Mark Valentine, 29th November 2021. 266 pages. £17.95. Paperback.

Reviews:

"Valentine—an exceptionally genial excavator of half-forgotten and eccentric books." Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

"The four collections of essays by Mark Valentine published by Tartarus Press in Yorkshire contain some of the best writing on books of the last twenty years. It is unsurprising that his name is not cited alongside Basbanes, Dirda or Gekoski, for Valentine’s chosen subject is, more often than not, the rediscovery of a neglected author or lighting a candle at the shrine of an author who had no wide audience in life." Peter Cooper, The Book Collector, Summer 2022

"Very, very highly recommended; one of my favorite books so far this year." The Real Stuff

"This is the fourth of Mr. Valentine’s such collections at Tartarus, if my count is correct, and each amounts to an invaluable gazetteer of obscure, forgotten, wonderful, and sometimes disreputable authors and books. More, these appreciations are sometimes bundled with the stories of how Mr. Valentine first scored these curious volumes up at this or that church jumble sale or now-shuttered back-alley book dealer. This is strong catnip indeed to such as me, and perhaps to such as you as well." And Other Stories

 

294: WORMWOOD 37, Edited by Mark Valentine, 29th November 2021. 94 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by TJ Books. Contains: ‘Editorial’ by Mark Valentine, ‘Cats, Cunnings and Scarecrows: The Supernatural Fiction of Robert Westall’ by Colin Insole, ‘Melodies in the Key of Melancholy: On Henri van Booven and Sproken’ by Oliver Kerkdijk, ‘No “Destitute Scribbler”: Henry C. Mercer’s Adventure in Publishing’ by Tom Sparrow, ‘The Faun and the Ape: Degenerescence in The Hill of Dreams’ by Adrian Eckersley, ‘Escaping from the Button Molder: The Fiction of Fritz Leiber’ by John Howard, ‘Arthur of the Seventies’ by Mark Valentine, ‘Under Review’ by Reggie Oliver, ‘Camera Obscura’ by John Howard.

 

293: THE GYPSY SPIDERS AND OTHER TALES OF ITALIAN HORROR, by Nicola Lombardi, translated by Joe Weintraub, cover art by Joseph Dawson. 16th November 2021. 276+viii pages. £40.00. 300 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJ Books, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-32-5.

Review:

'Absolutely brilliant and very, very highly recommended.' Oddly Weird Fiction

'In this dread-soaked collection, Lombardi offers nine harrowing horror shorts bound together by a focus on alienation, trauma, and identity. . . . Throughout, Lombardi maintains a nervy, churning atmosphere, keeping readers just off-balance enough to let the big beats feel shocking and subversive. The characters’ introspection can be excessive . . .  the payoffs are always worth it; Lombardi has a knack for writing endings that linger.'  Publishers Weekly

 

292: ALL THE MURMURING BONES, by Angela Slatter, 18th October 2021. 391 pages. £40.00. 300 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in  printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-35-6.

Reviews:

'A rich and satisfying novel about a young woman, born to be the last hope of a once powerful family, who resists an arranged marriage and won’t stop at murder or magic to survive in a world of abusive men and dangerous, supernatural creatures. Shifting between scenes of wonder and horror, a complex plot is gradually revealed, as well paced and gripping as a thriller.' - The Guardian

'Stunning gothic adventure...Anyone who likes gutsy heroines, beautiful language, and well-wrought worlds won’t want to miss this.' Publishers Weekly Starred Review

'This is a magnificently written, smashingly good read...Slatter’s prose is as lustrous as jet beads against black silk. Readers will savor every word.' Locus Magazine

‘Gorgeous, atmospheric gothic fantasy’ - Buzzfeed

'By the time you get [All the Murmuring Bones], the awesome depth of Slatter’s talent will have prepared you for her first novel in the series.  Miren is smart and unwilling to suffer fools.  She’s a delight to experience on the page, and readers will be more than willing to follow her to hell and back; knowing, of course that’s exactly the sort of story that Slatter is inclined to tell.' Rick Kleffel, Narrative Species

 

291: AGAINST THE GRAIN AGAIN, by Brendan Connell, 25th August 2021. 212 pages. £40.00. 300 copies. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in  printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 9781912586288.

 

290: A MAZE FOR THE MINOTAUR, by Reggie Oliver, 8th July 2021. 340 pages, [400] 450 signed, numbered copies. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by CPI/Antony Rowe, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 450 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-33-2.

Contents: ‘The Old Man of the Woods’, ‘Coruvorn’, ‘The Wet Woman’, ‘A Maze for the Minotaur’, ‘Shadowy Waters’, ‘A Fragment of Thucydides’, ‘The Crumblies’, ‘Monkey’s’, ‘Collectable’, ‘Via Mortis’, ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities’, ‘The Armies of the Night’, ‘A Tartarean Century: Author’s note’.

Reviews:

"Needless to say, the book is a total delight both for fans of dark fiction and for any lover of great fiction in general. Oliver is a born,  gifted storyteller and whatever he writes keeps the reader totally hooked and spellbound." Mario Guslandi, Horror World

"I have to tip my hat to this man who's given me so many hours of reading pleasure over the last few years, and to Tartarus as well for bringing forth this eighth volume of Oliver's stories.  It is definitely one not to miss whether you are a regular fan of Oliver's stories, or a reader drawn to the realm of the strange or the weird.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling a bit off kilter after reading this book -- it's part and parcel of the Oliver experience." Oddly Weird Fiction

 

289: WORMWOOD 36, Edited by Mark Valentine, 17th June 2021. 88 pages. £9.99. 400 copies. Paperback journal printed on cream bookwove paper, and bound by CPI/Antony Rowe. Contains: ‘Editorial’ by Mark Valentine, ‘Against Metre:  Oscar Wilde, Arthur Machen and the English Prose Poem’ by Iain Smith, ‘Unbroken Webs: M. John Harrison’s The Course of the Heart’ by Mat Joiner, ‘ “A host of phantom listeners”: Exploring the Relationship Between Poetry and the Ghost Story’ by Laura Helyer, ‘David Lindsay: The Forging of a Literary Reputation’ by Douglas A. Anderson, ‘The Wormwood Interview: David Tibet', ‘Under Review’ by Reggie Oliver, ‘Camera Obscura’ by John Howard.

 

288: THE GHOST STORIES OF OLIVER ONIONS, 17th June 2021. 384+xi and 364 pages. £80.00. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe, in  wibalin cloth stamped in silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. ISBN 978-1-912586-34-9.

Contents: Volume One: "Introduction" by Rosalie Parker, "Credo", "The Beckoning Fair One", "Phantas", "Rooum", "Benlian", "IO (The Lost Thyrsus)", "The Accident", "The Cigarette Case", "Hic Jacet", "The Rocker", "The Ascending Dream", "Dear Dryad", "The Real People", "The Woman in the Way", "The Honey in the Wall". Volume Two: "Gambier", "‘John Gladwin Says . . .’", "The Painted Face", "The Rosewood Door", "The Smile of Karen", "The Out-Sister", "The Rope in the Rafters", "Resurrection in Bronze".

Review:

'Beautifully designed, this two-volume set will probably elicit considerable mental consternation. While the little angel perched on your right shoulder chirps, “The perfect present,” that impish red devil on your left will snakily hiss, “Keep it yourself. You know you want to.” Luckily, whatever you decide will leave someone extremely happy.' Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

 

287: SPHINXES & OBELISKS, by Mark Valentine, 15th April 2021. 266 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by TJBooks, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-31-8.

Contains: ‘Introduction’, ‘“Change Here for the Dark Age”: Edward Shanks’ The People of the Ruins’, ‘The Interplanetary Jacobite: H.M. Vaughan’, ‘Sombre Gloom: The Macabre Thrillers of Riccardo Stephens’, ‘The Magician and the Book: E. Temple Thurston’s Man in a Black Hat’, ‘The Cry of the Curlew: Anne Douglas Sedgwick’s The Third Window’, ‘A Visit to Old Haunts: Cynthia Asquith’s Ghost Book’, ‘Brushed by Moth Wings: The Fleeting Fame of Francis Bourdillon’, ‘Apocalypse and Marrow Jam: Pilgrim from Paddington by Naomi Royde-Smith’, ‘Phoenician Rites and Chaldee Roots’, ‘A Map of Old Dunwich, and Egypt in England’, ‘The Summoner of the Sphinx’, ‘Cricket in Babylon’, ‘The Atlantean Angel in Nightingale Lane’, ‘Racing Cheetahs: Kenneth Gandar-Dower, Explorer and Eccentric’, ‘The “Wonder Unlimited”: Hope Hodgson’s Tales of Captain Gault’, ‘“A Strange and Striking Fragment”: Gerald Warre Cornish’s Beneath the Surface’, ‘The First Master Villain: Guy Boothby’s Dr Nikola’, ‘An Experiment in the Sensational: Gerald Cumberland’s The Cypress Chest’, ‘Three Regency Fantasias’, ‘Cat-at-the-Window: A Note on a Late Victorian Game’, ‘Three Literary Mysteries of the 1930s’, ‘A Dry Patrician Wine: John Gray’s Park, A Fantastic Story’, ‘The Fall of a Cup: Philip Toynbee’s Tea with Mrs Goodman’, ‘Twinned Destinies: Helen Simpson’s Cups Wands and Swords’, ‘Tarot in the 1950s: A Note on Bernard Bromage’, ‘Three Strange Novels of the Sixties’, ‘Tin Mine Gothic (& others also lost)’, ‘The Road to Caermaen: Arthur Machen in the 1980s’, ‘“A Fashion in Shrouds”: What Do Ghosts Wear?’, ‘Stuck in a Book’, ‘The Saracen’s Head’, ‘Passages in the West’, ‘Acknowledgements’.

Reviews:

"Valentine—an exceptionally genial excavator of half-forgotten and eccentric books." Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

"The four collections of essays by Mark Valentine published by Tartarus Press in Yorkshire contain some of the best writing on books of the last twenty years. It is unsurprising that his name is not cited alongside Basbanes, Dirda or Gekoski, for Valentine’s chosen subject is, more often than not, the rediscovery of a neglected author or lighting a candle at the shrine of an author who had no wide audience in life." Peter Cooper, The Book Collector, Summer 2022

"Very, very highly recommended; one of my favorite books so far this year." The Real Stuff

"This is the fourth of Mr. Valentine’s such collections at Tartarus, if my count is correct, and each amounts to an invaluable gazetteer of obscure, forgotten, wonderful, and sometimes disreputable authors and books. More, these appreciations are sometimes bundled with the stories of how Mr. Valentine first scored these curious volumes up at this or that church jumble sale or now-shuttered back-alley book dealer. This is strong catnip indeed to such as me, and perhaps to such as you as well." And Other Stories

 

286: THE TALLOW-WIFE AND OTHER TALES, by Angela Slatter, 18th February 2021. 342 + vii pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe Ltd, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt and copper, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. Each copy issued with a postcard signed by the author. 350 copies, with a signed postcard. ISBN978-1-912586-24-0. Contains ‘Introduction’ by Helen Marshall, ‘The Promise of Saints’, ‘The Tallow-Wife’, ‘What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely’, ‘Embers and Ash’, ‘Bearskin’, ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’, ‘Of Ghosts and Glory’, ‘A Stitch in Time’, ‘Sleeping Like Snow’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘And a Young Husband to Bury Me’, ‘By Such Paths’, ‘Afterword’, ‘Acknowledgements’.

Finalist in the World Fantasy Awards 2022

Reviews

"Slatter’s characters and settings are so richly described that the pages feel akin to paintings on a canvas. Accompanied by lovely illustrations by Jennings, this is an exciting, intelligent must-read." Publishers Weekly

"Angela Slatter is a dark enchantress and her exquisite stories are likely to steal your soul (or at least your enthralled attention). The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales will also compel you to read or re-read the previous entries in this fantastic mythos." Paula Guran in Locus

"Wonderful prose and ... enticing narrative style, where words are musical notes and the stories are symphonies." Black Gate

"The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales is a deliciously sophisticated and layered collection." Aurealis #136

 

285: EZRA SLEF: THE NEXT NOBEL LAUREATE IN LITERATURE, by Andrew Komarnyckyj, 14th January, 2021. 260 pages. £40.00. Sewn signatures, printed lithographically on 120gsm acid-free paper, and bound by Antony Rowe Ltd, in printed wibalin cloth stamped in gilt and silver, ribbon marker and head and tailbands. 300 copies. ISBN 978-1-912586-30-1.

Reviews

"It’s a joyful book, packed with surprises." The Washington Post

"This is a damn fine novel." Manchester Review of Books

"An outstanding read." Rae's Reading Lounge

"A landmark read."  Des Lewis

"The book is a delight." Whispering Stories

"Tartarus Press is well known for producing beautiful books of top quality, often slightly strange, literature & our shelves here are emblazoned with patches of bright yellow from their spines. I can honestly say, however, that I don't think I've ever quite as much fun reading one of their books as I have with this, their latest novel." John Llewellyn Probert

"Oh, but this book is such a joy to read!" David's Book World

"Ezra Slef is an absolutely brilliant novel – I found it to be original and gripping throughout.  And what a pleasure the book itself is.  This is my first from Tartarus Press, but I love the quality of it.  I feel a new collection coming on!" Joe's Book Blog

 

284: PAST LIVES OF OLD BOOKS, by R.B. Russell, 1st January, 2021. 282 pages. £17.95. Paperback.

Contains: ‘Introduction: Less Frequented Paths’, ‘Rolfe’s Revolver: The Baron Corvo Archive at the Brotherton Library’, ‘In the “Virtual” Footsteps of Arthur Machen’, ‘ “Find the Happiness They had Never Noticed”: Alain-Fournier’s Le Grand Meaulnes, ‘Correspondence, or Otherwise: Aickman and L.T.C. Rolt’, ‘Brocard Sewell: A Black Swan’, ‘Alastair’, ‘Pierre Louÿs: Pagan Sensuality’, ‘Bibliography of Pierre Louÿs’, ‘Robert Aickman’s “Holiday Photographs”’, ‘Alternative Lives: Arthur Machen’s “A Fragment of Life” and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Lolly Willowes’, ‘Roman Polanski’s The Tenant’, ‘The Connoisseurship of Count Stenbock and Phyllis Paul’, Count Stenbock Bibliography’, ‘Phyllis Paul Bibliography’, ‘Booksellers’ Labels’, ‘Walter J.C. Murray and Copsford’, ‘Immortal Creations: The Brontës Went to Woolworth’s’, ‘Chapman Winston Blubberhouse, and How He Returned to Haunt Me’, ‘The Moon and the Sledgehammer’, ‘Fragile Ivory Towers: The Critics and Donna Tartt’, ‘Denton Welch and Jocelyn Brooke: Kindred Spirits’, ‘Denton Welch Bibliography’, ‘Jocelyn Brooke Bibliography’, ‘George Locke: The Passing of a Legend’, ‘Collecting Arthur Machen Rarities’, ‘Visiting Chydyok’, ‘Past Lives of Old Books’, The Cocteau Twins’, ‘Christopher Millard: Posthumous Friend of Oscar Wilde’, ‘Bibliography of Stuart Mason/Christopher Millard’, ‘Frank Baker: Master of the Absurd’, ‘N.F. Brookes: International Man of Mystery’, ‘Addendum’, ‘Literary Revelations’, ‘The Dangers of Nostalgia’, ‘Pruning a Book Collection’, ‘Down the Literary Rabbit Hole’, ‘Asking About the Weather’, ‘Quentin Crisp Bibliography’, ‘Internal Narrators’, ‘Reference Books’, ‘Outsider Literature’, ‘The Most Frightening Book, Ever’, ‘Katherine Burdekin Bibliography’, ‘Memento Amori: The Poetry of John Sewell’, ‘John Sewell Bibliography’.

Reviews:

'Lovers of obscure authors and literature will welcome this eclectic collection of mostly previously published essays from British editor Russell His easy, accessible style is a delight to read. Publishers Weekly

'Highly engaging', Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

 

 

2016-2020