American Supernatural Tales


Book Description

Part of a new six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro American Supernatural Tales is the ultimate collection of weird and frightening American short fiction. As Stephen King will attest, the popularity of the occult in American literature has only grown since the days of Edgar Allan Poe. The book celebrates the richness of this tradition with chilling contributions from some of the nation's brightest literary lights, including Poe himself, H. P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and—of course—Stephen King. This volumes also includes "The Yellow Sign," the most horrific story from The King in Yellow, the classic horror collection by Robert W. Chambers featured on HBO's hit TV series True Detective. By turns phantasmagoric, spectral, and demonic, this is a frighteningly good collection of stories. Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro’s favorites, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ray Russell’s short story “Sardonicus,” considered by Stephen King to be “perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written,” to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Ted Klein, and Robert E. Howard. Featuring original cover art by Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, these stunningly creepy deluxe hardcovers will be perfect additions to the shelves of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal aficionados everywhere.




The Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales of Marjorie Bowen


Book Description

Marjorie Bowen's 'The Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales of Marjorie Bowen' is a compelling collection of eerie and macabre stories that delve into the realms of the supernatural. Bowen's literary style is characterized by its intricate plotting, vivid descriptions, and the ability to evoke a sense of foreboding in the reader. Set in various time periods, from Victorian England to medieval France, the stories explore themes of tragedy, revenge, and the supernatural, showcasing Bowen's versatility as a writer of Gothic fiction. Her narratives are filled with suspense and mystery, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the very last page. This collection serves as a captivating introduction to Bowen's work, highlighting her mastery of the occult and supernatural genres. Marjorie Bowen's own fascination with the dark and mysterious aspects of human nature shines through in these tales, making them a must-read for fans of Gothic literature and supernatural fiction. Whether you are a seasoned reader of the occult or a newcomer to the genre, 'The Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales of Marjorie Bowen' is sure to leave a lasting impression.




Passport to the Supernatural


Book Description

"Blood curdling screams in every language. With this book you can travel through time and space to the most frightening limits of human imagination. Included in this expertly prepared itinerary of the supernatural and the occult are such splendid stop-and-shudder points as ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Judea, China, India, Japan, Russia, Siberia, the South Sea Islands, Alaska, England, Europe, and, of course, the Transylvania of Count Dracula. Face-to-face encounters have been arranged with werewolves, vampires, Oriental fox-maidens, dybbuks, devils, spirits, amorous incubi and succubi, not to mention the evil Armenian demon Al, who has brass eyebrows and eats the livers of pregnant women. To top off this fiendish feast are three of the greatest pieces of modern occult fiction."--Back cover




The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives


Book Description

A compilation of vintage occult mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle, Algernon Blackwood, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, and Helena Blavatsky, and others. Whether they investigate paranormal mysteries or use their own supernatural gifts to solve crimes, occult detectives maintain an extraordinary hold on our imaginations. From X-Files to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are no shortage of contemporary examples. In The Weister Book of Occult Detectives, esoteric scholar Judika Illes delves into the literary roots of this enduring subgenre. Among the ranks of occult detectives featured in this book are beloved favorites such as Dr. Hesselius, Dr. Taverner, Thomas Carnacki, and John Silence. They are joined by the more obscure or unjustly forgotten sleuths such as Shiela Crerar and Diana Marburg. Their investigative techniques range from palmistry and clairvoyance to psychometry, mesmerism, dreams, and good old deductive reasoning.




GOTHIC HORRORS - Bowen's Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales


Book Description

Marjorie Bowen's 'GOTHIC HORRORS - Bowen's Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales' is a collection of the author's most chilling and mysterious tales, showcasing her mastery of the gothic horror genre. Through eerie settings, dark atmospheres, and twisted plots, Bowen weaves a haunting tapestry that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Drawing on the literary traditions of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley, Bowen's stories are filled with suspense, supernatural elements, and psychological depth, making them a compelling read for fans of the macabre and the mysterious. Each story is a gripping journey into the unknown, exploring the darker side of human nature and the supernatural realm. Marjorie Bowen's writing style is atmospheric and evocative, immersing readers in a world of fear and suspense. Her ability to create tension and instill a sense of dread in her readers is a testament to her skill as a writer. With 'GOTHIC HORRORS', Bowen solidifies her place as a master of the gothic genre, captivating readers with her tales of the occult and the supernatural. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys atmospheric horror stories that delve into the enigmatic and the unsettling.




Those Who Fight Monsters


Book Description

Got Vampires? Ghosts? Monsters? We Can Help! Your one-stop-shop for Urban Fantasy’s finest anthology of the supernatural. 14 sleuths are gathered together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases which require services that go far beyond mere deduction! Featuring new stories by: Tanya Huff, C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, Simon R. Green, T. A. Pratt, Chris Marie Green, Lilith Saintcrow, Rachel Caine, Jackie Kessler, Carrie L. Vaughn, Julie Kenner, C. J. Henderson, Laura Anne Gilman, Justin Gustainis and Caitlin Kittredge Meet the Detectives: Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman’s Cosa Nostradamus series. Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series. John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series. Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series. Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series. Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series. Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt’s Marla Mason series. Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series. Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series. Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series. Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series. Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series. Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series. Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series. Demons may lurk, werewolves may prowl, vampires may ride the wind. These are things that go bump in the night, but we are the ones who bump back! About the editor: Justin Gustainis has been an Army officer, speechwriter and professional bodyguard. He is currently a college professor living in upstate New York. He is the author of The Hades Project, Black Magic Woman, Evil Ways, Hard Spell and Sympathy for the Devil. He has also published a number of short stories, two of which won the Graverson Award for Horror in consecutive years. He is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. Praise: "Urban fantasy has a special place in my heart, and the Occult Detective is perhaps the fundamental urban-fantasy archetype. An anthology of this kind is can serve two purposes: The first is to provide a taste of the genre to those that might otherwise be unfamiliar with it, and the second is to provide fans of the genre a chance to discover writers they may not have already come across. It was well worth the read and I would recommend it wholeheartedly for any fan of the urban fantasy/occult detective genre; even more so if you are unfamiliar with the genre and would like a taste as to what it’s all about." — Nick Bronson -- "Urban Fantasy readers will love this book, and it is a first-rate group of stories." — Paul Lappan, Reviewer




The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women


Book Description

25 chilling short stories by outstanding female writers. Women have always written exceptional stories of horror and the supernatural. This anthology aims to showcase the very best of these, from Amelia B. Edwards's 'The Phantom Coach', published in 1864, through past luminaries such as Edith Wharton and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, to modern talents including Muriel Gray, Sarah Pinborough and Lilith Saintcrow. From tales of ghostly children to visitations by departed loved ones, and from heart-rending stories to the profoundly unsettling depiction of extreme malevolence, what each of these stories has in common is the effect of a slight chilling of the skin, a feeling of something not quite present, but nevertheless there. If anything, this showcase anthology proves that sometimes the female of the species can also be the most terrifying . . .




The Black Veil and Other Tales of Supernatural Sleuths


Book Description

The Gateway of the Monster...The Red Hand...The Ghost HunterTo Sherlock Holmes the supernatural was a closed book: but other great detectives have always been ready to do battle with the dark instead. This volume brings together sixteen chilling cases of these supernatural sleuths, pitting themselves against the peril of ultimate evil. Here are encounters from the casebooks of the Victorian haunted house investigators John Bell and Flaxman Low, from Carnacki, the Edwardian battler against the abyss, and from horror master Arthur Machen's Mr Dyson, a man-about-town and meddler in strange things.Connoisseurs will find rare cases such as those of Allen Upward's 'The Ghost Hunter', Robert Barr's Eugene Valmont (who may have inspired Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot) and Donald Campbell's young explorer Leslie Vane, the James Bond of the jazz age, who battles against occult enemies of the British Empire. And the collection is completed by some of the best tales from the pens of modern psychic sleuth authors.




The Weiser Book of the Fantastic and Forgotten


Book Description

Classic stories of occult fiction by Dion Fortune, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, H. P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Marie Corelli, R. W. Chambers, and more. These are the authors and tales that inspired modern masters like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Nic Pizzolatto—edited and introduced by leading occult author and scholar Judika Illes. These powerfully evocative stories—some of which have been forgotten over the years, like buried treasure—will thrill and chill readers to the bone. During the dark, eerie hours, when the wind is blowing and the ghosts are roaming outside, these tales can fill a night with pleasant terror—as well as encouraging our minds to venture beyond the mundane into the realm of the fantastic.




The Weiser Book of Horror and the Occult


Book Description

Horror Takes Its Time Looking for a thoughtful fright? Or perhaps a frightful thought? Packed with stories selected by one of today’s leading esoteric scholars, this book will do more than make your toes curl and your skin crawl. These tales reveal hidden truths, inspire forbidden pursuits, and divulge the secrets of magical initiation in the guise of fiction. Covering topics from rituals to hauntings to Satanism, this one-of-a-kind volume includes selections from: Aleister CrowleyAmbrose BierceArthur MachenEdgar Allan PoeRobert W. ChambersRalph Adams CramH.P. LovecraftDion FortuneSir Edward George Bulwer-LyttonBram Stoker As DuQuette writes in his introduction, horror takes its time. It creeps in, seeps in, and lingers. These stories will take you hours to read, but they will stay with you, biting at your heels from the shadows, eternally. Don’t say we didn’t warn you...