BORN OF NIGHTMARES... Presented within are nine examples of the finest horror and supernatural literature ever written. Inspired by a series of dreams and nightmares, Helen Leys, writing under the pseudonym Eleanor Scott, crafted these stories of suspense and terror, atmosphere and dread, in 1929 - and never again wrote in this genre; Randalls Round has not been available in the UK since that year. Chilling tales of suspense, antiquity and sacrifice; spine-tingling stories of possession, ancestry, and evil. This collection of deliciously crafted, ghoulish tales are some of the most sought-after by aficionados of the genre and include the superlative 'Celui-la', 'At Simmel Acres Farm' and 'The Twelve Apostles'. Over 80 years have passed since their original publication and the passage of time has left their thrall undiminished; these historic, macabre tales unsettle the modern reader just as effectively as their predecessors. ""An excellent Collection and one that is very welcome back into print."" - Black Static "5 Stars - "Delightful English ghost stories"" "5 Stars - "undeservedly obscure"" "4 Stars - "A good, solid collection of tales for the ghost story connoisseur."" "4 Stars - "A tentacle, both slimy and hairy"" OTHER RARE, CLASSIC HORROR LITERATURE FROM OLEANDER TEDIOUS BRIEF TALES OF GRANTA AND GRAMARYE by Ingulphus (Cut & Paste 9780906672860 to search) THE HOLE OF THE PIT by Adrian Ross (Cut & Paste 978-0900891861 to search) STONEGROUND GHOST TALES by EG Swain (Cut & Paste 9780906672433 to search)

This richly illustrated anthology gathers together classic short stories from masters of supernatural fiction including M. R. James, Sheridan Le Fanu and Arthur Machen, alongside lesser-known voices in the field including Eleanor Scott and Margery Lawrence, and popular writers less bound to the horror genre, such as Thomas Hardy and E. F. Benson. These are damnable tales, selected and beautifully illustrated by Richard Wells. They stalk the moors at night, the deep forests, cornered fields and dusky churchyards, the narrow lanes and old ways of these ancient places, drawing upon the haunted landscapes of folk-horror – a now widely used term first applied to a series of British films from the late 1960s and 1970s: Witchfinder General (1968), Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), and The Wicker Man (1973). But as this collection shows, writers of uncanny fiction were dabbling in the dark side of folklore long before. These twenty-two stories take the reader beyond the safety and familiarity of the town into the isolated and untamed wilderness. Unholy rites, witches’ curses, sinister village traditions and ancient horrors that lurk within the landscape all combine to remind us that the shiny modern, urban world might not have all the answers...

Folk Gothic begins with the assertion that a significant part of what has been categorised as folk horror is more accurately and usefully labelled as Folk Gothic. Through the modifier 'folk', Folk Gothic obviously shares with folk horror its deployment (and frequent fabrication) of diegetic folklore. Folk Gothic does not share, however, folk horror's incarnate monsters, its forward impetus across spatial and ontological boundaries and the shock and repulsion elicited through its bodily violence. The author argues that the Folk Gothic as a literary, televisual and cinematic formation is defined by particular temporal and spatial structures that serve to forge distinctly nonhuman stories. In emphasising these temporal and spatial structures – not literal 'folk' and 'monsters' – the Folk Gothic tells stories that foreground land and 'things', consequently loosening the grip of anthropocentrism.

The Handbook to the Ghost Story sets out to survey and significantly extend a new field of criticism which has been taking shape over recent years, centring on the ghost story and bringing together a vast range of interpretive methods and theoretical perspectives. The main task of the volume is to properly situate the genre within historical and contemporary literary cultures across the globe, and to explore its significance within wider literary contexts as well as those of the supernatural. The Handbook offers the most significant contribution to this new critical field to date, assembling some of its leading scholars to examine the key contexts and issues required for understanding the emergence and development of the ghost story.

A terrifying international plot threatens the agents of Britain’s Department Z in this tale of suspense from an Edgar Award–winning author. Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic Conference with interest—and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he’ll be dead within the hour . . . Gordon Craigie, chief of British intelligence, is the only thing standing between Gorman and success. So Gorman turns his attentions to Craigie’s greatest asset: the men of Department Z. As Craigie attempts to undermine Gorman’s plot, Gorman decides which agent should be next to “disappear.” Can Craigie and his men outwit this master criminal before it’s too late?

In one volume: three classic Department Z detective novels by the Edgar Award–winning writer who sold eighty million novels worldwide. Department Z is the super-secret team of investigators that works within British intelligence—now, this special collection offers three action-packed pre–World War II tales of mystery. Included are: First Came a Murder Sir Basil Riordon is a mysterious, frightening, and immensely wealthy man. But is he also a killer? After a member of an exclusive London club is poisoned, the head of England’s elite secret service, Gordon Craigie, has to navigate among some important and intimidating people to find out. Death Round the Corner Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic Conference with interest—and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he’ll be dead within the hour. The only thing standing in the master criminal’s way is Department Z . . . The Mark of the Crescent The mark of the crescent signs an order for murder. Gordon Craigie and Department Z are embroiled in a desperate investigation involving drugs, and must uncover who is behind the mysterious mark before the anonymous culprit claims another victim. The trail starts at the country estate of Greylands—but where will the mark of the crescent lead?