Hilda Hughes, The Birthright (1931) ***
Ghastly visitations and less ditzy than it first appears.
Guy Endore, Lazarus Returns (1935) ****
This loathsome metamorphosis is even creepier if you take the non-supernatural view.
William Hope Hodgson, The Island of the Ud (1912) ****
I enjoyed this pulp pillaging horror more in isolation than when working through the whole sea shanty songbook.
Guy de Maupassant, Fear (1909) **
An unconvincing case for a wacky theory.
Charles Whibley, Twelve O'clock (1926) *
A weak Believe It or Not! panel padded out like it's a proper story.
Edgar Allan Poe, A Descent into the Maelstrom (1841) ***
A bit of a strange pick, but the awesome terror of (super)nature adds some diversity.
Ambrose Bierce, The Stranger (1909) **
Beware the dull spectre who talks your ear off!
Basil Tozer, The Pioneers of Pike's Peak (1897) ****
A noble effort to induce arachnophobia.
John Russell, The Fourth Man (1917)
Unprecedentedly skipped, as it didn't look like the sickening racism of the opening was going to let up or be ironically subverted. Nice pick, twat.
Bram Stoker, Dracula's Guest (1897) ****
More of the best foreboding Dracula stuff, but the novel didn't need to be slowed even further.
Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) *****
Any excuse to read the best thing in literature again.
Jack Vance, The Miracle Workers (1969) **
Customarily genre-blending medieval SF, conventionally too long even at a novella.
Poul Anderson, The Longest Voyage (1960) **
Future sailors explore another primitive hereafter. Is this going to be the theme of every story?
Cordwainer Smith, On the Storm Planet (1965) ****
A draining excursion to a tumultuous universe. I'm interested to return, after ensuring the hatches are well-battened.
Edgar Allan Poe, The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe
Miscellaneous Poems (1827–50) ****
Some atmospheric fancies, but it's understandable why these are always pushed to the back of the collections.
Faves: 'The Haunted Palace,' 'The City in the Sea,' 'Dreamland'
Poems in My Youth / In Youth I Have Known (1827–47) **
Uncharacteristic fluff and interminable epics.
