Ray Bradbury – The October Country

Ray Bradbury – The October Country (Four Square, 1963, 1964, 1965)

The Dwarf
The watchful Poker Chip of H.Matisse
Skeleton
The Jar
The Traveller
The Emissary
Touched with Fire
The Scythe
Uncle Einar
The Wind
There was an Old Woman
Homecoming
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone.

Blurb:
When Charlie brought home the Thing in the jar, he knew that its mystery would draw the neighbours to his lonely house — knew that it would arouse his wife’s jealousy. He was right, but he didn’t know what form his wife’s jealousy would take — nor what he would have to do to silence her for ever.
Ray Bradbury is a master of the macabre, and each of his stories is imbued with the sort of quiet horror which makes the skin clammy with apprehension. He writes about the dark corners of life — what exists on the other side of normality … the dwarf who took comfort from a distorting mirror . . . the man with the painted eye … the bone doctor with a taste for human marrow… strange … weird … flush with fantasy.

In Memory Of Louise Cooper (1952-2009)

Louise Cooper (1952-2009)

Very sad to learn from the Louise Cooper message board, that the popular fantasy author who, very early in her career, authored two NEL gothic romances Blood Summer (1976) and its sequel of the In Memory Of Sarah Bailey (1977), died on Tuesday 20th October aged only 57.

Rest in Peace

Daniel P. Mannix – The Hell Fire Club

Daniel P. Mannix – The Hell Fire Club (Four Square, 1961, reprinted 1962; originally Ballantine, 1959)

The rise and fall of a shocking secret society;
perversion and politics were its sole interests

Blurb:
It was the most infamous club the world has ever known.
Its meetings were held in ruined abbeys and elaborately obscene caves
Its member were high-placed politicians, landed gentry and famous men of the arts.

Its orgies and revels rocked the nation and caused the biggest riot in British history.
The story of the Hell-Fire Club. A story which has fascinated and repelled the world for two centuries.

See also the Daniel P. Maddix and Hell Fire Club threads on the Vault Of Evil forum

Lauran Paine – Witches In Fact And Fantasy

Lauran Paine – Witches In Fact And Fantasy (NEL, November 1976: First published in Great Britain by Robert Hale & Co. Ltd 1971)

Jacket design by Terry Griffiths

blurb:

From concepts of haggard old women astride broomsticks to innocent victims of brutal and terrifying witch hunts to harmless folk providing cures and foretelling the future. Lauran Paine has extracted the facts and produced a thoroughly authentic and fascinating account of witchcraft. Extensive research and use of much original material provides the basis for this study on the beliefs and fears, the charms and magic, and the different acts performed by and on witches throughout the ages, throughout the world. Witches in Fact and Fantasy pulls no punches. Often horrifying in its detail, it is always fascinating in its reality. To those who are sceptical about the existence of witches, this book may radically alter their views – and it will undoubtedly intrigue them.

Thanks to Steve Goodwin for alerting us to the existence of this one, and for providing the cover scan!

see also the Witches In Fact And Fantasy thread on the Vault forum

David Garner – This Fell Sergeant

Lucinda Cowell

David Garner – This Fell Sergeant (NEL 1974)

Blurb:

Gordon Summers ran a very respectable security form – or so it seemed. In reality he was the toughest hood in London. Intelligent, capable and highly sexed he manipulated people as he pleased – his price for betrayal was death. And Summers liked to kill. But his organization had one weak link, his slow-witted brother Maurice. And because Maurice made one small, very stupid mistake, Summers was able to do all the killing he liked – only this time it was in order to save his own skin.

Ok, so This Fell Sergeant isn’t strictly horror fiction either, but it’s been the cause of much excitement since friend H. P. Saucecraft first introduced it to on the Vault forum, and that due in no small part to Lucinda Cowell’s striking (not to mention a little daring!) artwork. We like Lucinda’s stuff!

Thanks to H. P. Saucecraft for posting the cover and Franklin ‘Master of the Macabre’ Marsh for saving me the job of transcribing the blurb!

see also the This Fell Sergeant thread on the Vault Forum. Now includes Vault roving reporter Franklin Marsh’s exclusive interview with Lucinda Cowell!