Gone but not forgotten?

[Joey Warwick]

Hey, do you have an author or authors, who you feel are deserving of
more recognition than they currently have?

For myself, I'd nominate Joseph O'Neill in particular his "LAND UNDER
ENGLAND" which I read during hard times and which helped lighten my
mood – how could it not? An entire race descended from the Roman
Legions in Cumberland – who now live in a huge cave system underground
and communicate via telepathy!!

But "DAY OF WRATH" has a lot to recommend it, also – the destruction
of civilisation for starters!!

And whatever happened to Professor Garrett P Serviss (now don't you
dare laugh)? Who can forget his "COLUMBUS OF SPACE"? It's a must read
for any true aficionado of the weird / science fiction tale.

Or Neil M Gunn, in particular "THE SERPENT" or even "SECOND SIGHT",
and, if that wasn't enough to wet your appetite, what about "THE
SHADOWY THING" by Henry B Drake – psychic powers have never been the
same since!

So much is fading from memory into insignificance, which is a terrible
shame. So many great authors; so many great stories. Don't let it
happen, people.

What are your profound but obscure favourites?

[John Pelan]

LAND UNDER ENGLAND obscure? Say it isn't so!!!

How about Ronald S.L. Harding's ONE DREADFUL NIGHT or Dora Langlois IN
THE SHADOW OF PA-MENHK?

My fondness for the novels of Mark Hansom has been mentioned
previously, but how about James Corbett? DEVIL MAN FROM MARS or THE
DEATH POOL?

Right now I'm reading (at the suggestion of Bob Weinberg) an absolutely
stunning novel by Rog Phillips from Amazing Stories. SO SHALL YE REAP.
Absolutely terrific story and while I've been told that the sequel is
diminished somewhat by a hamfisted attempt to link it to the Shaver
Mystery, I can't imagine it being that much of a let-down.

Cheers,

John Pelan
www.darksidepress.com

[Otzchiim]

By my standards not very obscure, but cetainly deserving to be
better known would be Stephen Southwold (alias Neil Bell and some other
things). Precious Porcelain has a man split his personality and place
each in its own body, in a country village out of H,G. Wells. The
Seventh Bowl goes from an immortality elixir to the inevitable
destruction of the world. The Lord of Life has 18 people left in the
world -- 17 of them male. The Disturbing Affair of Noel Blake involves
hypnotic regression to the prehuman. Death Rocks the Cradle has a
utopian alternate history built on institutionalized sadism. Life
Comes to Seathorpe has monsters home-grown from distilled water. And
there are several I have not gotten to.
Mark Owings

[w***@yahoo.com.au]

Post by Otzchiim
By my standards not very obscure, but cetainly deserving to be
better known would be Stephen Southwold (alias Neil Bell and some other
things). Precious Porcelain has a man split his personality and place
each in its own body, in a country village out of H,G. Wells. The
Seventh Bowl goes from an immortality elixir to the inevitable
destruction of the world. The Lord of Life has 18 people left in the
world -- 17 of them male. The Disturbing Affair of Noel Blake

involves

Post by Otzchiim
hypnotic regression to the prehuman. Death Rocks the Cradle has a
utopian alternate history built on institutionalized sadism. Life
Comes to Seathorpe has monsters home-grown from distilled water. And
there are several I have not gotten to.
Mark Owings

I have to confess I thought Southwold's real name was Stephen H
Critten?
I've only ever read his novel "THE DARK PAGE" but it was very good.On
the strength of your post I've just ordered a copy "Porcelain" via ABE.

Thanks.

[Otzchiim]

***@visto.com Apr 9, 4:09 pm show options

Newsgroups: alt.books.ghost-fiction
From: ***@visto.com - Find messages by this author
Date: 9 Apr 2005 16:09:00 -0700
Subject: Re: year's best anthologies
Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show
original | Report Abuse

Anyhow, my point is what ghostly or supernatural or weird - ish

tales

anthologies would you like to see?

One I'd like to see is an anthology of weird little shop stories, the
sort of store that's not there anymore when you go back to query the
strange item you bought the day before. The earliest example I know of
is HG Wells' "The Magic Shop" though there may have been a tradition of

such stories before him

Well, yes, sort of.. In his autobiography, he says that he hated
his father enough that he had his name legally changed to Southwold.
His birth name was never used on any of his writings, and only
discovered after his death, I believe.
Mark Owings

[w***@yahoo.com.au]

Post by John Pelan
LAND UNDER ENGLAND obscure? Say it isn't so!!!

Only kidding, it's on the best sellers list at number two below "THE
DICE MAN"

Post by John Pelan
How about Ronald S.L. Harding's ONE DREADFUL NIGHT or Dora Langlois IN
THE SHADOW OF PA-MENHK?

You've got me with old Ron? But Dora's masterwork has to be "THE CHILD:
A MOTHER'S ADVICE TO HER DAUGHTERS" - every mother should have a copy!!

Post by John Pelan
My fondness for the novels of Mark Hansom has been mentioned
previously, but how about James Corbett? DEVIL MAN FROM MARS or THE
DEATH POOL?

Never read (as far as I'm aware) the two Corbett's but is he the same
Corbett responsible for "THE MERRIVALE MYSTERY"?

He penned the deathless line: "It was a morning gown of blue silk, one
that stressed her grace of figure and matched her complexion."!

I can't rid myself of this image of a bright young thing with a blue
face!

Post by John Pelan
Right now I'm reading (at the suggestion of Bob Weinberg) an

absolutely

Post by John Pelan
stunning novel by Rog Phillips from Amazing Stories. SO SHALL YE REAP.
Absolutely terrific story and while I've been told that the sequel is
diminished somewhat by a hamfisted attempt to link it to the Shaver
Mystery, I can't imagine it being that much of a let-down.

I've read many of Roger Phillips Graham's short stories, some good,
some bad, but never his novels (four of them, isn't there?) so maybe I
should see if I can get holdd of them.

Post by John Pelan
Cheers,
John Pelan
www.darksidepress.com

Thanks for the interesting post - but who the Hell was Harding?

[John Pelan]

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
LAND UNDER ENGLAND obscure? Say it isn't so!!!

Only kidding, it's on the best sellers list at number two below "THE
DICE MAN"

;-) In all seriousness, LUE had sveral reprints as recently as the
late 1980s and of all the obscure books that might get mentioned here,
it's probably the easiest to come by. Would that the same were true of
the reprint of Philip Chadwick's THE DEATH GUARD, a handsome trade
paperback edition that seems to have been distributed only in
Australia.

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
How about Ronald S.L. Harding's ONE DREADFUL NIGHT or Dora Langlois

IN

Post by John Pelan
THE SHADOW OF PA-MENHK?

A MOTHER'S ADVICE TO HER DAUGHTERS" - every mother should have a copy!!

We're likely to eventually produce a new edition of her novel, a
wonderfully complex and interesting work...

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
My fondness for the novels of Mark Hansom has been mentioned
previously, but how about James Corbett? DEVIL MAN FROM MARS or THE
DEATH POOL?

Never read (as far as I'm aware) the two Corbett's but is he the same
Corbett responsible for "THE MERRIVALE MYSTERY"?
He penned the deathless line: "It was a morning gown of blue silk, one
that stressed her grace of figure and matched her complexion."!
I can't rid myself of this image of a bright young thing with a blue
face!

Heh-heh. Corbett could be sloppy and his body of work is wildly
uneven. There are some pretty good mysteries and some pretty darn bad
ones. His supernatural work is similarly uneven, THE MAN WHO SAW THE
DEVIL is a very good riff on the Jeckyll/Hyde theme, while on the
other hand, DEVIL MAN FROM MARS is ghastly.

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
Right now I'm reading (at the suggestion of Bob Weinberg) an

absolutely stunning novel by Rog Phillips from Amazing Stories. SO SHALL YE
REAP. Absolutely terrific story and while I've been told that the sequel is

Post by John Pelan
diminished somewhat by a hamfisted attempt to link it to the Shaver
Mystery, I can't imagine it being that much of a let-down.

I've read many of Roger Phillips Graham's short stories, some good,
some bad, but never his novels (four of them, isn't there?) so maybe I
should see if I can get holdd of them.

I got lucky on this one, a couple of days after Bob made his comments,
I was at a convention and leafing through a box of pulps with an eye
toward finding the issue of Amazing with this novel in it. I spotted
the issue and started to lift it oout of the box when the dealer
interjected, "You won't want that, it's not the whole magazine..."
Seems a fan had taken the cover and lead novel and bound it up with
the sequel from a later issue... $2.00 seemed just fine to me.

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au
Thanks for the interesting post - but who the Hell was Harding?

Posted elsewhere. ;-)

Cheers,

John

[r***@ramsey-campbell.com]

May I propose Arthur Morrison, specifically THE HOLE IN THE WALL? The
poet Richard Hill once described it as "a nightmare version of TREASURE
ISLAND", and I hope that tempts folk who don't know it.

Ramsey Campbell

[w***@yahoo.com.au]

Post by r***@ramsey-campbell.com
May I propose Arthur Morrison, specifically THE HOLE IN THE WALL? The
poet Richard Hill once described it as "a nightmare version of

TREASURE

Post by r***@ramsey-campbell.com
ISLAND", and I hope that tempts folk who don't know it.
Ramsey Campbell

Indeed you may - Morrison was another journalist-cum-short storywriter,
responsible for the Martin Hewitt detective stories (illustrated by
Sidney Paget in the Strand during 1894), in fact in one Morrison tale a
trained parrot steals the jewels!!

Polly dunit!! (sorry)

He also was responsible for that excellent book "TALES OF MEAN
STREETS" about London slum life. An author well worth reading, and a
great proposal.

[Barbara Roden]

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au
Indeed you may - Morrison was another journalist-cum-short storywriter,
responsible for the Martin Hewitt detective stories (illustrated by
Sidney Paget in the Strand during 1894), in fact in one Morrison tale a
trained parrot steals the jewels!!

Morrison's Hewitt stories suffered a bit from 'taking over' for Holmes in
THE STRAND after ACD killed Holmes off, and there's the feeling that
Morrison's heart wasn't really in that type of tale, but they're excellent
reads, and the Paget illustrations are tremendously charming. We bought one
of the original Pagets from a later Hewitt story when it came up for auction
a few years ago, and it's lovely (and a good deal less expensive than what
one of his Holmes illustrations would cost!).

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au
He also was responsible for that excellent book "TALES OF MEAN
STREETS" about London slum life. An author well worth reading, and a
great proposal.

A CHILD OF THE JAGO is also worth reading, from the bits of it I've read
over the years.

Barbara

[Max]

Post by Barbara Roden
Morrison's Hewitt stories suffered a bit from 'taking over' for Holmes in
THE STRAND after ACD killed Holmes off, and there's the feeling that
Morrison's heart wasn't really in that type of tale, but they're excellent
reads, and the Paget illustrations are tremendously charming. We bought one
of the original Pagets from a later Hewitt story when it came up for auction
a few years ago, and it's lovely (and a good deal less expensive than what
one of his Holmes illustrations would cost!).

...

Post by Barbara Roden
A CHILD OF THE JAGO is also worth reading, from the bits of it I've read
over the years.
Barbara

I agree that the Hewitt stories are somewhat derivitive but in CHILD OF
THE JAGO & A HOLE IN THE WALL Hewitt really staked out some orginal
ground in the mystery genre, in giving a realistic portrayal of
criminal like among the working classes. In an add way, he fits in
more with the American hardboiled tradition than the British mystery
tradition.

Max

[w***@yahoo.com.au]

Post by Max
I agree that the Hewitt stories are somewhat derivitive but in CHILD OF
THE JAGO & A HOLE IN THE WALL Hewitt really staked out some orginal
ground in the mystery genre, in giving a realistic portrayal of
criminal like among the working classes. In an add way, he fits in
more with the American hardboiled tradition than the British mystery
tradition.
Max

Morrison came from a working class background. As a journalist he saw
at first hand crime in the streets, and frequently expressed concern
about "the light nature" of crime fiction. One of his best creations
was Horrace Dorrington, private detective, thief and con man in "THE
DORRINGTON DEED BOX". Morrison was also something of an expert on
Japanese painting and wrote a much respected study of it.

[Max]

Yes--the Dorrington Deed Box is another good example of why I would
call Morrison a proto-hardboiled mystery writer.
Max

[bruce turlish]

Joey posted:
Hey, do you have an author or authors, who you feel are deserving of
more recognition than they currently have? <endquote>

I would propose "The Fiery Angel" by Valery Bryasov aka Briussov, one of the great novels of the 20th century. It has romance, black magic, sexual obsession and emotional poignancy. The writing is superb. This novel definitely deserves more attention from discerning readers of ghost fiction.

[r***@gmail.com]

Post by Joey Warwick
Hey, do you have an author or authors, who you feel are deserving of
more recognition than they currently have? <endquote>

I'll nominate Thomas Hinde as a master of the comedy of paranoia. His novel THE DAY THE CALL CAME is now available from Valancourt with an introduction by me (but don't worry, I don't get royalties - that wasn't the deal).

[Max]

Post by r***@ramsey-campbell.com
May I propose Arthur Morrison, specifically THE HOLE IN THE WALL? The
poet Richard Hill once described it as "a nightmare version of

TREASURE

Post by r***@ramsey-campbell.com
ISLAND", and I hope that tempts folk who don't know it.
Ramsey Campbell

One of my favorite books, and probably the 1st really "hardboiled"
crime story in British literature. But it isn't really obscure in the
same sense of the other titles mentioned here & last I checked it was
actually in print in the US. I'd also highly recommend CHILD OF THE
JAGO & TALES OF THE MEAN STREETS. I just won a copy of TO LONDON TOWN
on ebay and look forward to reading that one as well. None of these
titles, however, are fantastic, but as I remarked once before in this
group (sometime ago) there's at least a volumes worth of ghost and
horror stories out there that have yet to be reprinited. Would one of
you fine publishers please put that on your priority list!

Max

[Otzchiim]

Max said of Arthur Morrison:

None of these
titles, however, are fantastic, but as I remarked once before in this
group (sometime ago) there's at least a volumes worth of ghost and
horror stories out there that have yet to be reprinited. Would one of
you fine publishers please put that on your priority list!

Max


Do not recall title, but I read somewhere that his first book was
a supernatural collection.
Now finding it is of course a different matter.
Mark Owings

[Max]

Post by Otzchiim
Do not recall title, but I read somewhere that his first book was
a supernatural collection.
Now finding it is of course a different matter.
Mark Owings

It's titled The Shadows Around Us: Authentic Tales of the Supernatural
and was published in 1891--from the title it sounds like a collection
of "true" ghost stories but I've never seen it--there are only 2 copies
in American libraries that I'm aware of & I haven't seen it for sale.
After that he wrote a handful of other ghost/horror stories. "The Thing
in the Upper Room" is quite good and is available online if someone
would like to sample his work
http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/gaslight/upprroom.htm

Glad to hear that there is at least a rumor of a collected Morrison,
although since I own most of the novels I hope single volumes will be
available.

Max

[John Pelan]

Post by r***@ramsey-campbell.com
May I propose Arthur Morrison, specifically THE HOLE IN THE WALL? The
poet Richard Hill once described it as "a nightmare version of TREASURE
ISLAND", and I hope that tempts folk who don't know it.
Ramsey Campbell

You certainly may! What I've read of Morrison, I've enjoyed quite a
bit, some of his ghostly tales are a little flat, but still worth
reading. His better tales hold up very nicely.

I had once proposed a collection of his best supernatural tales to
Barbara and Chris, but it seems that George at Battered Silicon
already had planned to do a massive three-volume set of Morrison.
*When* he plans to do so is anyone's guess, but he sent me the .pdf of
the 1200-page folio-sized volumes and it looks pretty complete.

I'm embarrassed to admit that the one piece I haven't read is "The
Hole in the Wall", which I shall now print out and delve into.

In turn, let me suggest the supernatural tales of Achmed Abdullah.
While he's best known for THE THIEF OF BAGDAD and countless adventure
yarns in Argosy and other pulps, Achmed Abdullah had an abiding
interest in the supernatural tale and wrote enough in the genre to
fill two good-sized colllections. The first, WINGS: TALES OF THE
PSYCHIC was comprised primarily of reprints, the second, MYSTERIES OF
ASIA from Philip Allan under the editorship of Charles Birkin
contained several original pieces. The good folks at Wildside Press
will be bringing out an omnibus volume in both hardcover and trade
paperback in the same format as their Robert E. Howard collections.

Cheers,

John

Cheers,

John

[w***@yahoo.com.au]

(snipped)

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
Right now I'm reading (at the suggestion of Bob Weinberg) an

absolutely stunning novel by Rog Phillips from Amazing Stories. SO SHALL YE
REAP. Absolutely terrific story and while I've been told that the sequel is

Post by John Pelan
diminished somewhat by a hamfisted attempt to link it to the Shaver
Mystery, I can't imagine it being that much of a let-down.

I've read many of Roger Phillips Graham's short stories, some good,
some bad, but never his novels (four of them, isn't there?) so maybe I
should see if I can get holdd of them.

I got lucky on this one, a couple of days after Bob made his

comments,

I was at a convention and leafing through a box of pulps with an eye
toward finding the issue of Amazing with this novel in it. I spotted
the issue and started to lift it oout of the box when the dealer
interjected, "You won't want that, it's not the whole magazine..."
Seems a fan had taken the cover and lead novel and bound it up with
the sequel from a later issue... $2.00 seemed just fine to me.

Hi, Mr Pelan, I don't want to spoil a secret - but a little birdie
tells me you may be moving house soon!?! Good luck with the move - I
guess you'll be sitting back with that August '47 copy of Amazing
Stories and a tall drink in the new home soon. Just don't forget that
issue contains Richard S Sharpe's classic
"MER-WITCH OF ETHER 18" - sadly, real literature like that is a thing
of the past.

Cheers,
John

[John Pelan]

Post by John Pelan

(snipped)

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
Right now I'm reading (at the suggestion of Bob Weinberg) an

absolutely stunning novel by Rog Phillips from Amazing Stories. SO

SHALL YE

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au
REAP. Absolutely terrific story and while I've been told that the

sequel is

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
diminished somewhat by a hamfisted attempt to link it to the

Shaver

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au

Post by John Pelan
Mystery, I can't imagine it being that much of a let-down.

I've read many of Roger Phillips Graham's short stories, some good,
some bad, but never his novels (four of them, isn't there?) so maybe

I

Post by w***@yahoo.com.au
should see if I can get holdd of them.

I got lucky on this one, a couple of days after Bob made his

comments,

I was at a convention and leafing through a box of pulps with an eye
toward finding the issue of Amazing with this novel in it. I spotted
the issue and started to lift it oout of the box when the dealer
interjected, "You won't want that, it's not the whole magazine..."
Seems a fan had taken the cover and lead novel and bound it up with
the sequel from a later issue... $2.00 seemed just fine to me.

Hi, Mr Pelan, I don't want to spoil a secret - but a little birdie
tells me you may be moving house soon!?! Good luck with the move - I
guess you'll be sitting back with that August '47 copy of Amazing
Stories and a tall drink in the new home soon. Just don't forget that
issue contains Richard S Sharpe's classic
"MER-WITCH OF ETHER 18" - sadly, real literature like that is a thing
of the past.

Cheers,
John

Sadly, I don't have the complete issue! I bought a bound excerpt of
the two Phillips novels. Now I'll have to look for the Sharpe story!

Move is about half completed... *sighs* Beautiful day to fire up the
barby, but I'll likely be too tired to contend with it. ;-)

Cheers,

John

[Otzchiim]

John Pelan said:

;-) In all seriousness, LUE had sveral reprints as recently as the
late 1980s and of all the obscure books that might get mentioned here,
it's probably the easiest to come by. Would that the same were true of
the reprint of Philip Chadwick's THE DEATH GUARD, a handsome trade
paperback edition that seems to have been distributed only in
Australia.


The trade pb was distributed in the UK. I bought mine from
someone who bought several while there. No, he does not have any left
now. I asked.
Mark Owings

[John Pelan]

Post by John Pelan
;-) In all seriousness, LUE had sveral reprints as recently as the
late 1980s and of all the obscure books that might get mentioned here,
it's probably the easiest to come by. Would that the same were true of
the reprint of Philip Chadwick's THE DEATH GUARD, a handsome trade
paperback edition that seems to have been distributed only in
Australia.
The trade pb was distributed in the UK. I bought mine from
someone who bought several while there. No, he does not have any left
now. I asked.
Mark Owings

It disappeared almost immediately. Glad to hear a few made it to
England, (Andy Richards, perhaps?) I got mine from N.A. Smiles in Oz;
he had a few copies, but they disappeared rather quickly.

Sad, it's a terrific book. Can't imagine why ROC didn't go for a US
release as long as they were going to the trouble of putting out a new
edition.

Cheers,

John

[j***@googlemail.com]

Hi, very interesting to see my great great grandmothers name Dora Langlois being spoken about here, and would love to locate copy's of her books. If any one can help it would be great as my mother Mary Wood (Dora's great grand daughter ) has just been published by Pan McMillan. It is so nice to hear john plan say such great things about her. Please reply with any info you have, thanks Jamie.