By Ewers I have read "The Spider" (very goddd) and "The Vampyre" (leaves much to be desired). Now I have got the "Fairyland" you propose so I'll give it a shot.

I have read nothing by Erckmann-Chatrian though I know this duo of authors, of course. Maybe it is high time to atone myself for this terrible delict and read something by them. :-)
To tell the truth, what has discouraged me from reading their stories so far was the fact they were written by two persons and I have learnt it to my cost these corrabolations don't work for me (Houdini-Lovecraft etc.). But like I said, I will give them a try and we'll shall see.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 29 Dec 13 | 05:17AM by Minicthulhu.

The Room in the Chair
by Jojo Lapin X

At the far end of the gallery was a low doorway hung with black curtains. None of the other patrons showed any interest in it, being absorbed in the paintings, but it aroused his curiosity. No sign indicated if it was part of the exhibit. He had to stoop in order to enter.

Beyond was a dimly lit room of moderate size. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he realized the space was empty except for a somewhat rustic wooden chair. Again, there were no signs to inform him if this was intended as a work of art, and he decided the room was just somewhere for the attendants to rest. He was just about to retreat when he noticed a pinprick of light coming out of the back of the chair.

There was a small hole, and he had to kneel on the seat of the chair in order to comfortably look into it. What he saw when he finally made something out was a tiny enclosure, a room. In the room was a chair. In fact, the whole thing was a perfect replica of his own situation, as on the chair, with its back to the observer, kneeled a minute human figure. He was about to dismiss the thing as simply a projection from a camera mounted somewhere above him, but then I turned around and waved to him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 29 Dec 13 | 06:07AM by Jojo Lapin X.

"Under the Pyramids" wasn't actually a collaboration -- it was ghost-written by Lovecraft, who took the initial material by Houdini and, with the latter's permission, ran with it in his own direction. As with so many of Lovecraft's "revisions", the original supplied little more than the inspiration.

Erckmann-Chatrian, on the other hand, tends toward true collaboration, and often quiet seamlessly. It doesn't "read" as if it were written by two people, but rather the two blended their talents very well, producing some very fine works. (Not all their work is so successful; they were quite prolific. But the majority of their weird work -- at least that which I've read -- can be described thus.)

I'm also assuming you've read Hawthorne? While a fair amount of his work is rather innocuous, at his best he produces some marvelous work, very haunting. I would also suggest several of the works of Oliver Onions, as well as Walter de la Mare, both of whom are often very subtle, but extremely powerful. For one a little less subtle, but at his best quite good, I would also recommend Robert S. Hichens, particularly Tongues of Conscience, which includes "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (with which you may be familiar).

Sorry but to pass one's horror story idea on to another person to evolve it as a ghost-writter really sounds to me like a collaboration. But it really does not matter.

As for Hawthorne, I have read one o two stories by him without being impressed too much.

As far as Onions or De La Mare are concerned, I like them both; besides several other fortunate authors these two are entitled to call themselves my favourites. :-)

Re: Hawthorne -- As for novels, I'd suggest The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter, but also The Marble Faun, which is often overlooked. It's a more subtle approach to the weird, but there are some truly magnificent passages. As for the short stories, I would particularly suggest: "The Minister's Black Veil", "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", the "Legends from the Province House", "The White Old Maid", "The Birthmark" (which should be compared to Poe's "The Oval Portrait"), "Young Goodman Brown", and "Ethan Brand", though frankly the entirety of the Twice-Told Tales is well worth reading simply for its richness of imagination and subtlety.

As for Erckmann-Chatrian, you might want to look here:

[archive.org]

though, if memory serves, "The Man-Wolf" is somewhat abridged in this form. It can be found in its entirety at Project Gutenbberg....

I started to read "The House Of The Seven Gables" some years ago but found it so tedious I have never finished it which is very rare with me; as a rule I am able to bite through a book even if it is very lenghty and dull. The second example of a not finished book on my part I remember is "The Lair Of A White Worm" by Stoker which is one of the worst books I have ever read.
I read two short stories by Hawthorne, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" and "Earth's Holocaust" but they do not seem to have impressed me much because in the case of the first one I am absolutely unable to recall what was it all about ... :-)
I'll give Erckmann-Chatrian a try and we'll see if their work is worth its salt.

I think you would enjoy Le Fanu's "Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling". It has a singularly wonderful description of a traditional apparition.
Otherwise I think "Squire Toby's Will" is my favorite story by Le Fanu. Effective and very well written. But he is a quite demanding writer, taking his own very personal course. What I like best is when he delivers us back to glimpses of the 1700s culture. It is easier to enjoy his "successor" M. R. James.

Minicthulhu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I started to read "The House Of The Seven Gables"
> some years ago but found it so tedious I have
> never finished it which is very rare with me; as a
> rule I am able to bite through a book even if it
> is very lenghty and dull.

It is one of the best books I have ever read.

I have two or three books of short stories by Le Fanu but I cannot tell if I ever will be able to read them ... I´ve got so many books and tales to read which seem to be much better than those by Le Fanu.

Minicthulhu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have two or three books of short stories by Le
> Fanu but I cannot tell if I ever will be able to
> read them ... I´ve got so many books and tales to
> read which seem to be much better than those by Le
> Fanu.

I try to only read the very best from each new author I discover nowadays. I don't have time for more.

On Le Fanu, probably the best choice would be the aptly titled Best Ghost Stories, edited by E. F. Bleiler, published by Dover.

jdworth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On Le Fanu, probably the best choice would be the
> aptly titled Best Ghost Stories, edited by E. F.
> Bleiler, published by Dover.

Agreed. It is excellent. Excellent!

It has most of the great stories, ... a few others I wanted I printed out from pdf or word.

Here's one I hope the readers here will like:

The Scallion Stone, by Basil Smith.

An atmospheric tale using the cozy "fireside re-telling" technique about an odd "stone" that relates back to St. Cuthbert of Northumbria.

--Sawfish

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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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Has someone here read "The Other Place" by J. B. Priestley? I wonder if it's worth tracking down. Perhaps the author's outlook was a bit too worldly for the general weird fiction reader?

I have never heard of J. B. Priestely. I have found "The Other Place, and Other Stories of the Same Sort" which seems to be a short story collection by the author. Judging by reviews one can find, this book and his novel called "Benighted" could be worth reading.