Reggie Oliver

[PeterC]

Reggie Oliver seems to be a coming man in the horror domain.

Could any kind soul give me a critique of some of his stories?

[stephenbacon]

Reggie Oliver is an outstanding writer. I can't recommend him highly enough. He tends to write traditional supernatural/weird stories. Here are my thoughts on one of his earlier collections, The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini, on my website at www.stephenbacon.co.uk The brief overview is from July 2008.
Many of his books are expensive or hard to get hold of, but believe me, it's worth the expense and effort.

[PeterC]

Thanks Stephen,

That's a very impressive website - but can you direct me to the review?

Cheers,
Peter

[Dr Terror]

There are a couple of Reggie's stories to listen to online, Peter.

gsspodcast.mypodcast.com/2008/06/Reggie_Oliver_reads_A_Donkey_at_the_Mysteries-120913.html

gsspodcast.mypodcast.com/2007/11/Reggie_Oliver_reads_PussCat-58695.html

[nathanieltapley]

Reggie will be performing some of his stories at the World Horror Convention in March. Sandwiched between them will be a live version of one of our In The Gloamings.

If you're into that sort of thing...

[stephenbacon]

Peter, stephenbacon.co.uk/2008/07/ should get you there. It isn't detailed (although my memory insisted it was), but I think my enthusiasm for his work is conveyed.

Several of his stories have been included in Stephen Jones's 'Best New Horror' anthologies over the past few years, and he has featured in the 4th and 5th Black Books of Horrors, from www.freewebs.com/mortburypress/.

[PeterC]

Much obliged to Stephen, Nathaniel and the good Doctor.

[ramseycampbell]

Here's what I wrote in the BFS journal at the time:

'THE DREAMS OF CARDINAL VITTORINI AND OTHER STRANGE STORIES by Reggie Oliver. Haunted River, 2003. £35/$55.

This, the first collection by the playwright nephew and biographer of Stella Gibbons, could almost be a lost book from the days when the English ghost story was generally restrained yet contained nuggets of horror. The style is urbane and witty, the authorial personality cultured and observant, and the roots of the tales are in the great tradition of the genre. Some of them use the technique of early H. Russell Wakefield, building up tension by accumulating minor spectral anecdotes, a method that still conveys verisimilitude. Others touch upon the visionary: “In Arcadia”, as the title leads one to expect; “Miss Marchant’s Cause”, a story of possession that rediscovers the subtlety the theme used to attract. Oliver’s sharp eye for character and ear for dialogue never desert him, even in the more overtly satirical pieces: in particular, “Tiger in the Snow” is one of the very few tales in the field to deal with modern art without descending into caricature. In the midst of so much taste and restraint, the odd scrap of strong language or explicit physical detail (as in the ritual involved in the title story) is all the more startling, but Oliver only ever shows as much as he needs to show. This isn’t to suggest that he can’t horrify – see the loathsome apparitions in “The Golden Basilica” and “The Seventeenth Sister” (a gruesomely ghostly nun rather less grotesquely Freudian than M. P. Dare’s) or the grisly glimpses of “Death Mask” and “A Warning to the Antiquary”. This tale is only the most overt example of the influence of M. R. James, but alas the tale is hardly a tribute: it suggests that James was a vindictive sexual predator on under-age boys. Otherwise none of the contents lets the book down, though a few are relatively trivial. Oddly, though the acknowledgements page states that only two stories have appeared elsewhere, a third – “The Copper Wig” – was already posted on the publisher’s web site. Overall THE DREAMS OF CARDINAL VITTORINI rediscovers many if not all of the elements that make the English ghost story classic.'

[marksamuels]

Here's another review (one wot I wrote )

THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES OF ADOLF HITLER
by Reggie Oliver

Review by Mark Samuels

Despite having eagerly anticipated the publication of this, the second volume of Reggie Oliver’s ghost stories, I must admit to harbouring doubts that he would be able to match the high level he achieved with his first volume THE DREAMS OF CARDINAL VITTORINI AND OTHER TALES. But I am glad to say that I need not have worried at all. Quite the contrary, because in THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES OF ADOLF HITLER AND OTHER STRANGE STORIES Reggie Oliver has actually surpassed his earlier book, which itself ranked amongst the premier original collections of supernatural fiction published during 2003.

But, before turning to the merits of the tales, first some remarks about the production of the volume: In every respect this is a book to treasure. The sombre black cloth boards and striking silver lettering give the edition gravitas and an appropriately sinister quality. The house style of COMPLETE SYMPHONIES recalls the heyday of David Tibet’s Ghost Story Press and Durtro Press, with an attention to detail and luxurious design that indicates not only professionalism but also a genuine affection for books as beautiful objects in their own right. All credit to Christopher Barker in this regard.

As for the stories, each is as well-crafted as one would expect from Oliver. His writing style is cultured and urbane with a deadly black wit. He is able to slip effortlessly across idioms ranging from the 17th Century up to the present day. When it comes to terrifying his readers, Oliver seems always to have at his disposal a dreadful image to jolt us into submission. Fine examples can be found at the very start of “The Time of Blood”, at the close of “The Sermons of Dr. Hodnet” and in the middle of “Lapland Nights”. I will not spoil these images for potential readers by reproducing them here out of context.

Drawing upon his own milieu, a number of Oliver’s characters, like the author himself, are old Etonians, Francophiles and playwrights or actors. Likewise, show business often forms the backdrop of his tales, with greasepaint serving to mask spiritual decay on the part of his players (see “Magus Zoroaster” and “A Nightmare Sang” for examples of this). This backdrop provides a refreshing change from the endless round of cathedrals and colleges of clerics and academia deployed by those authors simply attempting to emulate M.R. James.

If I had to pick my favourite stories from the collection I would choose the aforementioned “Lapland Nights” and “The Constant Rake”. Both are wickedly humorous yet terrifying tales in which laughter seems to well up and then freeze in one’s throat.
All the stories are accompanied by the author’s drawings. These are beautifully executed miniatures, subtly disturbing and intricately detailed. It is fascinating to catch a glimpse into the author’s own mental picture of the scenes and characters he depicts in his fiction. The author’s mock compact-disc front cover boasting a menacing portrait of Hitler completes its unnerving overall impression.

With the publication of THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES OF ADOLF HITLER AND OTHER STRANGE STORIES we see further evidence of the long overdue revival of British supernatural literature since the death of Robert Aickman. Reggie Oliver has now taken his rightful place at the forefront of that revival.

[David A. Riley]

Two excellent reviews of Reggie Oliver's first collections. Having read both books myself I can fully concur with everything both Ramsey and Mark have said about them.

Fortunately all the stories in these scarce and now extremely expensive books will shortly be available in a 900 page collection of Oliver's stories, which will also include those in Madder Mysteries and his Ash-Tree Press collecxtion. Unfortunately this will itself be a fairly expensive, if luxuriously printed volume. Although I have heard the author is hoping for a much cheaper paperback copy (or copies) to follow, giving far more people access to Reggie Oliver's brilliant stories.

David

[weirdmonger]

Feb 16, 2010 7:14:56 GMT David A. Riley said:

Two excellent reviews of Reggie Oliver's first collections. Having read both books myself I can fully concur with everything both Ramsey and Mark have said about them.

Please count me on that, too.
des

[stephenbacon]

Wow, David, that's great news.

In fact, it's a shot in the arm for the genre in general (especially a cheaper softcover version, to make the work more accessible to the non-collector).

[Dr Terror]

I noticed there's a copy of The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler and Other Strange Stories on Amazon. The asking price a mere £1,216-12p.

[weirdmonger]

Jul 24, 2011 23:18:07 GMT Dr Terror said:

I noticed there's a copy of The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler and Other Strange Stories on Amazon. The asking price a mere £1,216-12p.

I have that book! Quite cheaply some years ago!

As far as I can see, there are three brand new Reggie Oliver stories come out in the last few weeks:

QUIETA NON MOVERE - The 8th Black Book of Horror

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE DAMNED - The Master in Cafe Morphine

FLOWERS OF THE SEA - The HA of HA

des

[David A. Riley]

Jul 25, 2011 7:12:30 GMT weirdmonger said:

Jul 24, 2011 23:18:07 GMT Dr Terror said:

I noticed there's a copy of The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler and Other Strange Stories on Amazon. The asking price a mere £1,216-12p.

I have that book! Quite cheaply some years ago!

As far as I can see, there are three brand new Reggie Oliver stories come out in the last few weeks:

QUIETA NON MOVERE - The 8th Black Book of Horror

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE DAMNED - The Master in Cafe Morphine

FLOWERS OF THE SEA - The HA of HA

des

I have it too. And a damned fine book it is - well worth having.

Checked it up on Abe Books and there are only two available worldwide. One, presumably unsigned, is from Cold Tonnage Books at £247.50. There is a signed copy from Robin Summers for £450.00. As, apart from the signature, they both appear to be fine copies, RO's signature must be worth £200! (Glad I got mine signed by him at the World Horror Convention)

There is also another story of RO's out recently, in Bite Sized Horror: Brighton Redemption.