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Post by David A. Riley on Dec 3, 2018 17:56:44 GMT
Only read the Farnsworth Wright story so far and enjoyed its short but punchy four pages!
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 4, 2018 5:52:40 GMT
Day four
"Where would you find a house like this today? But to Alisa, the closet was a place of terror."
I enjoyed Frost's Monster with a Thousand Faces every bit as much as his "The Werewolf Theme in Weird Fiction" and his The Essential Guide to Mummy Literature. It's a fantastic resource for identifying new reading material. For example, now I want to track down a copy of Dona Tolson's "Nice Old House," "in which the new tenant of a spooky old house is ......" Indeed she is! For Mr. Brewer, in case he's not yet read it, and for anyone else who likes their vampires nice and comfy to sit on...
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Post by ripper on Dec 4, 2018 9:07:55 GMT
Good story. I liked how the author presented the closet as the threat to Alissa, yet it was far more insidious than that. Also, Joel seems to have been seduced by the house--perhaps the house is in love with him? I have to say that this has been a very strong start to this year's calendar.
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Post by johnnymains on Dec 4, 2018 12:17:00 GMT
This is my face so far, strong start out of the gate from the adcal man!
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Post by helrunar on Dec 4, 2018 20:33:03 GMT
So far, my favorite of the tales has been Moonlight Sonata. It was short, slightly but not overwhelmingly fruity, and had a great punchline.
It was interesting to read something by Farnsworth Wright. The histrionics made me think of a silent film. The description of the house itself was the part I found most effective.
I look forward to reading the story by Dona Tolson, an author who is new to me.
cheers, H.
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 5, 2018 7:46:04 GMT
Day five
As recently exhumed by the excellent Mike Ashley for his Glimpses Of The Unknown: Lost Ghost Stories (British Library, 2018). Hugh Estrel Wright's's powerful slice of bench-life Gothic, approaching it's 100th birthday, still topical. Many thanks to Dr. Strange for alerting us to this one!
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Post by dem bones on Dec 5, 2018 10:09:26 GMT
Two grim little tales for a Monday morning. I particularly liked The Closing Hand, and The Fiend of the Seine has some delicious irony with no-one getting away unscathed. Only read the Farnsworth Wright story so far and enjoyed its short but punchy four pages! I don't think I was ever aware that Farnsworth Wright wrote tales--and I think I must have remarked about that singular fact when you did the "first year of Weird Tales" thread. I'm intrigued and perhaps--a bit apprehensive? In all, Edwin Baird published four Farnsworth Wright stories during his brief Weird Tales editorship. Be warned, they're far from the worst material Baird saw fit to run - some of it is truly dreadful! A fifth, The Great Panjandrum ("African Voodoo and Chicago Spirit Made a Hero Out of George Washington") appeared in the Nov. 1924 issue as by 'Francis Hard.' 'The Closing Hand' anticipates the 'Phantom Footsteps' interlude in Michael Arlen's The Gentleman From America ( The Tatler, Christmas 1924) by over a year, though I'd imagine the premise was ancient long before either. Dona Tolson is a bit of a mystery. 'Nice Old House' seems to be her/ his (?) only published work.
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Post by ripper on Dec 5, 2018 11:00:42 GMT
I agree with Dem about The Closing Hand. The basic idea has the feeling of an urban legend about it imo.
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Post by ripper on Dec 5, 2018 11:37:53 GMT
On the Embankment bolsters the strong opening to this year's calendar imo. I liked the atmosphere that the author created and the characters of the tramps.
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Post by Swampirella on Dec 5, 2018 15:35:44 GMT
I agree with Ripper about On The Embankment; I certainly wasn't expecting the twist, truly delightful! The previous stories were good but for me this one tops them. Many thanks to you, Dem, and everyone involved in the 2018 Calendar!
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 6, 2018 8:06:17 GMT
Day Six Chrissie Demant
Victorian vileness time. Many thanks to James Doig for providing today's ghastly pdf, a folksy horror vignette by 'D.B.W', can't make its mind up if it wants to be a certain Frederick Marryat story or Dracula's Guest (which it pre-empts). Thanks also to the lovely bride of dem for providing the illustration. Attachments:The Vampire.pdf (474.42 KB)
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Post by johnnymains on Dec 6, 2018 8:20:20 GMT
Chrissie is a serious talent! And a fun and grisly vignette.
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Post by ripper on Dec 6, 2018 10:08:37 GMT
Crikey, Dem wasn't kidding when he spoke of The Vampire's echoes of Marryat and Dracula's Guest. Also, the author can't seem to quite decide the nature of the fiend--vampire or wehr-wolf (that's the first time I have seen that spelling). Well done to James for finding this one, and we are lucky to have Chrissie to provide such striking illustrations.
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Post by helrunar on Dec 6, 2018 20:48:47 GMT
I read the two latest stories on my lunch break today. "The Vampire" reminded me of the old Greek legends about the Empousa. Scroll down for some interesting citations from ancient sources here: www.theoi.com/Phasma/Empousai.htmlI thought the Hugh Esterel Wright Embankment tale was one of the best entries in any of the Vault series. It had a vividness and fluency that made it seem very plausible. Wright was an actor. There is a nice photo of him here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_E._Wright He died young, aged 60--the age I am now, so it seems young to me! Many thanks to Dem for all the hard work, and to Mrs Dem for the marvelous drawing for the old vampire legend. cheers, H.
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
|
Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 7, 2018 9:47:51 GMT
Day seven Virgil Finlay ( The Girdle, Weird Terror Tales #3, Fall 1970) "Strange power had this belt of human skin, which was worn by Sir John's son in the trenches." Another of the great Weird Tales/ Not At Night one-hit wonders. To best of my knowledge, Joseph McCord's strange and bloody account of how a WWI fashion victim went down fighting was his sole contribution to supernatural literature.
Other stuff.
Chrissie asked me to say thank you for the kind comments about her work.
Appeal to contemporary authors, artists, and other undesirables. We've still got untold vacant slots to fill!
R.I.P. Pete Shelley.
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