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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jul 7, 2008 8:39:39 GMT
From the contents, this looks like Ramsey's tribute to Ghosts & Scholars magazine. I'm assuming the Rosemary Pardoe contribution is the same The James Gang mentioned in the biblio aids section, but was it updated for the occasion? The James Gang feature is the same, though it has been expanded (though Ro points out in her intro, it's not a thorough revision) with some additional titles that came to light between the publication of the original list and the publication of "Meddling With Ghosts". There was a time when I was using this version of the James Gang as a shopping list for stories to seek out.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jul 7, 2008 8:31:36 GMT
The really pretty wonderful television adaptation of this has come out on DVD recently. Well worth checking out, even if it's just to be amazed at the kind of complex, intelligent, risky storytelling they used to be able to get away with in a childrens' programme.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 30, 2008 11:19:35 GMT
It's Angus Hall Week at the Vault!... If you say so... Again too long since I read it, but here's a cover and blurb: First published as Qualtrough by Herbert Jenkins, 1968; this Sphere edition, 1969 Dedicated to Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962) From the cover: "Lydia Crosse was brutally dead. "No-one suggested that Adam Crosse, beneath the respectable exterior of a suburban reporter was a psychopathic killer. "Adam had a perfect alibi. At the hour of her death he had an appointment with a man named Qualtrough, and witnesses to prove it. Qualtrough didn't exist because Adam invented him. He enjoyed his newfound freedom and his new mistress. "Until the stranger arrived. The stranger who said his name was Qualtrough." * ...Extremely good. Mr Hall carries us most convincingly into terrifying uncomfortable cerebral territory at compulsive pace. We watch the perfect murder calculatingly conceived, detachedly carried out.Books & Bookmen ExcellentThe Sun Spine ChillingGlasgow Times I wonder if I should have started a new thread? Nah, keep quiet and nobody will notice."Deathday" was adapted for television as part of the fourth and final series of "Out of the Unknown", when they'd moved away from pure science fiction into more psychological and supernatural horror areas. Robert Laing played Crosse and Qualtrough was renamed Quilter. I have the book, but haven't read it, so I don't know how far the adaptation strays, but Angus Hall seemingly hated it.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 20, 2008 14:57:27 GMT
The GuideA grandparent, on holiday with his family, buys a guidebook by M.R. James which he finds has been annotated in pencil. By James himself, or someone who followed him? A meeting with something that inhabits a ruined church makes everything clear. A great favourite of mine since I first encountered it, read by Ramsey himself, on the BFI's DVD of "Whistle and I'll Come to You". A brilliant tribute to, and pastiche of, MRJ. I wonder if the name of the protagonist, Kew, is a reference to Karl Edward Wagner?
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 20, 2008 13:28:26 GMT
Just tidying up my house at lunchtime and amongst a pile of old junk mail and bank statements (much the same thing, sadly) I happened across a package I'd previously missed, which, to my delight, contained a copy of FC No.4. So, first of all, my apologies to Rog for not thanking him sooner. Very much appreciated, Rog. Looking forward to reading this one over the weekend. Nice to see a couple of stories I'd previously enjoyed in the workshop ("Character" and "The Snakes Inside") and I'm keen to crack on with the rest. Really like the cover and the illustrations are up to the usual very high standards - I particularly like the one of the girl climbing the ladder. Haven't had much opportunity to post of late for a number of reasons (including forgetting my password so I couldn't log-on during... ahem... work hours) but there'll be more to follow once I've had a chance to read the whole issue.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 18, 2008 20:46:55 GMT
Another outstanding cover and a nice twist on the good old Wheatley ones. And an enticing selection of stories and authors. Congratulations to all involved and to Charlie for drawing it all together.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 18, 2008 20:44:17 GMT
Benedict, many thanks for the kind words about "Shalt Thou..?" and "The Crimson Picture". I'm delighted you enjoyed them.
As Charles points out, Dr Lawrence did indeed appear in "The Shadow in the Stacks" in the Second BHF Book of Horror. He's not in "They That Dwell In Dark Places" in the first volume, however, though the story inhabits the same fictional "universe" as the Lawrence stories and does have connections to "Stacks" and "The Crimson Picture" (as well as another couple of stories that were originally written as radio scripts and I'm currently rewriting as short stories).
I'm rather fond of Lawrence, so I'm sure we'll be hearing from him again.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 12, 2008 19:15:40 GMT
Christopher Wood (ed.) - The First BHF Book Of Horror Stories (BHF, 2006) I think mine could well be a proof copy as tucked away at the back, and directly after a printer error alert, there's an extract from something called Gory Tales From England's Gaols which certainly doesn't show up in the credits list. This caused some speculation on the BHF Board at the time, though the Error Code 666 was a bit of a giveaway that this was the equivalent of a DVD Easter Egg. Chris later revealed that it was an extract from the novel he was working on.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:11:08 GMT
Originally posted by demonik
A personal favourite, from #12 (March 1990) is Kathleen J. Patterson - The Abbot: Bodmincoombe Cathedral, Cornwall. Annie playfully embraces the skeletal remains of Abbot Colwyn, receives a cut lip for her trouble and "Oh, how awful. He looks like he died of the plague" ....
In the local pub, one of the locals helpfully insists on relating the grim history of the thirteenth century "vampire abbot", done to death in secret for his "monstrous crimes." It unnerves Annie and companion Edwin enough for them to decide on playing it safe and leaving Bodmincoombe the following morning. Let's hope they're in time.
Never let it be said that G & S was too genteel and civilised to run a deliciously nasty out-and-out horror story.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:09:18 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 12 (1990) Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Assistant Editor - David Rowlands (Fiction) A Haunted Library Publication CONTENTS – “The Fenstanton Witch” by M.R. James A complete, rough draft of a plot described by MRJ in "Stories I Have Tried to Write", concerning “two Students of King's College… and their nocturnal expedition to a witch at Fenstanton and of how… they learned of the witch’s death, and of what they saw seated upon her newly-dug grave.” Another major Jamesian find for G&S, this story was transcribed by Ro Pardoe from the draft, in MRJ’s appalling handwriting, that exists in the Cambridge University Library. A slightly revised version was later published in the 1999 Haunted Library booklet “The Fenstanton Witch and Others” and a subsequent revision is available on the G&S website. “Water From The Well” by A.F. Kidd Mr Lindsay, in his efforts to catalogue the various notices and rules adorning the ringing chambers of the various churches in his diocese, finds himself at the Abbey Church in Norchester, where Mr Williamson reveals the strange history of the old well that can be seen from the tower. As long as the well is on hallowed ground, it will give fresh water. But, when plans are made to change the boundaries round the churchyard, nightmare visions of crawling shapes afflict the people of Norchester and something within the well begins to stir. “King John’s Ditch” by David G. Rowlands A newspaper report about the finding of a prehistoric ditch in Cambridge has Moulder thinking back to his own early days at the choir school, when his errands to the music suppliers in town had led to his own discovery of that ditch and the guardian who stands watch over the treasure concealed there. And, now that diggings threaten to uncover the long-buried secret, he has a task to perform. “Jamesian Notes & Queries” “The Old Rectory, Great Livermere” by Roger Nicholson, detailing a recent visit to MRJ’s former home. “Lost Hearts” by Victor Warren, concerning confusion over the age of the intended victim. “Some Thoughts on The Five Jars and After Dark In The Playing Fields” by Rosemary Pardoe, linking aspects of MRJ’s children’s novel and the short story. “The Abbot” by Kathleen J. Patterson Edwin’s wife, Annie, makes the mistake of jokingly embracing the effigy on the tomb of Abbot Colwin. Only Edwin sees the effigy’s bony arms return the embrace, and when Annie finds her lip bleeding, they decide to find somewhere with more life about it than the gloomy old cathedral. But, in the pub, they meet the visiting anthropologist, Alexander McLaren, who has studied the legends that suggest the Abbot was some form of vampire. “Writers In The James Tradition No.9 – Edmund Crispin" by Roger Johnson Edmund Crispin (1921-78), was the pen-name of Robert Bruce Montgomery, who, as Bruce Montgomery, was a composer of film music (including the early “Carry On” films). As an author, he specialized in detective fiction, creating the character Gervase Fen, and his crime fiction, including two ghost stories, carries frequent traces of MRJ’s influence. Notes: “Martin’s Close” The 1987 World’s Classics collection “Casting The Runes And Other Ghost Stories” featured 21 of MRJ’s tales with extensive notes by Michael Cox. The remaining 12 stories are the subject of this series, with notes compiled by Rosemary Pardoe, David Rowlands, John Alfred Taylor and Ron Weighell. “Martin’s Close: The Wimsey Connection” by Dorothy L. Sayers A letter sent by the acclaimed mystery author to “The Eton Chronicle” in 1937 after a request for correspondence relating to some of MRJ’s stories. The letter, apparently sent at the behest of Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey, is taken from the family archives and concerns a certain Lord Charles Wimsey’s encounter in prison with the murderous George Martin from MRJ’s tale. "A Warning To The Curious, Part Five" by David Rowlands Focussing on a few of the rare attempts at full length Jamesian novels, including Kingsley Amis’s “The Green Man”, John Gordon’s “The House On The Brink” and “The Ghost On The Hill” and H.F. Heard’s “The Black Fox”. Reviews – “Bone To His Bone: The Stoneground Ghost Tales of E.G. Swain” introduced by Michael Cox “Antique Dust: Ghost Stories by Robert Westall” “Post Mortem: New Tales of Ghostly Horror” edited by Paul F. Olson & David B. Silva “Spectral Tales 2” edited by Robert M. Price “Adversary” by Daniel Rhodes ILLUSTRATIONS- Jim Pitts (Front cover) Dallas Goffin Alan Hunter Allen Koszowski Tony Patrick
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:08:02 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 11 (1989) Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Assistant Editor - David Rowlands (Fiction) A Haunted Library Publication Dallas Goffin CONTENTS – “The Prize” by Roger Johnson Roy Plummer’s aunt, Penny, solves the treasure hunt set in the pages of Charles Device’s book, “Sorcerous” (a similar hunt to the one set by Kit Williams’ “Masquerade”) and is entitled to the silver reproduction of the Iron Age Celtic Gundestrup cauldron. The only problem is that she had found the answer by a sheer fluke and Dr Venetia Caracalla, who had solved the puzzle correctly, insists that she should be given the cauldron as her rightful prize. And, when Penny refuses, the nightmares begin. “Vox Humana” by Anonymous (David Rowlands) Mr Batchel finds the routine at the church in Stoneground disrupted when, following an infestation of woodworm, the organ is dismantled and the bones of a former church organist, Jeremiah Hoxlea, are found buried beneath it. Another E.G. Swain pastiche from the limited edition “More Stoneground Ghost Tales”. “The Resurrection Brass” by Ron Weighell The large brass revealed by the removal of some pews in the Cornish church is certainly gruesome enough, with its “cadavers of a man and woman wrapped in shrouds, open to reveal masses of worms devouring their flesh.” But, when Marden and his wife attempt rubbings of the figures, it is the repulsive reptilian creature that is revealed in the rubbing that causes most alarm. “Writers In The James Tradition No.8 – Margery Lawrence" by Richard Dalby Margery Lawrence (1889-1969), whose deep interest in spiritualism and own psychic abilities informed many of her tales, created the psychic doctor Miles Pennoyer and wrote such highly regarded tales as “The Haunted Saucepan” and “The Woozle”, as well as pre-empting Erich Von Daniken with the novel length “The Tomorrow of Yesterday”. “The Passing Of The Ghost Story” by L.T.C. Rolt A 1956 article for “The Saturday Book” by the author of “Sleep No More”, taking in Shakespeare, Le Fanu, MRJ and others, bemoaning the current quality of ghostly literature. “A Meeting With Tom Rolt” by David Rowlands Charming anecdote of a childhood encounter with Rolt where, on sighting the young Rowlands reading “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary”, he had suggested other works by James, Munby and Malden, while being too modest to mention his own stories. Notes: “The Ash Tree” The 1987 World’s Classics collection “Casting The Runes And Other Ghost Stories” featured 21 of MRJ’s tales with extensive notes by Michael Cox. The remaining 12 stories are the subject of this series, with notes compiled by Rosemary Pardoe, David Rowlands, John Alfred Taylor and Ron Weighell. "A Warning To The Curious, Part Four" by David Rowlands Some warnings against writers who are included in the “James List” but whose works are not overly Jamesian or overly good, including Rosalie Muspratt (excepting “The Seeker of Souls”), Perceval Landon (except “Thurnley Abbey”), J. Cecil Maby, (except “The Return of Roderick St John) and H.F. Gerald Heard (except “Dromenon” and parts of others). Reviews - ”The Illustrated J.S. Le Fanu” selected and introduced by Michael Cox “Next, After Lucifer” by Daniel Rhodes “Warning Whispers: New Weird Tales by A.M Burrage” selected and introduced by Jack Adrian “The Flint Knife: Further Spook Stories by E.F. Benson” selected and introduced by Jack Adrian “E.F. Benson: As He Was” by Geoffrey Palmer & Noel Lloyd “In The Dark: Tales Of Terror by E. Nesbitt” edited by Hugh Lamb “Gaslit Nightmares” edited by Hugh Lamb “Hawksmoor” by Kerry Downes ILLUSTRATIONS- Dallas Goffin (Front cover) Alan Hunter Allen Koszowski Nick Maloret Jim Pitts A.F. Kidd
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:06:42 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 10 (1988) Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Assistant Editors - David Rowlands (Fiction) & Maureen Porter (Reviews) A Haunted Library Publication CONTENTS – “Againbite” by Ron Weighell Archeological excavations at Welchester Cathedral uncover a series of Anglo-Saxon tombs and, amongst the bones of long-dead bishops, is found a skull from which a circle of bone has been cut to make an amulet. When a further tomb, containing the curiously preserved remains of a Pagan Chieftain, is opened, it may be a mistake to remove the circle of bone from between the dead man’s teeth. “The Melodrama” by Roger Johnson A series of letters from Lucy Underwood to her friend, Alice, reveal how the popular tale of Maria Marten’s Murder in the Red Barn may not be quite as the legend tells it. And, when a travelling theatrical company’s production of “The Murder of Maria Marten” visits the location of the crime, there may just be more players on the stage than the script calls for and other crimes may be awaiting punishment. “Sported Oak” by Alan W. Lear Dr Tulliver is asked by the College Bursar to keep a watchful eye on Professor Meyrick, the Medieval Historian, who is spending far more time than is considered healthy behind closed doors with an undergraduate named Brome. While the college may be wary of scandal if such a dalliance continues, Tulliver’s encounters with a white beast that flops along the ground and wind-blown newspapers that wrap around a person’s face and grow fingers and mouths suggest that “Enough is most decidedly enough.” "Jamesian Notes & Queries" Schalken the Panting: by Rosemary Pardoe, on the location of the painting referred to in Le Fanu’s story. “Writers In The James Tradition No.7 – M.P. Dare" by Geoffrey K. Nelson Marcus Paul Dare (1902-62), wrote “Unholy Relics”, a collection of thirteen tales. A genuine student of the occult, Dare’s life appears to have been a puzzle, as certain claims about his education and career were as fictional as his ghosts, while he was sent to prison repeatedly for stealing from churches, bookshops and libraries. Notes: “Lost Hearts” The 1987 World’s Classics collection “Casting The Runes And Other Ghost Stories” featured 21 of MRJ’s tales with extensive notes by Michael Cox. The remaining 12 stories are the subject of this new series, with notes compiled by Rosemary Pardoe, David Rowlands, John Alfred Taylor and Ron Weighell. "A Warning To The Curious, Part Three" by David Rowlands Focussing on works by H. Russell Wakefield, Arthur Gray, Roger Pater (whose ecclesiastical ghost stories are an acknowledged influence on Rowlands’ tales of Father O’Connor) and Sir T.G. Jackson. Reviews - ”Ghosts & Scholars”, edited by Richard Dalby and Rosemary Pardoe “Suffolk And Norfolk” by M.R. James “Masters Of Fantasy 3: M.R. James” edited by Richard Dalby and produced by David Sutton “White Chappell – Scarlet Tracings” by Iain Sinclair “Chatterton” by Peter Ackroyd “The Virago Book Of Ghost Stories” edited by Richard Dalby, introduction by Jennifer Uglow “A Demon On The Stairs” by Leslie Halliwell “The Third Book Of After Midnight Stories” edited by Amy Myers “Dracula’s Brood” edited by Richard Dalby “George MacDonald” by William Raeper (Brief Notes on “The Ghost Stories of M.R. James” (Brompton Books) and “A Warning To The Curious”, selected by Ruth Rendell.) ILLUSTRATIONS- Alan Hunter (Front cover) Allen Koszowski Ros Calverley Nick Maloret Stella Hender Jim Pitts Nick Blinko
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:05:17 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 9 (1987) Tony Patrick - The Ash Tree Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Assistant Editors - David Rowlands (Fiction) & Maureen Porter (Reviews) A Haunted Library Publication CONTENTS – "Echoes From The Abbey" by Sheila Hodgson Monty James reflects on the dangers of accepting invitations from acquaintances whose motives may not be as honourable as one might wish. In particular, there was the Christmas he spent at an out of season boarding school on the invitation of a former pupil of his who had now become headmaster. The school itself is next to a ruined abbey, where the monks went to extreme lengths to conceal their treasure. Can it be those same long gone monks who now whisper and chant amongst the ruins? Sheila Hodgson adapts her own 1984 radio play, featuring M.R.J. as the lead, one of several Jamesian pastiches she wrote inspired by the essay "Stories I Have Tried To Write". In this case, the inspiration is, "There may be possibilities, too, in the Christmas cracker, if the right people pull it, and if the motto which they find inside has the right message on it. They will probably leave the party early, pleading indisposition; but very likely a previous engagement of long standing would be the more truthful excuse." Sheila Hodgson's Jamesian stories were later collected in the Ash Tree Press volume, "The Fellow Travellers and Other Stories". "Maresfield" by A.F. Kidd It does not take the artist, Mr Howard, long to regret picking the apparently picturesque spot known as Maresfield to build his dream house. First come the accidents that bedevil the building work but, worse, are the bad dreams that follow when the house is complete. And when guests refuse to remain for any length of time and Howard becomes convinced that he is not alone in his empty house, what his friend, Richards, uncovers about the history of "Mares Field" does not make happy reading. Another of "Chico's" stories that was later collected in "Summoning Knells and Other Inventions"; I quickly regretted reading this particular story after midnight on a night when my wife was visiting her parents and I was alone in the house. "Jamesian Notes & Queries" The first edition of a column which is still running in the Ghosts & Scholars Newsletter to this day. The first note is on "A Quotation from J.S. Le Fanu" by Victor H. Warren, referring to a long-standing misprint in "The House by the Churchyard" which was quoted by M.R.J. in "Some Remarks on Ghost Stories". "Endor" by John Alfred Taylor A series of diary extracts reveal how a husband's honeymoon present to his young bride of an antique travel desk conceals a hidden 'treasure' of a set of hieroglyph-inscribed tiles. And, when the bride finds herself going into trances while handling the tiles, and when a lurking figure makes its presence felt, the notorious Julian Dement, "who is supposed to have been a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn and an ally of wicked Mr Crowley" is asked for his opinion. “Writers In The James Tradition No.6 – R.H. Malden" by Roger Johnson Introduction to Richard Henry Malden (1879-1951), who came to know MRJ at Cambridge and went on to write the highly regarded collection, "Nine Ghosts", as well as authoring a number of historical and theological works. "Some Thoughts on the Supernatural Writings of J.S. Le Fanu and M.R. James" by Albert Power Article examining similarities and affinities between the works of M.R.J. and the writer he considered "stands absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories"; focussing on 'Ominous Subtlety', 'The Needlessly Severe Turn of the Screw' and 'Oblique, Yet Concise, Descriptive Style'. "A Warning To The Curious, Part Two" by David Rowlands Continuing the series of articles designed as a guide to which books and authors G&S readers may wish to seek out when looking to collect other works in a Jamesian vein. E.F. Benson and A.M. Burrage are two covered in this edition. Reviews - "The Ghost Stories of M.R. James" selected and introduced by Michael Cox "M.R. James: 'Casting The Runes' and Other Ghost Stories" edited by Michael Cox "A Warning To The Curious: The Ghost Stories of M.R. James", selected and introduced by Ruth Rendell "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories" selected by Michael Cox and R.A. Gilbert "Supernatural Tales" by Vernon Lee "Supernatural Sleuths" edited by Peter Haining "The Tale of an Empty House, and Other Ghost Stories" by E.F. Benson; edited by Cynthia Reavell, introduction by Susan Hill "The River Runs Uphill" by Robert Aickman "L.T.C. Rolt: A Bibliography" compiled by Ian Rogerson and Gordon Maxim, with the assistance of Sonia Rolt; edited & introduction by Mark Baldwin "A Demon Close Behind" by Leslie Halliwell "Dark Encounters" by William Croft Dickinson "The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural" edited by Jack Sullivan (Also received: "M.R. James: An Informal Portrait" by Michael Cox – "The second Book of After Midnight Stories" edited by Amy Myers) ILLUSTRATIONS- Tony Patrick (Front cover) Allen Koszowski Alan Hunter Colin Langeveld Ros Calverley
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:03:42 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 8 (1986) Alan Koszowski: There Was A Man Dwelt By A Churchyard Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Assistant Editors - David Rowlands (Fiction) & Maureen Porter (Reviews) A Haunted Library Publication CONTENTS – "Bishop Asgarth's Chantry" by Ron Weighell Wilberforce Collins, an amateur antiquary, pries a little too closely into the dark recesses of an abandoned church once associated with a most disreputable "Bishop". Why does the cross on the pendant he finds in the altar resemble writhing serpents and what is it that he encounters in his hotel room at night? I'm mainly familiar with Ron Weighell's work through some excellent Sherlock Holmes pastiches, including one in which Holmes is put on the scent of a mystery by none other than M.R. James (collected in "The Irregular Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Calabash Press). The apparition in "Bishop Asgarth's Chantry" is terrific and there's a real jolt when it rears its head. "The Hare" by 'B' Magdalene College student Dick Bramwell finds his rooms have a somewhat sinister atmosphere and, when a strange animal apparition is seen, grows to realise that a small, bricked up doorway in the corner might conceal the reason. From 1911 to 1914, Magdalene College Magazine published seven ghost stories by 'B' (whom the editor suggests is likely to have been A.C. Benson). The Haunted Library published five of these in "When The Door Is Shut". The current story wasn't among them but all seven can be found on the G&S website. "The Godmother" by Tina Rath When Sukey is taken to work with Mrs Paget, her godmother, who is housekeeper at a great country house, she isn't put to work as a maid and it seems that the master of the house has other plans for her. Can the master's strange requests be because he is so ill that he cannot even venture out by daylight? After all, why else would he require his housekeeper and her niece to join him in the grounds after midnight? “Writers In The James Tradition No.5 – Cecil Binney” by Richard Dalby Brief introduction to the old Etonian author of "The Saint and the Vicar" (born 1897, died 1966), who also published several books on legal matters, plus a number of lighter pieces under the pseudonym 'Ambrose Hoopington', a previously unpublished example of which follows. “The Colonel's Tale" by 'Ambrose Hoopington' (Cecil Binney) By a roaring fire, the Colonel tells the story of the pseudonymous 'Binks', and how he and his married friend, Christine, encountered an entity with particular views on the sanctity of marriage. “An M.R. James Letter" by Jack Adrian A 1928 letter from MRJ detailing his views on many works of weird and supernatural fiction, aided by a handy copy of "a disquisition of nearly 40 pages of double columns on Supernatural Horror in Literature by one H.P. Lovecraft, whose style is of the most offensive. He uses the word cosmic about 24 times." While the letter is enormously interesting, Jack Adrian's story of how he came to possess a copy is equally intriguing, when a friend and fellow collector (who also happened to be one of the brothers who inspired the creation of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys) casually mentioned that he thought his copies of the various MRJ ghost story collections might just be signed by the man himself, he having been at Eton when MRJ was Provost and having corresponded with the great man since then. Reviews - "When Dusk Comes Creeping" by Lanyon Jones "Hawksmoor" by Peter Ackroyd "Night Voices" by Robert Aickman "The Edge of the World" by John Gordon "The Witch of Lagg" by Ann Cheetham "The Ghosts in the Attic" by Betty Ren Wright "Some Remarks on Ghost Stories" by M.R. James "As We Were" by E.F. Benson "The Devil's Looking Glass" by Simon Rees "Catch Your death and Other Ghost Stories" by John Gordon "After Midnight Tales" edited by Amy Myers "Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories" edited by Roald Dahl "A Warning To The Curious, Part One" by David Rowlands Subtitled "A Critical Look at the James List", this series of articles was designed to serve as a guide to which books and authors G&S readers may wish to seek out if they were looking to collect other works in a Jamesian vein. If only the prices mentioned were still the same! ILLUSTRATIONS- Allen Koszowski (Front cover) Alan Hunter Colin Langeveld Nick Maloret Tony Patrick Jim Pitts Dave Carson
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 20, 2007 12:00:26 GMT
GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 7 (1985) Alan Hunter: A Night In King's College Chapel Editor - Rosemary Pardoe Editorial Consultants - David Rowlands & Harold Cranford A Haunted Library Publication CONTENTS – “A Night In King’s College Chapel” by M.R. James Introduction by Michael Halls A short, humorous tale by MRJ, in which the figures in the stained glass windows of the college chapel come to life after dark. This story has been reprinted several times since, but the current publication sees it making its first appearance in print, with an introduction and footnotes by Dr Michael Halls, Modern Archivist at King’s, who estimates the date of the manuscript as 1892. “An Error Of Long Standing” by George Hay A visitor to the vicarage at St Rollo’s discovers that an inscription in the summerhouse is linked to recurring tragedy in the village and a persistent supernatural visitor who seems destined to repeat a fatal mistake. “Footsteps” by Peter Shilston Mrs Walters, the landlady, always picks the same week to go away on holiday and always insists her lodging students do the same. However, James Martin has no intention of leaving and plans to have a guest of his own at the boarding house. But it may be a mistake putting his friend Edward into that one room Mrs Walters never lets out and always keeps locked. “M.R. James On J.S. Le Fanu” An article adapted from the lecture MRJ presented at the Royal Institution of Great Britain on March 16th 1923 on “The Novels and Stories of J. Sheridan Le Fanu”. “Writers In The James Tradition No.4 – E.G. Swain” by Rosemary Pardoe An introduction to the life and works of Edmund Gill Swain (1861-1938), friend and contemporary of MRJ and author of “Stoneground Ghost Tales”, a collection of nine stories set in the town of Stoneground, based on Stanground near Peterborough, where Swain was vicar for a time. Eight of the tales featured Mr Batchel, vicar of Stoneground, based on Swain himself and the volume was dedicated to MRJ. “From The Diggings” by Anonymous (David Rowlands) The excavations for the local rail workings yield up a bronze spearhead which Mr Batchel brings home to the vicarage library. However, an attempt to catch a member of the household in the act of light pilfering reveals that something else has come looking for its property. In lieu of a genuine E.G. Swain Stoneground Tale, a selection is made of an “anonymous tale” which was “published in a mysterious booklet entitled “More Stoneground Ghost Tales”, issued in a very limited edition in 1983.” “Two Masters – M.R. James And The ‘Times’ Correspondence” by Ron Weighell An article re-examing the 1932 correspondence between MRJ and the ‘Times’ over an article which claimed that a triptych of the Annunciation from an Aix-en-Provence church contained Satanic symbols. Reviews - “More Ghost Stories by M.R. James” read by Michael Hordern “The Penguin Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James” “The Penguin Book Of Ghost Stories” edited by J.A. Cuddon “Break Of Dark” by Robert Westall “The Travelling Grave” by L.P. Hartley “Essays In Book-Collecting” by John R. Gretton Mark Dunn: From The Diggings ILLUSTRATIONS- Alan Hunter (also Front Cover - “A Night In King’s College Chapel”) Allen Koszowski Russ Nicholson Nick Malloret Thomas Bewick Mark Dunn
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