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Post by dem bones on Jun 24, 2009 11:58:15 GMT
Some way to go before he is out of copyright, but I just wanted to say that (I think) Walter de la Mare needs a modern (i.e. inexpensive) anthology. I caveat that statement only because I've actually read so few of his short stories ("Seaton's Aunt" of course, "All Hallows", "Bad Company", and - best of all - "A:B:O"), and they may be the best of his work. Apparently, though he wrote "at least 40" supernatural stories (so Wikipedia says, so it must be true). E. F. Bleiler also makes it 40 (including the novels), all of which he rates highly. i'm no judge of good or bad, but, of the dozen or so i've read, along with Seaton's Aunt, A.B.O and Bad Company, i enjoyed Crewe and Mr. Kempe (a recluse who delights in photographing the smashed bodies of those who fell to their death while crossing the treacherous pathway to his cliff-top home. I'm sure i've seen it dismissed as 'crude horror' or some-such, although not by EFB) and something called The Looking Glass which, try for the life of me, i can't remember a thing about. Likewise Out Of The Deep which would appear to be unanimously well regarded.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jun 24, 2009 12:48:41 GMT
That just makes it even more annoying that I don't have more of his stuff on my bookshelves. You can't just drop in the phrase "crude horror" and not expect some drooling around here.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 24, 2009 15:15:39 GMT
It wasn't exactly 'crude horror' - that's Bleiler's favourite term of disdain (usually reserved for the Not At Night's, Creeps and early Pan Horror's - but i read some negative opinion of it, i'm sure it was from a De La Mare enthusiast, who felt the story was unworthy of him or some such tosh. I thought it was brilliant although, admittedly, that's hardly a recommendation. It's left very open as to whether or not Mr. Kempe is a flesh and blood entity or a ghost. It was once something of a favourite with anthologists but then so were at least half a dozen of De La Mare's better known stories.
I'm with you, Dr Strange. A modern collection of his short ghost fiction would be very welcome, and maybe a reprint of the novel The Return.
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Post by unholyturnip on Jun 30, 2009 16:19:46 GMT
De La Mare is a favourite of mine. He had a real gift for being able to creep you out with nothing actually happening, just by selection of words and omission of info. I suppose he's the stepping stone to Aickman, although he's far more surreal, and more poetic too I think. In some ways, quite a throwback to Poe.
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Post by lordgorse on Sept 12, 2009 20:28:42 GMT
What?!? Wordsworth are gonna bring out Varney The Vampire. I asked them for this about 3 years ago and they said no, so I splurged on the Zittaw edition
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Post by lobolover on Oct 11, 2009 16:51:59 GMT
Most of his work of genre interest is scatered about his colections, which may come for a prety penny . The Connoisseur , bought from anybookworld in the UK howeve came surprisingly cheap, for such an old hardback . You wouldn't believe what wonders an "ex libris" stamp can do . I did have to cut up ten pairs of sheets myself, but that just confirms the sad truth no one ever read this when it was in Weetwood Hall .
Anyway, the book features the celebrated "Mr. Kempe" but also a minor fantasy "The Wharf", the title story which seems based on a saint gathering souls, and "The Lost track" which is an unknown story about a man worshiping a diamond .
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Post by dennistoun on Mar 3, 2010 19:47:44 GMT
Wow! Sorry to bump an old thread, but I was wondering just the other day if there were a way to suggest titles to Wordsworth... and here one is (albeit belatedly for me). Simplest thing to do would be to look through the Ash Tree back catalogue, or a list of the old Equations. But I'd suggest: Margery Lawrence A M Burrage M P Dare Bernard Capes A N L Munby (my Tandem paperback of Alabaster Hand is pretty manky, though the tales are excellent) Frederick Cowles Rose Champion de Crespigny Erckmann-Chatrian assuming Hugh Lamb doesn't have the monopoly on them ) and of course Wakefield...
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Post by dem bones on Mar 6, 2010 8:51:30 GMT
hi dennistoun. it's not been confirmed yet, but a Bernard Capes selection is a "strong possibility" for 2011.
you can also email your recommendations direct to:
DerekATwordsworth-editions.com
or the series editor;
dsdATdavidstuartdavies.com
(Replace the AT with @ ; it's an anti-spam measure)
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Post by monker on Mar 8, 2010 11:23:16 GMT
Simplest thing to do would be to look through the Ash Tree back catalogue, or a list of the old Equations. But I'd suggest: Margery Lawrence A M Burrage M P Dare Bernard Capes A N L Munby (my Tandem paperback of Alabaster Hand is pretty manky, though the tales are excellent) Frederick Cowles Rose Champion de Crespigny Erckmann-Chatrian assuming Hugh Lamb doesn't have the monopoly on them ) and of course Wakefield... Too bad much of it is still in copyright. You should like Margery Lawrence if you aren't already familiar with her stories. I've been sidetracked from the Broster collection by the Ash-Tree 'Nights of the Round Table' by Lawrence and so far, so good. Few of the stories have been anthologised and, oddly, seem to be the lesser tales. I might help start a new thread when I'm done.
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Post by cw67q on Mar 8, 2010 13:20:58 GMT
I liked the Lawrence collections from Ash-tree, but of the three "round tables" tales the first one is by far the strongest. I was slightly let down by the second in the series ( 'the Terraces of Night') as it contained a higher proprotion of themore sentimental type of tale. ML handles theis type of story rather well and the book is a pleasant read. But I found tToN a bit of let down after enjoying NotRT so much (That said I do recommend 'the Dogs of Pembra', which I think may have been athologised. IIRC I thought the last of the three 'Floating Cafe' bettre than TotN but not as good as NotR.
If you are thinking of sampling one of her ATP collections then, I'd strongly recommend the first ('Nights of the Round table'). Unless the Psychic Detective tale is a particular favourite subgenre in which case you might want to try 'the Casebook of Miles Pennoyer' which is one of the better developed of the PD series I've read, the tales being less formulaic than is often the case in tales of this type, perhaps benefiting from their relatively long length.
- chris
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Post by monker on Mar 8, 2010 14:06:20 GMT
Yeah, I got that impression that Dalby sounded more enthusiastic about the first book but I plan on getting all four for completist's sake. I quite enjoy the occult detective story when done well so I should get a kick out of the Miles Pennoyer volume. There's a few uncollected and/or stray stories but I don't know what's the go with Ash-Tree these days so those seem to be on hold indefinitely just like the last of the Burrages. The Woozle from the NotRT was an instant fav'.
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Chuck_G
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 32
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Post by Chuck_G on Mar 17, 2010 23:00:15 GMT
How about the ghost stories of Ralph Adams Cram?
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Post by Steve on Mar 18, 2010 20:27:29 GMT
How about the ghost stories of Ralph Adams Cram? Just been having a look at his Black Spirits and White collection online and quite fancy giving it a go once I've fulfilled my current reading obligations. Thing is, I'm sure I've read 'Sister Maddelena' and 'No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince' at some point but for the life of me can't remember anything about either of them.
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Post by dem bones on Mar 18, 2010 21:21:43 GMT
i read both of 'em fairly recently, the one a tasty a walled-up nun adventure, the other an incredibly vile succubus effort, and bloody good they are too, though my favourite is In Kropfsberg Keep. funny thing, it's arguably his most famous story, A Dead Valley that i can't remember anything about (tried to re-read it twice recently, fell asleep both times - same thing with le Fanu's Shalken The Painter!).
welcome, Chuck, and thanks for the suggestion. Crams is surely in with a great chance with Wordsworth as he fits all the criteria.
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Post by Steve on Mar 18, 2010 21:58:56 GMT
Crams is surely in with a great chance with Wordsworth as he fits all the criteria. The only thing I can think of which would count against him is that, as far as I'm aware, he didn't actually write that many supernatural stories. Wordsworth might struggle to put together a decent sized volume unless they put him on a double bill with someone else.
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