|
Post by dem bones on Jun 24, 2015 11:01:40 GMT
Out now from Gray Friar Press, the eighth volume in the consistently splendid Terror Tales series Paul Finch (ed.) - Terror Tales Of The Scottish Highlands (Gray Friar, June 2015) Neil Williams Ian Hunter - Skye’s Skary Places Phantoms in the Mist Helen Grant - The Dove Prey of the Fin-Folk Barbara Roden - Strone House The Well of Heads Tom Johnstone - Face Down In The Earth The Vanishing William Meikle - The Dreaming God Is Singing Where She Lies The Curse of Scotland Rosie Seymour - The Housekeeper From Out The Hollow Hills Peter Bell - The Executioner Saurians of the Deep John Whitbourn - You Must Be Cold Glamis Castle Sheila Hodgson - The Fellow Travellers Daemonologie Graeme Hurry - Shelleycoat Evil Monsters Craig Herbertson - The Other House, The Other Voice The Mull Plane Mystery DP Watt - Myself/Thyself The Bauchan Carl Barker - Broken Spectres The Big Grey Man Gary Fry - Jack Knife Tristicloke the Wolf Johnny Mains - The Foul Mass At Tongue House The Drummer of Cortachy Carole Johnstone - There You’ll BeBlurb: The Scottish Highlands, picturesque home to grand mountains and plunging glens. But also a land of bitterness, betrayal and blood-feud, where phantom pipers lament callous slaughters, evil spirits haunt crag and loch, and ancient monsters roam the fogbound moors …
The Black Wolf of Badenoch The deformed horror at Glamis The witch coven of Auldearn The faceless giant of Ben Macdui The shrieking voices on Skye The feathered fiend of Glen Etive The headless killer at Arisaig
And many more chilling tales by William Meikle, Helen Grant, Barbara Roden, Carole Johnstone, DP Watt and other award-winning masters and mistresses of the macabre. Order yours direct from Gray Friar Press
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jun 24, 2015 18:21:27 GMT
Ordered - I am seriously looking forward to this one.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jun 25, 2015 9:38:12 GMT
Ordered - I am seriously looking forward to this one. Likewise. Another impressive line-up, kind of the Black Book's meet Ghosts & Scholars via the original Fontana Tales Of Terror series. All of a sudden, it feels like the year is finally about to take off for devotees of the supernatural horror anthology.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 30, 2015 7:35:47 GMT
Ian Hunter - Skye’s Skary Places: The autumn fayre in Portree. Joe buys a child's self-manufactured booklet, Skye's Skary Places, containing lots of pencil and crayon illustrations depicting the blighted spots. Joe and wife Jenny decide to explore one of the scary fairy places on Halloween for a chuckle. It's unlikely either will laugh again. A top notch opener from the Exploding Raphaelesque Heads man.
Helen Grant - The Dove: Another cracker. It's three hundred years since the Reverend James Denson died on the gallows proclaiming his innocence. Freya Robertson, a lonely, bookish PR manager, obsesses over the case. Was the hanged man really a licentious Black Magician and child-murderer or the victim of a malicious parish vendetta? Some things are best left not known.
Tom Johnstone - Face Down In The Earth: Two hundred years after the murder of his great grandmother, Ramsey is lured to a deserted camp site by jolly old Mrs MacPherson and her lunkish son, Dougie, on the pretext of mending a collapsed shower block. A quietly effective vengeful ghost story with added skin-crawling midge action. Rosie Seymour - The Housekeeper: A gentle love story with a dash of ghastliness. Stanley and Gwen have enjoyed fifty years of wedded bliss. Stanley, the master smoker of his successful fish and meat smoking business, boasts that he can apply his craft to any of God's creatures. Three short pages later, we believe him!
The non-fiction/ "non-fiction" content is entertaining as always, The Well of Heads hilarious in its ghastliness. Phantoms In The Mist features enough Green Ladies, Blue Boys, headless White Horsemen and spectral armies to people a standard Ghost Gazetteer. And who would have thought a party of bird-watchers could have been abducted by ferocious mermen as recently as 1990, never to be seen again?
More to follow ......
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 30, 2015 18:19:20 GMT
Barbara Roden - Strone House: A tiny cell near a derelict tower on the Campbell family estate reputedly houses a consumptive piper, imprisoned in the seventeenth century. Mr. Marsden's tour of the overgrown grotto and adjoining ruins puts the ancient one on his guard. A creepy quiet ghost story; reminded me a little of Mariana Villa-Gilbert's wandering statue offering, The Green Boy. William Meikle - The Dreaming God Is Singing Where She Lies: Cynical hack Brookes investigates a supposed haunted house where a man axe-murdered his music-loving wife and her beloved piano due to her continually playing the same song over and over. He's the second reporter to visit the property in recent weeks - his predecessor hasn't been seen since .... Peter Bell - The Executioner: On the last day of his visit to Syke, Hans, a middle aged German with limited climbing experience, insists on scaling the Basteir Tooth, aka 'The Executioner,' where "fatalities are frequent." His hostess, Sara, who can't wait to see the back of him, tries to dissuade the arrogant fool on account of the unfavourable weather, but finds herself dragged along regardless. Unknown to them, a third party awaits them - Uraisg, the man-goat, locally hated and feared for his bloody ways with a corpse. A sudden, impenetrable mist descends .... Graeme Hurry - Shelleycoat: " ... The Shelleycoat wears a garment covered in seashells which rattle and clank as he closes in on its victims ....." - so reads, in part, the information on back of a beermat in a village pub. Colin, a Brighton-based antiques trader, taking a hiking holiday in the Highlands to recuperate from family tragedy, is warned by the hostile locals not to take a short cut across the field to his B&B for fear of meeting their resident ghoul. He laughs off the advice as an anti-Sassenach wind-up.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 31, 2015 5:49:46 GMT
Sheila Hodgson - The Fellow Travellers: (From The Fellow Travellers, Ash Tree Press, 1998). Set in 1907 and featuring M. R. James in a medium-paced action hero role as he and his editor, George Masterman, seek out a rare sixteenth century treatise, as willed to Kings College by Lord Duncan Mellinger, recently deceased. Somehow the MS, New Thynking On Martalitie, was not among the twenty crates of books delivered to Cambridge. Mr. Arthur Sinclair, a slightly shady solicitor, suggests they visit his late client's secretary on St. Wulfran's Island, who disposed of the library. On James's promise to pay her £50 should she locate the treatise, Miss Isobel Drummond, a seemingly neurotic if shrewd young woman, does just that, explains that she destroyed three pages from the Ms on her master's instructions, but copied them out by hand. These, it transpires, relate to the necromantic rites of two Monks, Brothers Elihu and Simeon, who claim to have achieved immortality! With the causeway flooded, James and Masterman are obliged to stay the night as her guest. In the early hours, grave-robbers steal Lord Mellinger's corpse from the mausoleum. An already busy plot takes further twists and turns with James never quite certain if he's seeing a sinister occult conspiracy where none exists. All roads lead to the Kirrieglen Health Spa where at last the truth is spectacularly revealed. A serious best of book contender. Fans of the same author's classic The Lodestone are sure to love it. John Whitbourn - You Must Be Cold: Another of the Haunted Library greats with a brand new story and, on first reading, it's .... almost weird Biblical. A world-weary archaeological digger meets the ghost of his hero, John Maclean, Scots patriot and Communist, on the treacherous peak of Dunadd. Maclean shows him a glimpse of Red Paradise lost, but .... Talk about pulling the rug from under you! Meanwhile in the non-fiction department, inexplicably disappearing lighthousekeepers, the massacre of Glencoe, Nessie and its kin, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's heroine, Isobel Goudie, and the harshly maligned, albeit probably non-existent Monster of Glamis.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 31, 2015 16:32:02 GMT
Craig Herbertson - The Other House, The Other Voice: Mulholland, the author's popular one-eyed occultist (see The Heaven Maker & Other Gruesome Tales) investigates Aleister Crowley's secret second Highlands property on desolate Criach Moor with similarly disfigured war veteran, Sergeant Miss Danforth. Their mission: to discover what's become of the Order's esteemed Professor Cameron. That which guards the Temple has already claimed several lives including those of Mulholland's great unrequited love, Jeanie Brown, and, some decades earlier, her great aunt Lady Jane Akhar. As with much of Craig's work, this longish short is very heavy on both Tarot symbolism and pitch black humour. It goes without saying that Magazine's immortal Shot By Both Sides would find it's way into a multi-layered story of this nature. DP Watt - Myself/Thyself: In the shadow of Dunrobin Castle, a gamekeeper and a board school boy become the latest blessed-cursed souls to be transported to the fairy realm. Carl Barker - Broken Spectres: If your climbing partner and lifelong best mate happens to be an Alpha male with a tendency toward psychotic violence, it's not advisable to sleep with his wife. Martin, who deeply loves Jenny, resolves to confess all to Steve as they ascend Ben Nevis. You might think you know where this is heading, but with the arrival of a second two-man party, the story takes off into an entirely unexpected direction, and it's brilliant! Dressed as they are in such inadequate Victorian attire, the soon to be ex-friends at first take Dr. George McRae and young Angus Rankin for wacky students having a lark or, at best, members of a Historical re-enactment society. Has nobody told them the Observatory they're so determined to reach has been a ruin since the Great War? And why are they so insistent that the Supervisor of same has turned mad sniper? Onwards and upwards into the thick, rolling mist with its ghosts, madness and violence.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jul 31, 2015 18:08:56 GMT
Magazine's immortal Shot By Both Sides"Snot From Both Nostrils," as we used to call it. I am not sure why I am telling you this.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Aug 1, 2015 10:43:22 GMT
Have reached that dreaded moment in a book when realisation hits that you're approaching journey's end. So to string things out a little longer, three similar collections from back in the day (there have been others since, including the recent Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural entry, Scottish Ghost Stories edited by Rosemary Gray). ‘Angus Campbell’ [R. Chetwynd-Hayes] (ed.) – Scottish Tales Of Terror (Fontana, 1972) ‘Angus Campbell’ - Introduction
The Mad Son Of Queensbury Angus Stewart – Brown God In The Beginning A Story Of Loch Skipport Robert Louis Stevenson – The Body-snatcher The Ghost Of Sergeant Davis Simon Pilkington – The Inheritance The Fisherman's Tale R. Chetwynd-Hayes – Shona And The Water Horse The Phantom Chief Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The Silver Mirror The Haunting Of St. Giles W. S. Morrison – The Horns Of The Bull The Dog Of Roslin Sir Walter Scott – Wandering Willie’s Tale The Old Manse Of Lairg Ronald Duncan – Consanguinity Loch Sin John Connell – The House In The Glen The Nuckelavee John Keir Cross – The Lovers The Standing Stones Dorothy K. Haynes – The Head The Witches Of Auldearne Eileen Bigland – The Lass With The Delicate Air The Walking Dead John Nicholson – Sawney Beane And His Family My Grandfather Is Rising James Hogg – The Brownie Of The Black HaggsBlurb SCOTLAND- land of mists and monsters, bogies and beasties – where phantom pipers roam the glens and kelpies lure travellers to the night-black lochs ... The demon witches of AULDEARN The Galloway cannibals The haunted mirror of HOLYROOD The EDINBURGH grave-robber The walking corpse of BEN MORE The BLACK WATCH nightmare The evil merman of CAPE WRATH
and many more fearsome stories by Robert Louis Stevenson, John Keir Cross, Walter Scott, Ronald Duncan, Arthur Conan Doyle, and other masters of the macabre.***** Commentary of sorts here: Scottish Tales Of Terror***** Angus Black (ed) – The Devil’s Coven: Classic Stories Of Scottish Witchcraft (New English Library, May 1972) Angus Black – Introduction
George Sinclair – Anent Mother Jackson: Her Witchcraft. From Satan’s Invisible World Discovered Robert Burns – Tam O’Shanter Sir Walter Scott – The Tale Of Tod Lapraik James Hogg – The Hunt Of Eildon John Howell – Major Weir’s Coach Robert Louis Stevenson – Thrawn Janet Eliza Lynn Linton – The Island Witches Anon – The Warlock Of Duneblane John Buchan – Skule SkerryBlurb: “In Scotland the witch fires began to blaze after the triumph of John Knox and the Reformation and in no country did they blaze more steadily and for so long a period of time”. – Douglass Bliss
Scotland is a storehouse of supernatural stories second to none in the world. Many of the best relate specifically to witchcraft.
Leading anthologist, Angus Black, has dipped deep into the nation’s charnel house to produce this superlative collection. ***** Have long wondered if "leading anthologist" Angus Black and Peter Haining were one and the same editor. Can anyone confirm or deny? ***** Peter Haining (ed.) – The Clans Of Darkness: Scottish Tales Of Terror (Sphere, 1972: originally Victor Gollancz, 1971) Acorn Litho, Feltham Foreword – Angus Wilson Introduction – Peter Haining
Traditional – Thomas the Rhymer Robert Kirk – The Secret Commonwealth George Sinclair – Satan’s Invisible World Discovered Sir Walter Scott – A Night In The Grave John Galt – The Black Ferry James Hogg – The Brownie Of The Black Haggs Allan Cunningham – The Ghost With The Golden Caskett J. F. Campbell – The Sea Maiden John Mackay Wilson – The Doom Of Soulis Robert Louis Stevenson – The House Of Eld W. E. Aytoun – The Man In The Bell Neil Munro – Red Hand Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle – Through The Veil John Buchan – The Outgoing Of The Tide Algernon Blackwood – The Wolves Of God Neil M. Gunn – The Clock Hugh MacDairmid – Tam Mackie’s Trial A. J. Cronin – The Strange Meeting John Keir Cross – Music When Soft Voices Die Eric Linklater – Sealskin Trousers Alex Hamilton – Dead Men WalkBlurb THE BEST OF SCOTTISH FANTASY werewolves - demons - elves - ghosts - zombies - & spirits all these creatures of the netherworld wander the pages of this collection of 21 superb stories by the masters, past and present, of the Scottish supernatural. Amongst the distinguished cast of authors are: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, A. J. Cronin, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Algernon Blackwood
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Aug 1, 2015 11:52:29 GMT
My copy of the Fontana Scottish Tales of Terror has a different cover -
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Aug 1, 2015 15:00:21 GMT
Thank you, kind Sir! That will be the Justin Todd cover for the 1974 edition? Will add it to the Terror Tales Of Scotland thread.
Meanwhile, back with Mr. Finch's collection:
Gary Fry - Jack Knife: Barry, a medical student, treats his seventeen year old brother, Sam, to a Loch Ness Monster hunt. Sam, who has severe learning difficulties, is a fan of legendary creatures, and provides a running commentary on Scotland's baddest sons and daughters throughout their journey. Among his heroes: the Kelpie, the Selkies, and Black Donald AKA Old Clootie, the cloven-hooved shape-changer who many believe the Devil Incarnate .....
A road accident on the lonesome road ahead. A cab and trailer have parted company with it's cargo and overturned in the brothers' path. Barry examines the mangled driver. There's something very wrong about his fatal injuries. There's also something very wrong about the black bird cawing in merriment on the sidelines ...
Johnny Mains - The Foul Mass At Tongue House: Christmas 1927, Tongue House, in the hills overlooking Loch Duibh. Dr. Sharman Summers' demon-raising activities prove fatal to his innocent old housekeeper, leaving Summers and his cohorts, who include the parish priest and the local bobby, with a dilemma. It is imperative they remain free to practice dark occult rites but how to conceal their complicity in Mary McDougal's appalling death? The reader wills the smug sorcerer to pick the worst possible option, and, happily, he obliges.
No let up in the ghoulish non-fiction, either, thanks to the likes of Christie Creek ('Sawney Beane' ripped off his entire repertoire), The Big Grey Man (Ben Macdui's answer to the Abominable Snowman), and a headless swordsman with a fondness for nocturnal butchery.
Just one story to go ....
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Aug 2, 2015 6:46:52 GMT
All good things ....
Carole Johnstone - There You’ll Be: Outer Hebrides. Past and present converge as the ancient ghosts of Harris Island converge on a photographer and her husband spending the season at a remote 'blackhouse' (*). He sees, feels nothing. She and her adopted guide, Mad Graham ("Are you a local?" "No, hen. My lot only came o'er fae Syke five generations ago."), are susceptible to every strain of phenomena emanating from the imposing, enigmatic MacLeod's stone and surrounding ocean. The sea monsters, the spectral ships, the Viking slavers, and, most ominous of all, the hunched woman with the long black hair. "This is a sad place, a bad place," warns the humourless Graham. The story - and book - ends on as note as cold and lonely as the grave.
But don't despair! At back of book we learn that a ninth volume in this very special series is already in preparation: Terror Tales Of The Ocean.
(*) Seriously, I've no idea how that differs from the common or garden variety. Anybody care to enlighten me?)
|
|
|
Post by ripper on Aug 2, 2015 8:40:52 GMT
Apart from the 'Angus Campbell' and Wordsworth, the other collections are new to me and certainly appended to my frighteningly long 'to get' list. Skimming through the contents, I was pleased to see many unfamiliar stories. I particularly enjoy collections that interweave fiction tales with purported accounts of actual supernatural events. I liked the Fontana 'Tales of Terror' series back in the day. Paul Finch is certainly a very worthy successor and imo edges out the Fontanas in terms of pure enjoyment.
|
|
|
Post by paulfinch on Aug 2, 2015 11:11:53 GMT
Thanks for that, Ripper. We aim to please. Demonik ... the blackhouses were Hebridean homes built in a traditional island style with one floor, dry-stone walling etc. I think they need to be about a century old to qualify as blackhouses, but there's probably a bit of local pride involved as well. The name is also used to distinguish older buildings from newer properties, which tend to be built from much paler stone.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Aug 2, 2015 13:27:14 GMT
Thanks for that, Ripper. We aim to please. Demonik ... the blackhouses were Hebridean homes built in a traditional island style with one floor, dry-stone walling etc. I think they need to be about a century old to qualify as blackhouses, but there's probably a bit of local pride involved as well. The name is also used to distinguish older buildings from newer properties, which tend to be built from much paler stone. Ah, thanks for that, Paul. "Though Graham told me weeks ago that it was only a replica of what had once stood in its stead, I still like to think of it as our outpost, our temporary borrowed protest against all those fancy weekend holiday homes with gunmetal frames and sea-facing walls of glass."It makes sense when you know! Thought I'd given up trying to double-guess Stephen Jones' selections for Best New Horror but would not be at all surprised to find There You'll Be representing Terror Tales Of The Scottish Highlands in next year's edition. Just made a start on Peter Haining's The Clans Of Darkness. A passage in Angus Wilson's Foreword makes especially interesting reading in the circumstances. "One point may surprise the English reader - the predominance of the Border over the Highlands in this occult legendary scene. It is late before the Highlands appear, and even then it is the far off Orkneys that predominate. I guess that this is a linguistic affair, in which England is the loser of a rich mass of Gaelic verbal legend ..." Terror Tales Of The Scottish Highlands goes some way to restoring the balance!
|
|