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Post by Morgue Rat on Jul 29, 2017 17:34:17 GMT
Hi all,
Wonderful site. If I tipped my head up like an old cracked jug and poured the gloopy, off-white contents into my virgin superhub, something similar to this site would appear on screen.
Though I've been a bookworm all my life - I was an avid H.P.Lovecraft, Arthur Machen and M.R.James fan in my mid teens, many moons ago - it was only earlier this year that a nagging shadow solidified into a daunting truth: I need to start obsessively collecting vintage horror and supernatural anthologies to add to my already worrying large collection of weird/occult/etc fiction and non-fiction. I sometimes ask myself "exactly how many different editions of 'Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' do you need?" And my reply is "Oh, shut up, you wouldn't understand". And this is what leads me here.
What am I currently collecting? All of 'em. But probably the current zenith (or nadir, depending on your perspective) of my obsession is attempting to get the entire Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult in good condition. Which means I don't buy from World of @#&*! Books.
And yes, I am a real life morgue rat. Not in the Karen Greenlee sense, mind you, fascinating though that story is. I just work there.
Looking forward to gorging myself on the knowledge, information and cover-art contained within this unholy corner of the internet.
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Post by pulphack on Jul 30, 2017 8:20:16 GMT
'Oh shut up you wouldn't understand'...
Yep, that's the one. You'll fit in nicely here, Mr Rat. When I think of the DW LIbrary Of The Occult titles I used to have, and the fact that I only have Peter Saxon and Paul Tabori now...
Welcome!
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Post by dem bones on Jul 30, 2017 13:01:01 GMT
Welcome Mr. Rat, thank you for registering and I hope you enjoy your time with us.
As you may have gathered, site is undergoing an enforced restoration job at the moment, so the Wheatley Occult Library visual content is seriously depleted. Hope to get around to putting that right over coming week.
Have fun.
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Post by cromagnonman on Jul 30, 2017 14:10:20 GMT
What am I currently collecting? All of 'em. But probably the current zenith (or nadir, depending on your perspective) of my obsession is attempting to get the entire Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult in good condition. Which means I don't buy from World of @#&*! Books. Something along these lines, perhaps?   I wish you luck in your quest. The same ambition kept me happily occupied for the best part of twenty five years. I daresay a few of the volumes could do with an upgrade but I'm happy enough with them as they are. And every single one came either from a proper bookshop, a charity store, Christmas fete, market stall or jumble sale. No www input into this accumulation I'm proud to say. My own search began with an incautious comment from a market stall vendor that it was an impossible set to complete: (this was back in pre internet days I should stress). Well every true collector recognises fighting talk when they hear it. I'm glad to say I proved him wrong; even if it did take so long he's doubtless no longer around to be disabused of his misapprehension. Everyone's experience will be different but I found the Cheiro the hardest one to find. The FORTUNE TELLING BY CARDS and BRAZILLIAN MAGIC: IS IT THE ANSWER (depends on the question, I always say) also seem to be in far shorter supply than many of the others. I was lucky enough to excavate them both from a haul I discovered in a shop in Canterbury many moons ago, but I can't recall seeing a copy of either since. Anyway, never be discouraged by how long it may take you to complete the quest. The fun for me has always been in the searching as much as the finding. And I had some interesting adventures searching for this lot. |
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Post by helrunar on Jul 30, 2017 17:03:35 GMT
Wow CMM. That is impressive and GORGEOUS. And beyond Herculean (or Conanian) that you did it without any www element at all!
Now I must go in search of a blog post about this series since as a fan of all things occult, I am quite intrigued. I presume Philip Bonewits was the same as Isaac of the same surname... good name for a Druid, Witch and all round occult guy.
cheers, H.
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Post by Morgue Rat on Jul 30, 2017 19:46:48 GMT
To feel sincerely welcome on the internet seems more and more difficult these days, so thankyou all for the 'hello', it's much appreciated.
Even though Photobucket has made what seems to be a horribly capitalist decision and, in one fell swoop, littered forums far and wide with their heinous footprint and irrevocably alienated a considerable portion of their userbase, I've already got my money's worth on this quite lovely site and have barely scraped the surface. Can't wait for it to be repopulated with all those yummy covers. And, being a member of other internet communities that are equally dependant upon Photobucket for their 3rd party hosting, I too have been 'PBed' and am currently trying to get all my images back, so I understand. But does the 'batch download' option work for me? Does it #£@*!
cromagnonman: Now that is a gorgeous photo. And they all seem to be in suck good condition! Congratulations. For me, it's a bittersweet moment when I finally complete any collection, the triumph being somewhat diluted by the end of the hunt, which you rightly say is a large part of the pleasure. So far, I have 21 titles, not all of which are in as good condition as yours appear to be, but I'm still at the stage of replacing tatty copies with better ones, as long as the price is right. Strange you should mention 'You and Your Hand', because it was one of the first ones I got, years before I actually decided to start collecting them.
I must ask, have you read many, or all? Some I read years ago in other editions (like Aleister Crowley's 'Moonchild', which I already owned in the 1972 Sphere edition) and some I've read since starting my collection (I've recently finished Marjorie Bowen's wonderful 'Black Magic'), but it'll take me quite a while to get round to reading all of them. Especially since I'm currently up to my eyeballs reading all six editions of The Mayflower Book Of Black Magic Stories! But, you know, I'm sure everyone round here knows how it goes...collecting, reading, collecting, not reading...it all just adds up to one big ball of loveliness.
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Post by helrunar on Jul 30, 2017 20:49:42 GMT
Hi Morgue, Huge fan here of more old fashioned witchcraft and sorcery themed tales. I think there is or was a thread about the Mayflower Black Magic series. Love to hear any thoughts you have of good gems that may have slipped through my search for quality Witch lit. Unlike many others here, I'm just an amateur with all of this. Maybe I should check out the Marjorie Bowen novel you mention. I don't believe I have ever read anything by her though the name is familiar.
One book I do recommend if you like ancient Egyptian occult themed work is Brood of the Witch Queen by the now nearly forgotten Sax Rohmer. I presume that's the Wheatley series edition on display in Cro Magnon Man's spectacular photograph. Originally published in 1914. He wrote it in part as a somewhat serious exercise in what might happen if a "fully equipped" ancient Egyptian magician suddenly awoke in early Georgian London. Though perhaps somewhat floridly written, it's very entertaining and I've read it at least 3 times over the years.
cheers, H.
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Post by Swampirella on Jul 30, 2017 22:02:15 GMT
Welcome to the Vault; enjoy yourself and good luck with expanding your collection!
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Post by cromagnonman on Jul 30, 2017 23:46:40 GMT
The spectacularness of the photo is entirely down to my niece, and all kudos to her. She's a proper 21st century girl who'se comfortable and conversant with all this techno wizardry what-have-you. For those of us stuck here in the Stone Age tablets are invariably made of granite and we use them for pillows, not for taking photos with.
Was negligent of me not to wish you welcome before Mr Rat. Allow me to rectify that oversight now.
Personally I think 21 volumes is a pretty impressive tally in itself, particularly in this day and age when vintage paperbacks of all types seem to be in short supply everywhere.
Rather shamefacedly I must own up to having read precious few of the books in the series. The intention is there but there are only so many hours in the day. And much as I enjoy certain strands of horror/esoterica for me it will always play third or fourth fiddle to sword and sorcery, historical fiction and general adventure fare. But one day, the gods willing.
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Post by andydecker on Jul 31, 2017 9:41:55 GMT
Hi all, But probably the current zenith (or nadir, depending on your perspective) of my obsession is attempting to get the entire Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult in good condition. Which means I don't buy from World of @#&*! Books.
Has anybody of you read Frances Mossiker's Affair of the Poison?
I wanted to read about this topic, La Voisin and Madame Montespan, but there are a few books avaiable. But a non-fiction book in what primarily was a fiction line must have its merits, I suppose.
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Post by pulphack on Jul 31, 2017 10:38:49 GMT
One of my favourite DWLOTO titles was Pedro MacGregor's 'Brazilian Magic: Is It The Answer?' (er, no, in my view). Partly because it's a cracking read, but mostly because it was ghosted by the amazing Tony Stratton Smith in his journalism days, befroe he became a pop manager and then founded the wonderful and eccentric Charisma label. Which has bugger all to do with Brazilian magic or Dennis Wheatley, I'll admit.
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Post by Morgue Rat on Jul 31, 2017 21:37:08 GMT
helrunar: I am very much looking forward to reading 'Brood of the Witch Queen' by Sax Rohmer. Once I get my hands on the DWLOTO version in decent condition, that is. I am finding it one of the more difficult titles to obtain. As for witchy recommendations, do you know of Dion Fortune? I was reminded of her by your mention of Sax Rohmer, as both were associated with of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the late 19th/early 20th century occult organisation (forgive me if I'm telling you stuff you already know). The Golden Dawn counted amongst its members quite a few great supernatural/occult/weird fiction authors, some of my very favourites, in fact - Gustav Meyrink, Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood. Dion Fortune's output differed from those three in that, rather than being first and foremost fiction, imbued with the writer's natural attraction to the occult world (for example, Machen's 'The Great God Pan'), her novels were basically teaching and initiation tools, explicitly exploring various aspects of occultism and witchcraft, and attempting to converse directly with the reader about her occult beliefs, all framed within a 'story'. Though she was a brilliant writer of non-fiction (I am particularly fond of her 'Psychic Self Defence'), I don't think she had any particular talent at writing fiction. She was certainly well-educated but that doesn't necessarily make a good storyteller. However, I still recommend reading at least one of her novels, as they are pretty unique, much better than Aleister Crowley's often tedious attempts at the occult novel, and represent an insight into witchcraft as it was back then (1920s - 30s). Of course, Dennis Wheatley's first Black Magic novels were published at round about the same time, but his offerings were different again - black magic from the viewpoint of the interested observer rather than the seasoned practitioner. And also, having read a few novels from both authors, DW's were more gripping and much more successful works of fiction. As for the Dion Fortune book I would recommend, probably 'The Sea Priestess' or 'Moon Magic'. However, in the spirit of this site, the following is the 1976 edition of 'The Demon Lover' that I picked up in Helston, Cornwall last week. It was from a wonderful vintage bookshop hidden up a tiny alleyway, as all the best bookshops are. Not in brilliant condition but I love the cover... |
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Post by helrunar on Jul 31, 2017 22:38:57 GMT
Hi Morgue, Oh yes, I have read quite a bit of Dion Fortune's work. I still want to read a few more, notably The Goat-Food God, but I have read both Sea Priestess and Moon Magic. You might find the magical diaries of DNF's pupil Christine Campbell Thomson (CCT) and Col. Thomas Seymour of interest. They were published in two volumes edited by Alan Richardson. The first one has two titles--either Dancers to the Gods or the rather more prosaic Twentieth Century Magicians. When I joined this site, I was fascinated to learn that CCT had a career editing horror anthologies during the time she was first studying with DNF. She ultimately left Dion and went to work with a different group.
Sea Priestess in particular is assigned on reading lists for basic training in many covens and magical orders today, as is Psychic Self Defense. I personally feel the latter book is now outdated, but it certainly does have some lively anecdotes to offer.
cheers, H.
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Post by helrunar on Jul 31, 2017 22:39:28 GMT
Also, that 1970s book cover is BOSS. What a lucky find for you!
H.
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Post by ramseycampbell on Aug 1, 2017 9:05:39 GMT
May I presume to welcome you in the name of Gla'aki?
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