GHOSTS & SCHOLARS 11 (1989)
Editor - Rosemary Pardoe
Assistant Editor - David Rowlands (Fiction)
A Haunted Library Publication
Dallas GoffinCONTENTS –
“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
