Arthur Machen

A doctor performs an experiment on a young woman that goes horribly wrong, and a series of increasingly strange events follow: sinister woodland rituals, disappearances, suicides... Viewed as immoral and decadent on first publication in 1894, Machen's weird tale has since established itself as a classic of its genre and has been described by Stephen King as 'one of the best horror stories ever written.

The novel recounts the life of a young man, Lucian Taylor, focusing on his dreamy childhood in rural Wales, in a town based on Caerleon. The Hill of Dreams of the title is an old Roman fort where Lucian has strange sensual visions, including ones of the town in the time of Roman Britain. Later, the novel describes Lucian's attempts to make a living as an author in London, enduring poverty and suffering in the pursuit of art and history.

This handsome 5-volume box set contains more than 70 terrifying short stories from the masters of cosmic horror. Unspeakable evils, elder gods, and forgotten terrors haunt the pages within this volume. Whether telling of the emergence of the tentacled Cthulhu in "The Call of Cthulhu" or the rise of an ancient pagan deity in "The Great God Pan", the stories found here are the stuff of nightmares. This collection includes these brilliant and horrifying tales: - The Call of the Cthulhu and Other Stories by H. P. Lovecraft - The Haunter of the Ring and Other Stories by Robert E. Howard - The Black Seal and Other Stories by Arthur Machen - Yuki-Onna and Other Stories by Lafcadio Hearn - The Yellow Sign and Other Stories by Robert W. Chambers With vibrant graphic cover designs, these editions make wonderful collectibles for any classic literature lover, encased in a decorative box set. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classic Collections series features delightful, high-quality paperback box sets of classic works of literature with striking contemporary cover designs.

More than 40 terrifying tales from the masters of cosmic horror, presented in a collectible hardback anthology with dust jacket. Unspeakable evils, elder gods, and forgotten terrors haunt the pages within this volume. Whether telling of the emergence of the tentacled Cthulhu in "The Call of Cthulhu" or the rise of an ancient pagan deity in "The Great God Pan", the stories found here are the stuff of nightmares. This collection includes the brilliant and horrifying tales from: - H. P. Lovecraft - Robert E. Howard - Arthur Machen - Lafcadio Hearn - Robert W. Chambers Featuring beautiful illustrated endpapers and a retro cover design, this collection makes a wonderful gifts or collectible for any classic literature lover. ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Retro Classics are beautiful hardcover collections which bring together the best short stories from across the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. With striking retro cover designs and illustrated endpapers by Tithi Luadthong, these editions make wonderful collectibles for your home library.

The Three Impostors (1895) is a novel by Arthur Machen. Consisting of interwoven stories involving the title characters, The Three Impostors was compared to the prose style of Robert Louis Stevenson on publication. Condemned as decadent and obscene upon publication, Machen’s writing earned praise from Oscar Wilde and H. P. Lovecraft. Throughout the years, Machen’s work has been referenced and adapted by such figures as Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro, and Josh Malerman for its masterfully unsettling blend of science, myth, and magic. Inspired by his knowledge of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which was undergoing a controversial conflict involving Irish poet W. B. Yeats and English mystic Aleister Crowley at the time, Machen crafts a layered tale of suspense and secrecy that continues to entertain and surprise over a century after its release. In London, a secret society of occultists gains strength through mutual disdain of modern life and Victorian social conventions. Three impostors gifted in the art of deceit do their best to disrupt city life while embarking on a quest for an Imperial Roman coin with a salacious history. The Three Impostors is a kaleidoscopic novel concerned with the horrors ever present on the outskirts of daily life, waiting to make themselves known. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Arthur Machen’s The Three Impostors is a classic of British horror fiction reimagined for modern readers.

The White People (1904) is a short story by Arthur Machen. Originally published in Horlick’s Magazine, the story was later printed in The House of Souls (1906), a short story collection. Condemned as decadent and obscene upon publication, Machen’s writing earned praise from Oscar Wilde and H. P. Lovecraft. Throughout the years, Machen’s work has been referenced and adapted by such figures as Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro, and Josh Malerman for its masterfully unsettling blend of science, myth, and magic. As the sun sets over the lush countryside, Cotgrave and his friend Ambrose discuss the thin boundary that separates sorcery and the sacred. Unable to agree about the nature of good and evil, on what defines a sinner as opposed to a saint, Ambrose offers his comrade a book to borrow. Surprisingly well-kept for its age, the green book accompanies Cotgrave on his journey home, where he opens it to discover a strange, mysterious tale. Its pages contain the diary of a young girl who, encouraged by her nurse, immerses herself in the world of magic. As she grows adept in the ways of witchcraft, the girl begins referring to strange beings and unknown places, all while doing her best to conceal her secret life from friends and family. When he reaches the diary’s end, Cotgrave will wish he had never looked past its binding. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Arthur Machen’s The White People is a classic of British horror fiction reimagined for modern readers.

The Great God Pan (1894) is a novella by Arthur Machen. Condemned as decadent and obscene upon publication, The Great God Pan earned praise from Oscar Wilde and H. P. Lovecraft, and is now regarded as one of Victorian literature’s finest—and most unsettling—stories of horror and the occult. Throughout the years, it has influenced such figures as Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro, and Josh Malerman with its depiction of the god Pan and unsettling blend of science, myth, and magic. Clarke has always taken an interest in occult matters, so when a friend offers him a chance to witness an experimental procedure intended to access the spirit realm, he cannot refuse. When the young patient Mary awakens, she shows signs of terror and soon succumbs to a catatonic state. Convinced of their success in discovering the world of “the great god Pan,” Clarke and Raymond agree to keep their discovery a secret. Years later, a nearby town begins reporting the mysterious disappearances of young children, all of whom have been seen in the forest with a young woman named Helen Vaughn. Before they can solve the case, however, Vaughn disappears, leaving Clarke and the townspeople traumatized. As their secret grows too terrible to bear, Raymond and Clarke must steel themselves in order to solve the connection between Mary and Helen, and to close the portal to the spirit realm for good. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Arthur Machen’s The Great God Pan is a classic of British horror fiction reimagined for modern readers.

An influential writer of supernatural fiction, Arthur Machen was born in Wales, in 1863. Many modern writers, such as Stephen King, have cited him as an inspiration. Perhaps most notably, though, was H. P. Lovecraft, who cites Machen as what led him down the road to eventually creating the Cthulhu Mythos. Presented here are two short stories and two novellas: "The Inmost Light", "A Fragment of Life", "The Shining Pyramid", and "The Terror."

The Great God Pan begins with an experiment designed to allow Mary to see the supernatural world. This causes years of mysterious events and deaths, surrounding someone named Helen. A tense and atmospheric tale.

Lontoolaisen esikaupungin talo, jonka ikkunasta avautuu näkymä taianomaiseen paratiisimaisemaan. Omituisia lapsia, jotka toimittavat salaperäisiä uhrimenoja syrjäisten kujien kätköissä ja merenrantojen varjoisissa lehdoissa. Ylimaallisen hohteen ympäröimä armeija, joka ilmestyy sotilaiden avuksi ensimmäisen maailmansodan taistelukentällä. Arthur Machenin (1863-1947) kertomuksissa näkyvä maailma paljastuu mysteerien tyyssijaksi, jossa mikään ei ole silkkaa hengetöntä ja tunnotonta materiaa. Walesilaissyntyinen Machen on yliluonnollisen fiktion moderni klassikko, jonka niin H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King kuin Guillermo del Toro tunnustavat innoittajakseen. Tähän teokseen on koottu parhaita osia hänen myöhäistuotannostaan, jossa kaipuu salattuun todellisuuteen jalostuu kummiksi käänteiksi, hätkähdyttäviksi havainnoiksi ja viipyileviksi tunnelmiksi.*Tarinat on valikoinut ja suomentanut filosofian tohtori ja kirjallisuudentutkija Hannu Poutiainen,., jolta on ilmestynyt aiemmin Basam Booksin kustantamana muun muassa M. R. Jamesin kauhunovellien suomennoskokoelma Kummitustarinoita (2019) sekä hänen oma teoksensa Sijaltainen: kaksoisolennon käsikirja (2017). Poutiainen on myös kirjoittanut teokseen Machenin tuotantoa ja ajattelua laajasti taustoittavan esipuheen

Anglo-Welsh writer Arthur Machen (1863-1947) has gained deserved celebrity for his tales of horror ("The Great God Pan," "The White People"), his moving novel of artistic expression, The Hill of Dreams, and a plethora of other works. Some of his most distinctive writings are his autobiographical volumes, Far Off Things (1922), Things Near and Far (1923), and The London Adventure (1924), written when Machen was being hailed as an elder statesman of late Victorian literature. In these autobiographies, Machen carefully fashions an image of himself as the struggling artist dwelling in a London garret, surviving on tea and tobacco. His horror tales of the 1890s were condemned as the ravings of a diseased mind-but that only enhanced their popularity. But Machen continued to struggle financially, and in 1910 he began working as a reporter for the London Evening News. Soon after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, he wrote "The Bowmen," which catapulted him into notoriety, as the story was taken as a true account of angels coming to the rescue of beleaguered British soldiers. This volume also includes a group of separately published essays that augment our understanding of Machen's life and mind. In addition, the rare and piquant volume Precious Balms (1924)-a reprinting of the hostile reviews Machen received over a lifetime-is included. The volume is edited by S. T. Joshi, a leading authority on Machen and weird fiction.

”Jag hade sneglat upp mot fönstret till min brors arbetsrum, och i det ögonblicket var persiennen dragen åt sidan, och någonting som var vid liv stirrade ut över omvärlden. Nej, jag kan inte avgöra om jag såg ett ansikte eller något av mänsklig skepnad; en levande sak, två ögon av brinnande eld stirrade mot mig, och de var mitt i något lika formlöst som min fruktan, symbolen och närvaron av all ondska och all vedervärdig förruttnelse.” Mr Dyson och mr Phillipps råkar av en slump bli delaktiga i en vild jakt på ett romerskt guldmynt, som mystiska män är beredda att gå över lik för att få tag i. Vilka är de personer som matar våra huvudpersoner med historier om ond bråd död? Vem är den unge mannen med glasögon? Unga fröken Lally tar tjänst hos professor Gregg, som studerar ett svagt sigill med sällsamma inskriptioner och dras in allt djupare i dess hemligheter – vem, eller vad, har skrivit de märkliga tecknen? Vad är det för ett pulver juridikstudenten Francis Leicester tar som förändrar hela hans jag? Skepnader antar nya former, transmuteras. Dyson och Phillipps försöker nysta upp härvan, och kommer allt närmare gåtans svar. Arthur Machen (1863-1947) är en av skräcklitteraturens viktigaste författare. Romanen "De tre bedragarna, eller Transmutationerna" (1895) är en rad sammanlänkade historier som tillsammans bildar en helhet som vittnar om den muntliga berättarkonstens kraft. Denna utgåva innehåller även Machens inledning till boken, hans egna reflektioner kring romanens tillkomst, samt ett fylligt efterord om människan Machen och den kontroversiella tidsanda boken publicerades i.