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Review of “The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce: Halloween Countdown

For October 10 Plot: Halpin Frayser has been living rough, sleeping in the forest around Napa in California. After waking from a dreamless sleep one morning, he mutters, “Catherine LaRue.” The reader receives no further explanation. Things haven’t always been so unfortunate for Halpin. He was raised in the South by an indulgent mother andContinue reading “Review of “The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “Celui-Là” by Eleanor Scott: Halloween Countdown

For October 9 Plot:On his doctor’s advice, Maddox takes a vacation to a tiny fishing village on the Breton coast. He stays with an acquaintance of Dr. Foster, the local curé, Father Vétier. Maddox goes for long walks on the beach in the evening, although the locals avoid being out at that time of day.Continue reading “Review of “Celui-Là” by Eleanor Scott: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “Casting the Runes” by M. R. James: Halloween Countdown

For October 8 Plot: The story opens with an exchange of letters in which the secretary of the “—Association” tells Mr. Karswell the Association has, after careful consideration, declined to accept his paper, “The Truth of Alchemy.” Mr. Karswell wants to know who’s responsible for the decision. The secretary tells him that he cannot possiblyContinue reading “Review of “Casting the Runes” by M. R. James: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Feast at the Abbey” by Robert Bloch: Halloween Countdown

For October 7 Plot: Traveling through a forest to meet his brother, the narrator is caught in a storm and takes refuge in a monastery he happens across. A short, rotund abbot admits him and summons two servants (whom he refers to with the unfortunate term “blackamoors”) dressed in “great baggy trousers of red velvetContinue reading “Review of “The Feast at the Abbey” by Robert Bloch: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Call of Cthulhu” by H. P. Lovecraft: Halloween Countdown

For October 6 Plot:While going through the effects of his late uncle, George Gammell Angell, professor emeritus of languages at Brown University, Francis Wayland Thurston discovers a small bas-relief depicting a creature, an amalgam of “an octopus, a dragon, and a human.” He further describes it: “A pulpy tentacled head surmounted a grotesque and scalyContinue reading “Review of “The Call of Cthulhu” by H. P. Lovecraft: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Burned House” by Vincent O’Sullivan: Halloween Countdown

For October 5 Plot: Aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic, the narrator hears other passengers discuss being (maybe) over the spot where the Lusitania went down, which leads to a discussion of death by drowning and a discussion of ghosts, which in turn leads to laughter. One passenger, a man from Fall River (MA?), doesContinue reading “Review of “The Burned House” by Vincent O’Sullivan: Halloween Countdown”

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Review of “The Bad Lands” by John Metcalfe: Halloween Countdown

For October 4 Plot: To “slay the demon of neurosis,” Brent Ormerod takes a vacation in the quiet town of Todd on the Norfolk coast of England. As part of his treatment, he gets plenty of exercise and fresh air. He returns to the hotel from these daily walks exhausted and sleeps. Things go wellContinue reading “Review of “The Bad Lands” by John Metcalfe: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “Amour Dure” by Vernon Lee: Halloween Countdown

For October 3 Plot:Polish scholar Spiridion Trepka, working for a German university, is in Italy researching the archives of the fictional town of Urbania. He has come to find the Past. He comes across the story of Medea di Capri, a 16th-century noblewoman who left a trail of dead husbands and lovers and was finallyContinue reading “Review of “Amour Dure” by Vernon Lee: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Thing in the Cellar” by David H. Keller: Halloween Countdown

For October 2:Plot:From his earliest days, Tommy Tucker seemed uneasy in the kitchen, especially if the door to the cellar was open. The cellar was larger than one would expect for the size of the house. The entrance was a “stout oaken door,” more suitable for an outside door. The author tells the reader theContinue reading “Review of “The Thing in the Cellar” by David H. Keller: Halloween Countdown”