24) “Out of the Deep” by Walter de la Mare Plot: Jimmie’s Uncle Timothy has left him the house he grew up in as a neglected and unwanted child. After exhausting all alternatives, Jimmie moves in. He has no happy memories of living there. Relegated to an attic room without heat or light, he wasContinue reading “Review of “Out of the Deep” by Walter de la Mare Halloween Countdown”
Tag Archives: Halloween Countdown
Review of “Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady” by Vernon Lee Halloween Countdown
23) “Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady” by Vernon Lee Plot:Prince Alberic grows up as the heir and ward of his grandfather, Duke Balthasar Maria. The Prince is closer to his nurse than to the Duke. In his room, he has a faded tapestry that he barely understands, but he’s intrigued by the border. TheContinue reading “Review of “Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady” by Vernon Lee Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs Halloween Countdown
22) The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs Plot: In turn-of-the-20th-century Great Britain, an older couple, the Whites, live in a remote area with their son, Herbert. On a stormy night, a visitor, Sergeant-Major Morris, an acquaintance of Mr. White’s, arrives and regales the family with tales of his time in India. He brings aContinue reading “Review of “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Messenger” by Robert W. Chambers Halloween Countdown (…late…)
21) “The Messenger” by Robert W. Chambers Plot: In 1896 on the Breton coast where Dick Darrel has settled down with his beloved Lys, a gruesome discovery of a mass grave, the remains of English invaders is revealed in a wheatfield. The men of Bannalaec retrieve thirty-eight skulls with bullet holes, plus other human bones,Continue reading “Review of “The Messenger” by Robert W. Chambers Halloween Countdown (…late…)”
Review of “The Demon of the Flower” by Clark Ashton Smith Halloween Countdown
20) The Demon of the Flower by Clark Ashton Smith Plot: On the planet Lophai, humans are subject to plants, which “[resemble] fields of rooted serpents that dance eternally to an other-world music.” Humans and all flora and fauna pay tribute to the supreme flower known as Voorqual, in which a demon more ancient thanContinue reading “Review of “The Demon of the Flower” by Clark Ashton Smith Halloween Countdown”
Review of “In the Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka Halloween Countdown
18) In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka Plot:The Officer of the Penal Colony eagerly shows off and explains a complicated torture and execution device to the Traveler. Nearby stands the Condemned Man, guarded by the Solider. Neither the Condemned Man nor the Soldier speak French and don’t understand the conversation between the Traveler andContinue reading “Review of “In the Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Night Wire” by H. F. Arnold Halloween Countdown
17) The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold Plot:Told by a night manager at newspaper in a western seacoast town, this is set in the days when news came in by telegraph. The narrator describes John Morgan as a “doubler,” that is, someone who can listen to two feeds and type their contents on twoContinue reading “Review of “The Night Wire” by H. F. Arnold Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Golden Bough” by David H. Keller Halloween Countdown
16) The Golden Bough by David H. Keller Plot: Newlyweds Paul and Constance (Martin) Gallien are on a road trip through Europe to find the house in a forest that Constance dreamed of the first night they were married. Paul is “of royal blood,” something not important as it once was, but he apparently stillContinue reading “Review of “The Golden Bough” by David H. Keller Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Secret of Kralitz” by Henry Kuttner Halloween Countdown
15) The Secret of Kralitz by Henry Kuttner Plot: As his father was dying, he warned Franz, now the twenty-first Baron of Kralitz, that the House of Kralitz was cursed. He couldn’t tell him how it was cursed and warned him against trying to seek out the nature of the curse. When it was timeContinue reading “Review of “The Secret of Kralitz” by Henry Kuttner Halloween Countdown”
Review of “Gabriel-Ernest” by Saki Halloween Countdown
14) “Gabriel-Ernest” by Saki Plot:On their way to the train station, the artist Cunninghan warns Van Cheele there is a wild beast in his woods. It’s the only thing he’s been able to say on the drive. Van Cheele has chattered the whole time. “A stray fox or two and some resident weasels. Nothing moreContinue reading “Review of “Gabriel-Ernest” by Saki Halloween Countdown”
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 