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The Demon Lover
by Dion FortuneA secretary finds herself psychically bound to her boss in this supernatural thriller from one of the leading luminaries of twenieth-century esoteric thought.The Demon Lover was first published in 1927, the same year as H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu. Dion Fortune was among a generation of occult horror writers that formed popular culture’s obsession with secret societies, vampires, demons, ritual magic, and dark powers lurking in the shadows. What sets Fortune apart from so many of her contemporaries is her deep knowledge of the inner workings of magical orders, rites, and practices, and her own freethinking on occult subjects, demonstrated in the classic Psychic Self-Defense and The Mystical Qabalah.When young Veronica Mainwaring is hired by Justin Lucas as his secretary, she has no idea that she will soon find herself being used as his own personal trance medium. With an invisible collar keeping her bound to Lucas, her every attempt at escape is foiled by a yank on the unseen chain. Veronica soon finds herself trapped in Lucas’ quest for power and knowledge beyond the earthly plane as a story of past lives, hidden evils, and a twisted love affair come to life in this occult thriller.“A convincingly unsettling book. Fortune evokes a world of powers that can threaten you; that are both part of a coherent moral mythology, and also cloaked in mystery. Things are unpredictable, though there is an order to them . . . It’s not a book for every taste, maybe. But it’s worth a look, for a distinctive handling of magic and its overlap with the everyday world.” —Black Gate
Ethan Frome
by Edith WhartonEnriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work.An entrancing but sad story of a poverty-stricken Massachusetts farmer caught in a loveless marriage. The main characters are Ethan Frome, his wife Zenobia, called Zeena, and her young cousin Mattie Silver. Frome and Zeena marry after she nurses his mother in her last illness. Although Frome seems ambitious and intelligent, Zeena holds him back. When her young cousin Mattie comes to stay on their New England farm, Frome falls in love with her. But the social conventions of the day doom their love and their hopes. Ethan's love for his young cousin leads to one day of explosive emotions with tragic consequences. The story forcefully conveys Wharton's abhorrence of society's unbending standards of loyalty. Enriched Classics enhance your engagement by introducing and explaining the historical and cultural significance of the work, the author's personal history, and what impact this book had on subsequent scholarship. Each book includes discussion questions that help clarify and reinforce major themes and reading recommendations for further research. Read with confidence.
War in Heaven: A Novel
by Charles Williams Jonathan RyanThe discovery of an ancient holy relic in an English country church ignites the ultimate battle of good and evil in this deeply thoughtful metaphysical thriller An unidentified body lies lifeless in the offices of a British publishing house. Soon after it is discovered, an urgent request from an author arrives by post, pleading for the deletion of an important paragraph from an upcoming publication. These unlikely incidents mark the beginning of a secret war waged in the English countryside but threatening to engulf all of humankind. On the side of the godly, an archdeacon, an eccentric duke, a book editor, and a young boy must confront the dark magic of relentless satanic forces--for behind the facade of a common pharmacy, sinister plans are being laid for the negation of everything. The most horrible of conspiracies, its success hangs on the acquisition of an object of enormous supernatural power recently discovered in a small parish church: the Holy Grail. Preceding The Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind novels by half a century, War in Heaven is the first novel written by Charles Williams, an esteemed member of the famed Oxford literary society known as the Inklings, which included such notables as C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, and J. R. R. Tolkien. This is a provocative, page-turning tale of faith, morality, and magic--an amalgam of thriller, fantasy, metaphysics, and theology that engages and entertains. This ebook includes a new introduction by Jonathan Ryan.
Many Dimensions: A Novel
by Charles WilliamsAn ancient stone possessing awesome and terrifying powers wreaks havoc in this intelligent and provocative literary excursion into the supernatural A remarkable object has fallen into the hands of the abominable scientist Sir Giles Tumulty. Once positioned at the center of the crown of King Solomon, it is a stone of astonishing and terrifying power, capable of good and evil alike. Anyone who touches it can move through time and space, perform miracles, and heal or kill. The stone can replicate itself, and does so during the course of Sir Giles&’s inhuman experiments, subsequently falling into numerous unworthy hands throughout England. There are those who will attempt to use the stone for personal gain, only to discover that it is they themselves being used by a power beyond their comprehension; some will find themselves trapped in eternally repeating nightmares from which there is no escape; still others will be freed from their earthly burdens. And so begins the battle between the forces of darkness and light for control of the most dangerous object in existence. A gripping metaphysical thriller by Charles Williams, who along with C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, and J. R. R. Tolkien was one of Oxford&’s famed Inklings, Many Dimensions is at once a gripping supernatural adventure and a thought-provoking exploration of the good and evil that dwell in the heart of every human being.
The Place of the Lion: A Novel
by Charles WilliamsOne man must save the human race from total destruction when a small British village is invaded by a terrifying host of archetypal creatures released from the spiritual world In the small English town of Smetham on the outskirts of London, a wall separating two worlds has broken down. The meddling and meditations of a local mage, Mr. Berringer, has caused a rift in the barrier between the corporeal and the spiritual, and now all hell has broken loose. Strange creatures are descending on Smethem--terrifying supernatural archetypes wreaking wholesale havoc, destruction, and death. Some residents, like the evil, power-hungry Mr. Foster, welcome the horrific onslaught. Others, like the cool and intellectual Damaris, refuse to accept what her eyes and heart tell her until it is far too late. Only a student named Anthony, emboldened by his unwavering love for Damaris, has the courage to face the horror head on. But if he alone cannot somehow restore balance to the worlds, all of humankind will surely perish in the impending apocalypse. An extraordinary metaphysical fantasy firmly based in Platonic ideals, The Place of the Lion is a masterful blending of action and thought by arguably the most provocative of the University of Oxford's renowned Inklings--the society of writers in the 1930s that included such notables as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield. With unparalleled imagination, literary skill, and intelligence, the remarkable Charles Williams has created a truly unique thriller, a tour de force of the fantastic that masterfully engages the mind, heart, and spirit.
Shadows of Ecstasy: A Novel
by Charles WilliamsA charismatic and immortal leader rises up out of Africa to violently alter humankind's destiny There is great unrest on the African continent, and explosive uprisings that originated there are finding their way to Britain's shores. A man named Nigel Considine, a charismatic leader who calls himself the High Executive, is raising a great army to conquer the world. Universal love is his stated goal, to be achieved through violence if necessary, and his dogma has unleashed a terrible backlash of brutality, prejudice, and hatred throughout so-called civilized London. But who is this immortal prophet-king whose words inflame the passions of untold thousands of disciples? Is he a power-hungry madman, as the unrepentant agnostic Sir Bernard Travers has flatly stated, or is he the Antichrist, as Travers's dearest friend, the vicar Ian Caithness, believes? Perhaps the deathless Considine is the light of the age--indeed, of all ages: a saintly personage to be adored and followed without qualm or question, as the poet Roger Ingram is beginning to suspect. But be he master criminal or twisted genius, supernatural demon or savior reborn, the High Executive's coming is destined to change the world. No twentieth-century author explored themes of faith, spirituality, and the supernatural with more verve and originality than the phenomenal Charles Williams, who along with colleagues C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield, was a member of the University of Oxford's famed Inklings literary society. Blending fantasy adventure with breathtaking spiritual concepts, Williams's acclaimed works, including Shadows of Ecstasy, are must-reads for any lover of intelligent, thought-provoking metaphysical fiction.
The Haunted Attic (Judy Bolton Mysteries #2)
by Margaret SuttonThe Judy Bolton books, written by Margaret Sutton, were a popular girls mystery series. Judy Bolton is in many ways a complex and believable role model for girls, primarily because of their realism and social commentary. Judy was also unique in that halfway through the series, she got married (something series book heroines rarely, if ever, did). The first 4 volumes were published in 1932. The series continued until 1967 and consisted of 38 volumes. Each book was "based on something that actually happened" and many were also based on real life sites.
The House of War and Witness
by M. R. Carey Linda Carey Louise CareyIn the year 1740, with the whole of Europe balanced on the brink of war, a company of Austrian soldiers is sent to the village of Narutsin to defend the border with Prussia. But what should be a routine posting is quickly revealed to be anything but. The previous garrison is gone, the great house of Pokoj, where they're to be billeted, a dilapidated ruin, and the people of Narutsin sullen and belligerent. Convinced the villagers are keeping secrets - and possibly consorting with the enemy - the commanding officer orders his junior lieutenant, Klaes, to investigate. While Klaes sifts through the villagers' truths, half-truths and lies, Drozde, the quartermaster's woman, is making uncomfortable discoveries of her own - about herself, her man, and the house where they've all been thrown together. Because far from being the empty shell it appears to be, Pokoj is actually teeming with people. It's just that they're all dead. And the dead know things - about Drozde, about the history of Pokoj, and about the terrible event that is rushing towards them all, seemingly unstoppable. The ghosts of Pokoj, the soldiers of the empress and the villagers of Narutsin are about to find themselves actors in a story that has been unfolding for centuries. It will end in blood - that much is written - but how much blood will depend on Klaes' honour, Drozde's skill and courage, and the keeping of an impossible promise...
The Werewolf of Paris: A Novel
by Guy EndoreEndore's classic werewolf novel--now back in print for the first time in over forty years--helped define a genre and set a new standard in horror fiction The werewolf is one of the great iconic figures of horror in folklore, legend, film, and literature. And connoisseurs of horror fiction know that The Werewolf of Paris is a cornerstone work, a masterpiece of the genre that deservedly ranks with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Endore's classic novel has not only withstood the test of time since it was first published in 1933, but it boldly used and portrayed elements of sexual compulsion in ways that had never been seen before, at least not in horror literature. In this gripping work of historical fiction, Endore's werewolf, an outcast named Bertrand Caillet, travels across pre-Revolutionary France seeking to calm the beast within. Stunning in its sexual frankness and eerie, fog-enshrouded visions, this novel was decidedly influential for the generations of horror and science fiction authors who came afterward.
The Werewolf of Paris
by Guy EndoreEndore's classic werewolf novel - now back in paperback for the first time in over forty years - helped define a genre and set a new standard in horror fictionThe werewolf is one of the great iconic figures of horror in folklore, legend, film, and literature. And connoisseurs of horror fiction know that The Werewolf of Paris is a cornerstone work, a masterpiece of the genre that deservedly ranks with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Endore's classic novel has not only withstood the test of time since it was first published in 1933, but it boldly used and portrayed elements of sexual compulsion in ways that had never been seen before, at least not in horror literature. In this gripping work of historical fiction, Endore's werewolf, an outcast named Bertrand Caillet, travels across pre-Revolutionary France seeking to calm the beast within. Stunning in its sexual frankness and eerie, fog-enshrouded visions, this novel was decidedly influential for the generations of horror and science fiction authors who came afterward.
What Stalks Among Us
by Sarah HollowellFrom Sarah Hollowell, author of A Dark and Starless Forest, comes a spine-tingling, deliriously creepy YA speculative thriller about two best friends trapped in a corn maze with corpses that look just like them. <p><p> Best friends and high school seniors Sadie and Logan make their first mistake when they ditch their end-of-year field trip to the amusement park in favor of exploring some old, forgotten backroads. The last thing they expect to come across is a giant, abandoned corn maze. <p><p> But with a whole day of playing hooking unspooling before them, they make their second mistake. Or perhaps their third? Maybe even their fourth. Because Sadie and Logan have definitely entered this maze before. And again before that. <p><p> When they stumble on the corpses in the maze, identical to them in every way (if you can ignore the stab and gunshot wounds)--from their clothes to their hidden scars to their dyed hair, to that one missing tooth--they quickly realize they’ve not only entered this maze before, they’ve died in it too. A lot. And no matter what they try, they can’t figure out what—or who—is hunting them. <p><p> Deeply unnerving, clever, and atmospheric, this time-bending, mind-bending speculative horror is a poignant meditation on the lasting effects of trauma and the healing powers of connection and forgiveness—all while delivering more surprise twists and turns than a haunted corn maze.
The Circus of Dr Lao
by Charles G. FinneyTo the residents of Abalone, Arizona, a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concern is surviving the Great Depression, the arrival of a circus in town is a chance to forget their woes for a while. But this is the circus of Dr. Lao and instead of relief, the townsfolk are confronted with an array creature seemingly straight out of mythology: a chimera, a Medusa, a sphinx, a sea serpent and, of course, the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao. As the circus unfolds, it spins events towards a climactic final act that will change the lives of Abalone's residents for ever.
Foul Play Suspected
by John WyndhamA rediscovered, outstandingly prescient crime novel written in the lead-up to World War II, by one of the twentieth century&’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called &“the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.&” &“Wyndham was a true English visionary, a William Blake with a science doctorate.&”—David MitchellEngland, 1935: Phyllida Shiffer&’s marriage has just ended in divorce. She heads home, expecting to be welcomed with open arms by her father, a brilliant (if slightly distracted) scientist. But her father&’s house is locked up; he is nowhere to be found; and there are suspicious men who seem to think that Phyllida herself might hold the key to her father&’s latest scientific discovery. . . .
The Devil and Her Son
by Margery AllinghamA desperate woman&’s innocent escape from London turns deadly in this suspenseful mystery by the renowned author of the Albert Campion series. Out of a job, a home, and luck, Mary Coleridge tells a seemingly innocuous lie in order to take a break from the pressures of London. Posing as her friend, Marie-Elizabeth Mason, Mary travels to the countryside to visit Miss Mason&’s wealthy aunt. The estate is grand, Mrs. de Liane eager and endearing, the food abundant and delectable. It is so nice, in fact, that Mary settles into her new life as Marie-Elizabeth, and even entertains the possibility of a new beau. But something is not right within the great house. As Mary&’s stay extends, the sweet Mrs. de Liane begins to sour. The scheming matriarch has a devilish plan in store for her niece. And when Mary fails to cooperate, Mrs. de Liane decides to hold her captive. With no one to turn to and no way out, will Mary ever escape the house, and the oppressive evil that rules it? The queen of classic crime, Margery Allingham, delivers a dazzling manor house mystery writing as Maxwell March.
The Spanish Cave
by Geoffrey HouseholdA twelve year-old boy finds terror and adventure inside a Spanish cave When his parents died, Dick stepped aboard a ship on the Thames and left England behind forever. He made his way to Spain, where he found work as a fisherman. Life at sea is difficult, but since learning to speak their language, Dick has found the Spanish to be the most hospitable people on earth. They call him Ricardito and treat him as one of their own. It is an idyllic life--until the day he makes his discovery. Dick is fishing with a friend when their net drags the skull up from the bottom of the forbidding Cave of the Angels. Although the locals warn against exploring the mysterious cave, Dick cannot resist. Dared by one of his friends to spend a night there, Dick ventures inside. Something terrible lurks inside the Cave of the Angels, but there is no creature of the sea that can frighten Ricardito.
Descent into Hell: A Novel
by Charles WilliamsIn this provocative, classic metaphysical thriller, a group of suburban amateur actors plagued by personal demons and terrors explore the pathways to heaven and hell Certain inhabitants of Battle Hill, a small community on the outskirts of London, are preparing to mount a new play by the neighborhood's most illustrious resident, the writer Peter Stanhope. Each actor struggles with self-absorption, doubt, fear, and sin. But "the Hill" is not like other places. Here the past and present intermingle, ghosts walk among the living, and reality is often clouded by dreams and the dark fantastic. For young Pauline Anstruther, who is caring for an aging grandmother and frightened by the specter of a doppelgänger who gets closer with each visitation, the prospect of heaven exists in the renowned playwright's willingness to bear the burden of her terror. For eminent historian Lawrence Wentworth, the rejection of his desire pulls him deeper inside himself, leaving him vulnerable to the lure of the succubus and opening wide the entrance to hell. A brilliant theological thriller, Descent into Hell is an extraordinary fictional meditation on sin and personal salvation by one of the twentieth century's most original and provocative literary artists. Charles Williams, a member of the Inklings alongside fellow Oxfordians C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield, has written a powerful work at once profoundly disturbing and gloriously uplifting, an ingenious amalgam of metaphysics, religious thought, and darkest fantasy.
Ghosts: Large Print
by Edith WhartonAn elegantly hair-raising collection of Edith Wharton's ghost stories, selected and with a preface written by the author herself.No history of the American uncanny tale would be complete without mention of Edith Wharton, yet many of Wharton&’s most dedicated admirers are unaware that she was a master of the form. In fact, one of Wharton&’s final literary acts was assembling Ghosts, a personal selection of her most chilling stories, written between 1902 and 1937.In &“The Lady&’s Maid&’s Bell,&” the earliest tale included here, a servant&’s dedication to her mistress continues from beyond the grave, and in &“All Souls,&” the last story Wharton wrote, an elderly woman treads the permeable line between life and the hereafter.In all her writing, Wharton&’s great gift was to mercilessly illuminate the motives of men and women, and her ghost stories never stray far from the preoccupations of the living, using the supernatural to investigate such worldly matters as violence within marriage, the horrors of aging, the rot at the root of new fortunes, the darkness that stares back from the abyss of one&’s own soul.These are stories to &“send a cold shiver down one&’s spine,&” not to terrify, and as Wharton explains in her preface, her goal in writing them was to counter &“the hard grind of modern speeding-up&” by preserving that ineffable space of &“silence and continuity,&” which is not merely the prerogative of humanity but—&“in the fun of the shudder&”—its delight.
Death from a Top Hat
by Clayton RawsonA magician turned detective is caught up in the most baffling locked-room murder mystery...'One of the all-time greatest impossible murder mysteries' Publishers Weekly starred review'Dazzling' Saturday Review'A cornerstone of detective fiction' New York TimesMaster magician The Great Merlini has hung up his top hat and white gloves, and now spends his days running a magic shop in New York and his nights moonlighting as a consultant for the NYPD. When the crimes seem impossible, it is his magician's mind they need. So when two occultists are discovered dead in locked rooms, one spread out on a pentagram, both appearing to have been murdered under similar circumstances, Merlini is immediately called in. The list of suspects includes an escape artist, a professional medium, and a ventriloquist - and it is only too clear that this is a world Merlini knows rather too well...
Disputed Passage
by Lloyd C. DouglasIt began that first day of John Wesley Beaven's medical course. He was a First Year man. Dr. Milton Forrester, called Tubby, was the great surgeon, addressing his new class at the start of his Anatomy lectures. The two strong men clashed. And for years Jack Beaven bore, as best he could, the dislike, the personal antagonism, of his professional superior. From his own 'disputed passage' Jack Beaven learned great lessons -- lessons of patience and fortitude, of devotion to his profession, of humility, and of magnanimity. The popularity of the novels by Lloyd C. Douglas is due to two outstanding characteristics. One of those is the entertaining, often exciting, story. The other is the fact that each of them has been written to demonstrate a way of life which, if incorporated into the belief and the behavior of the individual, might promote success and happiness.
La máscara de Cthulhu
by H. P. LovecraftLos seis cuentos pertenecen a ese universo onírico en el que se libra la eterna lucha entre las fuerzas del bien y del mal lovecraftiano. Los seis relatos incluidos en este volumen bajo el título de La máscara de Cthulhu versan sobre temas, situaciones y personajes bien conocidos por los aficionados al género. Tanto el horrible secreto que rodea los inexplicables sucesos posteriores a la muerte de Amos Tuttle en "El regreso de Hastur", como el inexplicable acuerdo que da origen a "El pacto de Sandwin" o los extraños acontecimientos que siguen al descubrimiento de los papeles de Sylvan Phillips en "El sello de R'lyeh", tienen en común el horror cósmico que vigila implacable desde más allá de las fronteras del tiempo.Los cuentos contenidos en esta colección fueron escritos por August Derleth como "colaboraciones póstumas" con HP Lovecraft. Derleth fue el editor, amigo y albacea de Lovecraft y el centro del Círculo de Cthulhu. Estas historias se basan en los manuscritos incompletos del gran escritor, que Derleth completó después de su muerte. En el solo caso de "El regreso de Hastur", fue el mismo Lovecraft quien le sugirió, todavía en vida, el tema y argumento a su discípulo.
Rebecca
by Daphne Du MaurierA novel of mystery and passion, a dark psychological tale of secrets and betrayal, dead loves and an estate called Manderley that is as much a presence as the humans who inhabit it.
There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby
by Ludmilla PetrushevskayaThe literary event of Halloween: a book of otherworldly power from Russia’s preeminent contemporary fiction writer Vanishings and aparitions, nightmares and twists of fate, mysterious ailments and supernatural interventions haunt these stories by the Russian master Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, heir to the spellbinding tradition of Gogol and Poe. Blending the miraculous with the macabre, and leavened by a mischievous gallows humor, these bewitching tales are like nothing being written in Russia—or anywhere else in the world—today. On her trip to the U. S. to promote her book, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya performed her cabaret act at the Russian Samovar in New York City. See video footage of her performance here. .
The Creature From Beyond Infinity
by Henry KuttnerLike a great, lethal snake, plague creeps through the galaxies. No conscious entity can halt its progress, and life is slowly draining from planet after planet.Only one super-intelligence is capable of preventing cataclysm. To do it, he must penetrate far beyond infinity - to the formless, deathless creature out to kill the universe.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward: Large Print
by H. P. LovecraftYoung Charles Dexter Ward is fascinated by the history of Joseph Curwen, his wizard ancestor of the 17th century. Curwen was notorious for haunting graveyards, practicing alchemy - and never aging! Ward can't help his fixation: he, himself, looks just like Curwen. In an attempt to duplicate his ancestor's cabbalistic feats, he resurrects the fearsome Curwen . . . and then the true horror begins!