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In the Dwellings of the Wilderness
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
- GenresHorror
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1904
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 15, 2016
DEAD LETTER PRESS has a knack for unearthing lost treasures of the horror genre from long forgotten tombs, adorning them with vibrant new cover art by the great Allen Koszowski, and making them available for whole new generations to enjoy. IN THE DWELLING OF THE WILDERNESS, a short novel by C. Bryson Taylor originally published in 1904, is one such reintroduced classic.
The book begins with an excellent introduction by Tom English giving background on the novel which had fallen into virtual obscurity and the writer, C. Bryson Taylor, who was likely in her early twenties when she penned the tale. I always enjoy such insights into the history of a tale.
The story follows a group of American archeologists in Egypt to excavate an ancient tomb. Ignoring inscriptions inside warning against breaching a sealed inner chamber, they plunge forward, discovering the mummy of a woman who appears may have been walled-in while still alive. A mishap traps one of the archeologists in the chamber alone with the mummy, where he thinks he sees it move. He collapses shortly after being freed, and the next day the mummy has mysteriously vanished. In the days that follow, some of the men begin to disappear into the vast desert and an evil presence sinks through the encampment at night. The creeping dread as to the fate of those drawn into the waste by a creature they unwittingly released keeps the stakes high throughout.
The horrors herein tend more toward the subtle variety than most monster stories, which is generally how I prefer it. My one knock against it would be the author's attempts to convey the dialect of the local worker Ibraheem by spelling out his dialog phonetically, but since he's not a primary character, it doesn't occur too often. One of my favorite scenes was when one of the men has a disturbing, surreal vision of the mummy as the alluring beauty she was in life just before she transforms into a withered husk in his arms. So, if you're interested in reading a classic mummy horror tale, IN THE DWELLING OF THE WILDERNESS, is well worth a read.
The book begins with an excellent introduction by Tom English giving background on the novel which had fallen into virtual obscurity and the writer, C. Bryson Taylor, who was likely in her early twenties when she penned the tale. I always enjoy such insights into the history of a tale.
The story follows a group of American archeologists in Egypt to excavate an ancient tomb. Ignoring inscriptions inside warning against breaching a sealed inner chamber, they plunge forward, discovering the mummy of a woman who appears may have been walled-in while still alive. A mishap traps one of the archeologists in the chamber alone with the mummy, where he thinks he sees it move. He collapses shortly after being freed, and the next day the mummy has mysteriously vanished. In the days that follow, some of the men begin to disappear into the vast desert and an evil presence sinks through the encampment at night. The creeping dread as to the fate of those drawn into the waste by a creature they unwittingly released keeps the stakes high throughout.
The horrors herein tend more toward the subtle variety than most monster stories, which is generally how I prefer it. My one knock against it would be the author's attempts to convey the dialect of the local worker Ibraheem by spelling out his dialog phonetically, but since he's not a primary character, it doesn't occur too often. One of my favorite scenes was when one of the men has a disturbing, surreal vision of the mummy as the alluring beauty she was in life just before she transforms into a withered husk in his arms. So, if you're interested in reading a classic mummy horror tale, IN THE DWELLING OF THE WILDERNESS, is well worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2012
ταξιδευεις στην ερημο μαζι με τους πρωταγωνηστες και στοιχειωνεσαι και εσυ μαζι τους απο ο΄τι αρχεγονο τους καταδιωκει!!!!
May 13, 2024
Every once in a blue moon a mummy narrative wins me over. Be it H.P. Lovecraft's "Out of the Aeons" or Arthur Conan Doyle's "Ring of Thoth" which I have only read recently. This is in that monolithic august company and sleeps well with the good ones.
In the Dwellings of the Wilderness is a bit by the numbers, but it has excellent pacing and was a really enjoyable fun one night stand with turn of the 20th century (AD and BC) horror. Will read again in four thousand years.
In the Dwellings of the Wilderness is a bit by the numbers, but it has excellent pacing and was a really enjoyable fun one night stand with turn of the 20th century (AD and BC) horror. Will read again in four thousand years.
July 2, 2015
In the Dweelings of the Wilderness
Good pacing that allows the story to ebb and flow. The suspense builds right up to the end. An excellent read.
Good pacing that allows the story to ebb and flow. The suspense builds right up to the end. An excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews