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Return from the Dead: A Collection of Mummy Stories
Beware, the Dead are coming back! This is a unique and fascinating collection of early mummy stories that helped to establish the chilling concept of the Dead returning to life as a potent sub-genre of horror fiction. The main feature on the mummy bill, The Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram Stoker, is generally regarded as his best work after Dracula. A weird mixture of adventure, the supernatural and science fiction is found in Jane Webb's The Mummy, a tale written in 1827 but set in 2126. Some Words with a Mummy is by the great horror writer Edgar Allen Poe. Arthur Conan Doyle's The Ring of Thoth is the classic mummy tale and was the basis for the 1932 movie 'The Mummy' starring Boris Karloff and, indeed most mummy films ever since. Lot 249, another Doyle chiller, completes this collection, which is guaranteed to entertain and possibly prompt a nightmare.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2004
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About the author
David Stuart Davies
183 books139 followersDavid Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 14, 2023
A vintage collection of early mummy short stories
THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, the main feature novella in an anthology of stories focusing on mummies (the other so-called living dead of the horror genre), is reputed to be Bram Stoker’s best work after his brilliant and widely known classic DRACULA.My reaction? It wasn’t even close! The build-up of the story in which Victorian scientists, a police detective and a pair of star-crossed erstwhile lovers investigate odd incidents which have yet to be attributed to a mummy excavated from an Egyptian archeological dig, was brilliant. The Victorian atmosphere, the gothic foreshadowing, the dialogue, the creepy narrative, and the description of the characters was all quite gripping and thoroughly entertaining. But as the events moved inevitably from the natural into the realm of the paranormal, the electricity was grounded and the story became, quite frankly, pedestrian and uninteresting, if not entirely banal. Definitely a disappointment when one was hoping for something at the level of its justifiably famous predecessor.
On the other hand, Edgar Allan Poe’s SOME WORDS WITH A MUMMY and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE RING OF THOTH and LOT 249 were amazing with a capital A, gripping, and entertaining from first page to last. The supernatural components of each of these three stories seemed, paradoxically enough, to be the most natural thing in the world. Unquestionably, 4- or 5-stars for all of them.
So, a 1- or 2-star rather ho-hum novella holds the collection to a 3-star overall rating only because of the inclusion of these three barn burners. Save your money AND your time and avoid RETURN FROM THE DEAD. The Poe story would be available in any number of Poe anthologies and the two ACD entries are available together in anthologies of Doyle’s non-Holmes stories such as TALES OF UNEASE or TALES OF TWILIGHT AND THE UNSEEN, both far more productive investments of our limited reading time.
Paul Weiss
THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, the main feature novella in an anthology of stories focusing on mummies (the other so-called living dead of the horror genre), is reputed to be Bram Stoker’s best work after his brilliant and widely known classic DRACULA.My reaction? It wasn’t even close! The build-up of the story in which Victorian scientists, a police detective and a pair of star-crossed erstwhile lovers investigate odd incidents which have yet to be attributed to a mummy excavated from an Egyptian archeological dig, was brilliant. The Victorian atmosphere, the gothic foreshadowing, the dialogue, the creepy narrative, and the description of the characters was all quite gripping and thoroughly entertaining. But as the events moved inevitably from the natural into the realm of the paranormal, the electricity was grounded and the story became, quite frankly, pedestrian and uninteresting, if not entirely banal. Definitely a disappointment when one was hoping for something at the level of its justifiably famous predecessor.
On the other hand, Edgar Allan Poe’s SOME WORDS WITH A MUMMY and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE RING OF THOTH and LOT 249 were amazing with a capital A, gripping, and entertaining from first page to last. The supernatural components of each of these three stories seemed, paradoxically enough, to be the most natural thing in the world. Unquestionably, 4- or 5-stars for all of them.
So, a 1- or 2-star rather ho-hum novella holds the collection to a 3-star overall rating only because of the inclusion of these three barn burners. Save your money AND your time and avoid RETURN FROM THE DEAD. The Poe story would be available in any number of Poe anthologies and the two ACD entries are available together in anthologies of Doyle’s non-Holmes stories such as TALES OF UNEASE or TALES OF TWILIGHT AND THE UNSEEN, both far more productive investments of our limited reading time.
Paul Weiss
November 25, 2018
In the Halloween world, there's a lot of love for the vampire. I mean, a lot of love. They apparently sparkle; at least now they do (though the original vampires of Stoker or Le Fanu didn't, to my knowledge, do anything as banal as sparkle). Even my beloved Frankenstein's monster gets a lot of love. So much, in fact, that the modern interpretation of the monster is not at all the monster written in Mary Shelley's brilliant novel, but we're all okay with that because we see that green blockhead with the bolts in the neck and we all scream FRANKENSTEIN! even though we know better that Frankenstein was the doctor and the monster was... well... the monster. Even werewolves have gained some popularity, thanks in part to that whole sparkly vampire thing previously mentioned, but also because of Harry Potter, I think.
But, the poor mummy. The mummy has been around, and has been part of the Halloween world, but sort of peripherally. Like the other monsters, mummies had their own cereal too (Fruity Yummy Mummy, to be exact), but that line has been discontinued. Because there's no real love for mummies, I expect.
There have been some brilliant movies, and wonderful portrayals. I used to play a video game with my brothers that I can't remember the name of now, but a mummy would kill you if you weren't careful. There's that whole bit with Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street, if I remember correctly, and shit, if that didn't scare the shit out of me when I was a wee El.
I like to collect these Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural books because they look so lovely on my bookshelf and I love reading spooky tales around the holidays (especially Halloween, but also Christmas). So when I found this slim volume edited by David Stuart Davies, I was rather excited. MUMMIES. Finally, some love for the mummies.
Unfortunately, the selected stories weren't all that fantastic. Sigh.
But they were not your typical fare, either. Bram Stoker (of Dracula fame, of course) wrote a tale called The Jewel of Seven Stars, as did Edgar Allan Poe (Some Words with a Mummy, lol) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with The Ring of Thoth and Lot 249. Yes, that's right, Doyle wrote more than just Sherlock Holmes and that one book about dinosaurs. All of those mentioned titles are included here, as well as on simply called The Mummy by Jane Webb.
A WOMAN.
A woman wrote a mummy story in 1827. It was written anonymously in a three volume edition called The Mummy!: A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century - in other words, her story took place in the future. It takes place in our future, even. If that doesn't appeal to all of us readers, then I don't know what will. I personally will search for a copy of the full text so I can see what it's all about. Unfortunately the bit included in this collection left a lot to be desired, but considering it's meant to be a three-volume book, I think it's understandable that it felt like something was missing in this excerpt. At least a story written by a woman alongside big hitter names like Stoker, Poe, and Doyle was included. Jane C. Webb Loudon is relatively unknown. Thanks to this book, I have a new early lady writer to search out.
This was a fine collection overall. I can't imagine there aren't other mummy stories out there worth reading, but I'm glad this Davies guy did my work for me and put a few together for me to read during October.
Seriously, though, let's bring the mummy back into popularity in our culture. And I do not mean a remake of The Mummy which didn't need to be remade with Tom Cruise anyway.
But, the poor mummy. The mummy has been around, and has been part of the Halloween world, but sort of peripherally. Like the other monsters, mummies had their own cereal too (Fruity Yummy Mummy, to be exact), but that line has been discontinued. Because there's no real love for mummies, I expect.
There have been some brilliant movies, and wonderful portrayals. I used to play a video game with my brothers that I can't remember the name of now, but a mummy would kill you if you weren't careful. There's that whole bit with Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street, if I remember correctly, and shit, if that didn't scare the shit out of me when I was a wee El.
I like to collect these Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural books because they look so lovely on my bookshelf and I love reading spooky tales around the holidays (especially Halloween, but also Christmas). So when I found this slim volume edited by David Stuart Davies, I was rather excited. MUMMIES. Finally, some love for the mummies.
Unfortunately, the selected stories weren't all that fantastic. Sigh.
But they were not your typical fare, either. Bram Stoker (of Dracula fame, of course) wrote a tale called The Jewel of Seven Stars, as did Edgar Allan Poe (Some Words with a Mummy, lol) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with The Ring of Thoth and Lot 249. Yes, that's right, Doyle wrote more than just Sherlock Holmes and that one book about dinosaurs. All of those mentioned titles are included here, as well as on simply called The Mummy by Jane Webb.
A WOMAN.
A woman wrote a mummy story in 1827. It was written anonymously in a three volume edition called The Mummy!: A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century - in other words, her story took place in the future. It takes place in our future, even. If that doesn't appeal to all of us readers, then I don't know what will. I personally will search for a copy of the full text so I can see what it's all about. Unfortunately the bit included in this collection left a lot to be desired, but considering it's meant to be a three-volume book, I think it's understandable that it felt like something was missing in this excerpt. At least a story written by a woman alongside big hitter names like Stoker, Poe, and Doyle was included. Jane C. Webb Loudon is relatively unknown. Thanks to this book, I have a new early lady writer to search out.
This was a fine collection overall. I can't imagine there aren't other mummy stories out there worth reading, but I'm glad this Davies guy did my work for me and put a few together for me to read during October.
Seriously, though, let's bring the mummy back into popularity in our culture. And I do not mean a remake of The Mummy which didn't need to be remade with Tom Cruise anyway.
March 31, 2011
best horror book ever...
January 17, 2021
I enjoyed Stoker's The Jewel of the Seven Stars. It a while to get going but it was good when it did. The original ending is better and more mysterious too.
The Poe story is cheeky for Poe.
And the Doyle stories are top notch.
Webb is an excerpt from a three volume work. So maybe some other time.
The Poe story is cheeky for Poe.
And the Doyle stories are top notch.
Webb is an excerpt from a three volume work. So maybe some other time.
November 10, 2012
I've read the first of the stories in the book, and I'll expect I'll read the others sooner or later, as I need something different in between other books.
The first story, Bram Stoker's Jewel of the Seven Stars is really somewhere between a long novella and a short novel. If I had to rate it, I'd put it somewhere around 3 stars. The beginning starts out much like a sherlock holmes story, but then morphs (somewhat inexplicably, the inspector just drops out) into more of a classic supernatural mummy story. In it, the ancient mummy (a female figure, somewhat reminiscent of Henry Rider Haggard's "She") has a link with the daughter of an older man who has "recovered" many Egyptian relics and brought them to his home (including this particular mummy and her funerary trappings). The story is told from the point of view of a young man who is in love with the main female character as the group endeavours to understand this mummy and her resurrection needs. Overall, its a good story, but there are a few things that don't make sense in it, and a few things that were built up but then fall flat. This edition is great in that it provides both the original ending to the story and the revised ending that it was later published with. I'm glad they did because the revised, and radically different, ending is much better.
Second story, The Mummy by Jane Webb, two stars, maybe. The most interesting part of it is that it has a slight palaeo-future feel, but there's not enough detail to confirm that. Basically, two guys fly to Egypt in a balloon contraption, enter into the great pyramid and resurrect Cheops with what is essentially a car battery. Given that it was written in 1827, that's kind of impressive, but as plot for a short story, it lacks. In fact, upon re-reading the intro to this collection, this story wasn't designed as a short, but is actually an excerpt from a much larger work, which probably has the depth and sense of completeness that this version lacks.
The third short story is Some Words With A Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe. I was expecting to read a classic, bone chilling horror story typical of EAP's work. I was surprised instead to find a humorous, witty satire about how unimpressive 19th century culture really is. Not what I expected, but wonderful nonetheless. 4.5 stars. (Oh, and the characters here also resurrect a mummy with basically a car battery, apparently it was something of a literary trend.)
The fourth and fifth stories, Ring of Thoth and Lot 249, are both by Arthur Conan Doyle, and are fantastic, fully 5 star stories. The Ring of Thoth is basically the plot of the 1932 film The Mummy with Boris Karloff. It was a bit odd reading a story which is not surprising because you've seen it before, but the only reason you've seen it before is because it was so great someone wanted to make a move about it.
Lot 249 was my favourite of the collection. The setting is a fictionalized Oxford college, where an academic realizes that the scholar who lives in the rooms below him, who is an "Orientalist" to use the old term, is up to some nefarious deeds that need to be stopped. I'm partial to stories set in Oxford (and this one really encapsulated the full flavor of the town), but I also think one of the things I like the best about Mummy stories is how they often involve bookish academics discovering their inner badass-ness.
The first story, Bram Stoker's Jewel of the Seven Stars is really somewhere between a long novella and a short novel. If I had to rate it, I'd put it somewhere around 3 stars. The beginning starts out much like a sherlock holmes story, but then morphs (somewhat inexplicably, the inspector just drops out) into more of a classic supernatural mummy story. In it, the ancient mummy (a female figure, somewhat reminiscent of Henry Rider Haggard's "She") has a link with the daughter of an older man who has "recovered" many Egyptian relics and brought them to his home (including this particular mummy and her funerary trappings). The story is told from the point of view of a young man who is in love with the main female character as the group endeavours to understand this mummy and her resurrection needs. Overall, its a good story, but there are a few things that don't make sense in it, and a few things that were built up but then fall flat. This edition is great in that it provides both the original ending to the story and the revised ending that it was later published with. I'm glad they did because the revised, and radically different, ending is much better.
Second story, The Mummy by Jane Webb, two stars, maybe. The most interesting part of it is that it has a slight palaeo-future feel, but there's not enough detail to confirm that. Basically, two guys fly to Egypt in a balloon contraption, enter into the great pyramid and resurrect Cheops with what is essentially a car battery. Given that it was written in 1827, that's kind of impressive, but as plot for a short story, it lacks. In fact, upon re-reading the intro to this collection, this story wasn't designed as a short, but is actually an excerpt from a much larger work, which probably has the depth and sense of completeness that this version lacks.
The third short story is Some Words With A Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe. I was expecting to read a classic, bone chilling horror story typical of EAP's work. I was surprised instead to find a humorous, witty satire about how unimpressive 19th century culture really is. Not what I expected, but wonderful nonetheless. 4.5 stars. (Oh, and the characters here also resurrect a mummy with basically a car battery, apparently it was something of a literary trend.)
The fourth and fifth stories, Ring of Thoth and Lot 249, are both by Arthur Conan Doyle, and are fantastic, fully 5 star stories. The Ring of Thoth is basically the plot of the 1932 film The Mummy with Boris Karloff. It was a bit odd reading a story which is not surprising because you've seen it before, but the only reason you've seen it before is because it was so great someone wanted to make a move about it.
Lot 249 was my favourite of the collection. The setting is a fictionalized Oxford college, where an academic realizes that the scholar who lives in the rooms below him, who is an "Orientalist" to use the old term, is up to some nefarious deeds that need to be stopped. I'm partial to stories set in Oxford (and this one really encapsulated the full flavor of the town), but I also think one of the things I like the best about Mummy stories is how they often involve bookish academics discovering their inner badass-ness.
September 8, 2014
As with all the Wordsworth Mystery and Supernatural Titles value for money and some classic mummy stories to boot! I always find the print a bit on the wee side but good reading never-less. The first story Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram stoker, I enjoyed immensely though I've read it a few times. This has been filmed as Hammer's fantastic " blood from the mummy's tomb, the awakening which is good film once it gets going, and the dire cheaply made "Bram stokers legend of the mummy. I won't spoil the story if you've not read it but if like me you thrive on classic horror you'll have a ball. Jane webs the mummy is ok, set in the far future a mixture of sci-fi and supernatural goings on. E.A.Poe's some words with a mummy, more a satire than a horror. Alas I struggled a bit with this as I do with some of his work, I found it a bit bland after the previous two tales. The last two both by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Ring of Thoth and Lot 249 I recommend to any one seeking an icy chill to run down the spine. You can see how these two stories have influenced mummy fiction since including the scary 1932 Boris Karloff Picture"The Mummy" and it's 1999 remake and sequel Which are ok as action but not much horror. Overall I recommend this collection and most likely will read it again soon.
Read
April 3, 2015This is a unique and fascinating collection of early mummy stories that helped to establish the chilling concept of the Dead returning to life as a potent sub-genre of horror fiction. The main feature on the mummy bill, The Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram Stoker, is generally regarded as his best work after Dracula. A weird mixture of adventure, the supernatural and science fiction is found in Jane Webb's The Mummy, a tale written in 1827 but set in 2126. Some Words with a Mummy is by the great horror writer Edgar Allen Poe. Arthur Conan Doyle's The Ring of Thoth is the classic mummy tale and was the basis for the 1932 movie 'The Mummy' starring Boris Karloff and, indeed most mummy films ever since. Lot 249, another Doyle chiller, completes this collection, which is guaranteed to entertain and possibly prompt a nightmare.
February 11, 2014
This review is mostly for The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker. This was a story that once I started I had to see how it was going to end as quickly as I could, so I read through it as much as I had a chance. In this edition, two endings are presented, only the first definitely by Stoker, the second published a few years later. I won't spoil you with the difference, but I preferred the original ending.
A nice read when you want something just for the fun of it. Gets bogged down occasionally in the details, but they all serve the the purpose of the story in the end I guess.
Of the four shorter stories also included, I only read the two by Doyle/ Definitely a different genre than his Holmes stories, but fun reads as well.
A nice read when you want something just for the fun of it. Gets bogged down occasionally in the details, but they all serve the the purpose of the story in the end I guess.
Of the four shorter stories also included, I only read the two by Doyle/ Definitely a different genre than his Holmes stories, but fun reads as well.
July 3, 2014
The centerpiece is Stoker's "Jewel of seven stars" but the stnad-outs, in my opinion, are Poe's uncharacteristically funny "Some words with a mummy" (which must be the only of his stories that ends with the narrator SEEKING a premature burial) and the two stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Great cover too.
Great cover too.
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