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Phantasmagoria
Originally published in 1976, this anthology includes facsimile reprints of thirteen early horror and ghost "The Sanctuary," by E. F. Benson; "The Terror on Tobit," by Charles Lloyd Birkin; "Couching at the Door," by D. K. Broster; "An Amateur Ghost," by James Branch Cabell; "The Closed Cabinet" (anonymous); "Playing with Fire," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; "The Demon Pope," by Richard Garnett; "Arria Marcella," by Théophile Gautier; "The Witch Doctor," by Manly P. Hall; "The Seeker of Souls," by Jasper John; "The Shadow on the Moor," by the Duke of Northumberland; "The Moonslave," by Barry Pain; and "A Porta Inferi," by Roger Pater.
141 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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January 29, 2019
It seems that the two editors compiled several of these anthologies in the mid-1970s: another is "Ancient Hauntings." There has been some resurgence in interest of out-of-print books lately, especially late-19th and early 20th-century works, so perhaps these will be rediscovered. It was, in fact, re-released in 2008, but the volume I read was first published in 1976. It's one of several volumes in the Supernatural and Occult Fiction series by Arno Press. The primary offering of this volume is that is comprised of some rather obscure texts, one stated to be from an original typewritten copy whose "original pages were too fragile to reproduce." The entire volume, in fact, seems to be simply a collection of reprints, as even the pagination is not sequential (something I've not encountered previously), which makes it somewhat cumbersome, as the typeset differs for each of the individual pieces. It appears rather hastily assembled, but some of the stories are intriguing. The most renowned author to make an appearance in this volume is Arthur Conan Doyle.
There are thirteen short stories in all, appearing to date to the early 20th century primarily, with a couple of exceptions. These include: "The Sanctuary," by E. F. Benson; "The Terror on Tobit," by Charles Lloyd Birkin; "Couching at the Door," by D. K. Broster; "An Amateur Ghost," by James Branch Cabell; "The Closed Cabinet" (anonymous); "Playing with Fire," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; "The Demon Pope," by Richard Garnett; "Arria Marcella," by Théophile Gautier; "The Witch Doctor," by Manly P. Hall; "The Seeker of Souls," by Jasper John; "The Shadow on the Moor," by the Duke of Northumberland; "The Moonslave," by Barry Pain; and "A Porta Inferi," by Roger Pater. They vary considerably in quality, but are in general worth a read. They certainly lack the stylistic character of noted authors such as James and Lovecraft, but offer a good introduction to the horror novella of the day. My personal favorite was "Arria Marcella," which tells the story of a young French tourist visiting Pompeii, who falls in love with a long-dead victim of Vesuvius, and finds himself transported back in time, albeit all to briefly. Going back in time to see the city as it was before its destruction is often a scenario I've daydreamed about, while walking the deserted streets of Pompeii, so the descriptions in this short piece bring back fond memories! Perhaps that is their most endearing quality: these short stories cast doubt on the seemingly innocuous nature of the familiar places they describe. The volume as a whole is worth a read if you're interested in this type of fiction, even if the quality of each of the pieces is rather inconsistent.
There are thirteen short stories in all, appearing to date to the early 20th century primarily, with a couple of exceptions. These include: "The Sanctuary," by E. F. Benson; "The Terror on Tobit," by Charles Lloyd Birkin; "Couching at the Door," by D. K. Broster; "An Amateur Ghost," by James Branch Cabell; "The Closed Cabinet" (anonymous); "Playing with Fire," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; "The Demon Pope," by Richard Garnett; "Arria Marcella," by Théophile Gautier; "The Witch Doctor," by Manly P. Hall; "The Seeker of Souls," by Jasper John; "The Shadow on the Moor," by the Duke of Northumberland; "The Moonslave," by Barry Pain; and "A Porta Inferi," by Roger Pater. They vary considerably in quality, but are in general worth a read. They certainly lack the stylistic character of noted authors such as James and Lovecraft, but offer a good introduction to the horror novella of the day. My personal favorite was "Arria Marcella," which tells the story of a young French tourist visiting Pompeii, who falls in love with a long-dead victim of Vesuvius, and finds himself transported back in time, albeit all to briefly. Going back in time to see the city as it was before its destruction is often a scenario I've daydreamed about, while walking the deserted streets of Pompeii, so the descriptions in this short piece bring back fond memories! Perhaps that is their most endearing quality: these short stories cast doubt on the seemingly innocuous nature of the familiar places they describe. The volume as a whole is worth a read if you're interested in this type of fiction, even if the quality of each of the pieces is rather inconsistent.
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