Various (Editor: Beech, Mark) - Infernal Mysteries
Egaeus resurrects the Gothic. Radcliffe, Maturin, Lewis … set in the 18th century, period attire, yet human instincts remain as base as they are today. Writers need to exercise care emulating the bygone. Some could easily slip into stilted pastiche, rather than inspired homage. Unusually for me, this collection took time, and a few stories, before it grew on me.
A friar is entrusted by his Eminence to transport “The Cardinal’s Ring”. A journey, land and spiritual, ensues. The ring is merely on loan, yet the recipient is a powerful, dangerous aristocrat.
“Casa Magni” is a recasting of the Shelley’s, Mary and Percy. Love and infatuation, jealousy and calculation. As well as the patience to live with the mercurial, to inherit the legacy.
I’m not always in the proper mood to appreciate Rhys Hughes’ wry works, but here he excels with “Thirteen Castles South”. For travelers who have tired of the Grand Tour, there is a castle only whispered of in an obscure pamphlet. Only the foolhardy would seek it out.
“The Rescue” is just that, hard after a terrible accident. A hero, a maid, a brute. Not to spoil, the ending was a cliff, which irked me.
“The Grotto At Crennocken” is a marvelous fabrication, then equipping of, the Earl’s outlying building. An abomination, a celebration of filth and decadence, long before term was appropriated by preening hipsters. The Earl has bought or plundered a loathsome assemblage, not least of which is his companion, Haqi, devotee of Kali. Steeped in atmosphere, this proves a lengthy, gratifying descent.
Connell, Brendan - Upuaut
This reads like a found journal. A diary of sorts by one Guildo, a masseur. Superbly trained, gifted even, well paid, and revered by high-born clients. Or merely the rich.
There is no chronological structure, being more of a ramble, although entries often call back to earlier jottings.
Much of this is a jagged, non-linear, inner journey. As with most of us, Guildo has no inkling of any progression until the awareness that he is no longer who he was.
NOT EXACTLY A SPOILER – BUT – this transition accelerates with Chapter XLII when our narrator ventures into a tavern and impulsively orders what another patron is imbibing - Erbaluce, which acts as a catalyst on his perceptions of those around him. Indeed, and of himself, as well.
This is a challenging read, as you have to piece together the narrative from scattered entries and fragments. Highly rewarding.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
800 Leagues on the Amazon by Jules Verne
All his life has he looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph!
Jaccard, Roland - Louise Brooks: Portrait Of An Anti-Star
One of those early books that helped fan the fame. When the original French edition was published in 1982, there were no home videos, and the superlative Barry Paris biography was a few years away.
This contains several of Brooksie’s articles, as well as dozens of photos from her own archives.
For newcomers, especially in 1986 (US edition), this and Lulu In Hollywood were essential for all Silent film buffs.
Glossy, perhaps superseded by later books (Paris and Cowie), this remains a must have for Louise fans.
Di Filippo, Paul - Aeota
This burst out as a hard boiled detective yarn. Our PI, Vern Ruggles, works a missing husband case. The same could be said for him. As a husband, he’s missing. A failure as a spouse, and as a human being; divorce papers dog him down.
The dialogue and descriptions here are purple pulp, so excessively drawn you could start giggling.
Unfortunately, the plot shifts into time travel, alternative realities, the multiverse, whatever else pops up in our author’s noggin. Full bore silliness blooms large.
If you are a loser (guilty), you will read to the conclusion and question your common sense.
Grabinski, Stefan - Orchard Of The Dead
First encounter with this author. Spectral tales, ghost sightings, haunted locations, and sexual bouts that go awry. So, a bit unbuttoned.
“At Sarah’s House” combines two of these themes, the unearthly and the erotic. After Wladek fails to aid a friend, wasting away toward death, he is soon drawn to the widow. A gorgeous, exotic creature, fragrant with an overpowering scent of desire.
The piece of land had a long, troubled history. Buildings erected there, burned down. Nevertheless, the location was fantastic! And outsiders, newcomers, never believed in old wives nonsense about the “Burning Ground”.
“Orchard Of The Dead” proves a gentle change. Set in the cemetery – children’s cemetery – where fruit trees flourish. Villagers dare not eat the fruit, though, for fear of where the tree roots tap.
As if from old habit, station master Szaten still walks from Ziklicz to Kniejow every night after his shift concludes. The latter station was long dismantled, yet Szaten has fond memories that he cherishes more than the day to day. “Szaten’s Engrams” is a haunting finish about the power of memory, the sadness of fading memories, and the lengths some will go to preserve memories.
Bailey, Catherine - The Secret Rooms
Nonfiction.
Flimsy story, further undermined by padded, bloated writing, and whining by author.
Yes, there was a secret in the old manor house, but it was neither important nor memorable.
Perhaps to the original “secret keeper.”
The book moved quickly, but for every twenty pages about the Manners’ family, there would be another ten from the author lamenting how hard it was to locate files.
Real historians never wail about obstacles in the search. Bailey was one big pity party.
This book could easily have been a hundred pages shorter.
Even at the big revelation, I was, “This? This is the big scandal? I wasted hours for this?”
Spare yourself.
Various (Editor: Higashi, Masao) - Kaiki: Uncanny Tales from Japan Vol 1
Tales old and new, yet all set in the era of Old Edo (pre-Tokyo). Masao provides a lengthy and sterling introduction to this collection, which leads into the opening essay by Lafcadio Hearn arguing for the value of supernatural fiction.
Early on, there are three very brief tales, appetizers. The book finishes with three brief mangas. In between, riches.
All new girls must spend a night in “The Futon Room”. The household of saki merchants has always been prosperous, yet the succession of male owners have seldom lived long. Hand in hand with this mysterious coincidence is the secluded storage room.
For the complete anglers among you, “The Pointer” provides buckets of fishing tips, lore, as well as a magnificent bamboo rod.
“The Inō Residence” finds a young samurai contesting with a ghost or demon or spirit, one trying to drive him from his house. Fleeing would cost face. Terrors and struggles vary from night to night, and are detailed in sequential chapters.
The young woman has shown up lost, without a memory. Her lone recall is that she came “Through The Wooden Gate”. She is a strange creature, somewhat fey, yet everyone takes a liking to her, especially Seishirō, who seems destined for advancement. A wistful tale, quietly exposing how fleeting time and experiences are.
Crisp, Quentin S. - Ikaho
The chance encounter between two travelers. A young girl, more of a child actually, and an itinerant monk. Even though he is poor, begging for alms, Jirō recognizes the hunger in Ohisa’s face immediately and shares his food.
As both walk into Ikaho, a small place and a bend out of time, they reveal thier stories. Recent histories. The sorry reasons why both are on the road, and not indoors, safe and warm.
With encounters, there is often an exchange. As well as understanding, empathy, perhaps a solution to temporary difficulty.
Crisp’s novella is the muted connecting of sympathetic souls, not kindred spirits, although they both “see” each other.
While Ikaho itself is not dissimilar to Erith, it does seem less solid, more a place we stroll into in a dreamlike amble.
Ikaho would be a magical village to wander, rest, observe, recharge, before continuing on.
Clark, Simon - Vampyrrhic
Responding to the invite from his aged, yet vigorous, uncle, David returns to the childhood home of Leppington.
The town’s fortune was built on the huge slaughterhouse, owned by the Leppington family (including David Leppington) for generations.
Events are stirring underneath, with dark events and whispered claims swirling madly.
The hotel proprietress resembles a Goth movie presenter. One guest is transfixed by video cassettes of the locked cellar. More? How about a thuggish employee who can read minds?
Then there is Thor. You know, the “if I had a hammer” god. And Thor has an ungodly army!
Kitchen sink horror, meaning any and everything our author could dream up is mixed in.
Long, extremely fast moving, a diverting page turner.
One of those titles I bought years ago for old age reading.
My limited edition (of 1000) is signed with what resembles a donkey doodle.
Ostermeier, R - Black Dog
The holiday was forced upon him. Ben preferred structure, not the empty break from routine.
Perhaps the choice was fate, perhaps Ben nursed a contrary streak. His choice of vacation, Oakmotherley was on the coast. It had a maligned reputation, an unhealthy place, and it was also known as Black Dog.
A triplex on the sands, recently renovated for a tourist trade that never materialized.
Quiet enough, though, for Ben Bagwell to work on his etchings and idle time with passersby.
The step toward the Black Dog sect was just a soft turn, a twinge of curiosity, until he found himself knee deep. Accepted.
This is a story that lulls one, tugs at you insistently, until you find yourself in the spell of enlightenment or madness. One way or another, you may never regard grapes the same way.
Suggestion: Prior to reading this, you might want to view “What Artists Do All Day: Norman Ackryod” to get an understanding of the etching process.
Oliver, Reggie - The Dreams Of Cardinal Vittorini
Oliver’s first collection for Tartarus Press is just solid in every way. Stories set among the theatre boards, others in the countryside, a few dipping into bygone times.
“Beside The Shrill Sea” is an actor’s recollections from his green youth. First roles, minor roles. The troupe. Unpleasant memories of toxic companions. The tightening of the spring until – well – I never specified the recollections were happy ones.
The painting was a curious sort. Forgotten in the manor of an aristocratic line all but tapped out. An illustration neither recognized nor valued, save by Jason, actor on location, still striving for that career break. He doubted anyone would actually miss the painting, a tranquil, bucolic scene, with an almost hypnotic allure, set “In Arcadia”. It exerts a tug, into thievery, into quieter depths.
It’s not that he was a lonely child. His parents were in the diplomatic corps, continuously abroad, while he was conveniently offloaded to boarding school. Bit of an afterthought, I suppose. Nevertheless, one of the masters takes a shine to him. Gordon and his wife Freda, a couple sophisticated and swank. Our lad is suitably impressed, yet as time rolls, his observation keens. So much so, that he spies the “Death Mask”, or the ghost in their home. Not to worry, others have witnessed it. There are ghosts seen and unseen, however, as the chic pair are also haunted. This is a poignant tale, drawing from friendship and loss, personal loss and cruel Fate.
Another inducement for this collection are the illustrations. Oliver has included line drawings (his own) prefacing each tale. And this is my only quibble, or wish if you like. Would that these were 30% larger.
I just finished Tarzan Alive by Philip José Farmer. It’s an engaging thought experiment to derive a biographical narrative through the Burroughs books (with real world context and scientific explanations), but the addendums are somewhat boring. I get why Farmer used them to ground the book in the Wold Newton Universe/establish the Greystoke lineage and titles, but it’s a slog to read.
Would it be good to follow up with Doc Savage or the Opar books Farmer also wrote?
Block, Lawrence - Killing Castro
Not everyone is happy now that Fidel is in power.
Consequently, a team of disparate types is commissioned for a whack job.
The five have nothing in common. Truthfully, only three are experienced killers.
Payoff for success is $100 K, no small change in 1961, to be divvied among the survivors.
Penned in 1961, when Castro was new, and already distrusted by the States, this what-if thriller crackles along. With hindsight, we know the missions (three) are doomed to fail.
Nonetheless, the book is an exciting page-turner.
Block’s misogynist tropes are evident, as well.
Great for fans of Block or caper thrillers.
Thrower, Stephen - Flowers Of Perversion: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco, Volume 2
Monumental book on the cinema of Jess Franco.
This explores the films from 1975 – 2013. Reviews, opinions, running times, various versions.
Masses of photos. Screengrabs, stills, private snapshots.
Backstories, locations, ongoing events and changes in the film industry.
For the casual viewer, maybe not, although the price has always been reasonable, if not downright tempting. For buffs who like Franco, or just appreciate him, this is essential.
Personally, I took my time with this, taking a year to read front to back.
It is easy to get overwhelmed, and discouraged, as when Franco and crew make lesser films, usually owning to financial necessities.
For what it is, this is extraordinarily affordable, too.
The Storyboards of the original trilogy book by JW Rinzler. It is quite good, and a very nice companion piece to the trilogy of making of books he wrote. Recommended for all fans of the OT.
I just finished Me by Elton John and it was a fantastic retrospective on his life and career. He nails the surreality of a famous life and details his shortcomings more than most would. It’s somewhat more elaborate than Rob Halford’s memoirs, but not as much of an overly-emotional mess as Peter Criss and Paul Stanley’s literary tirades books.
Various (Editor: Pulver, Joseph) - The Madness Of Dr. Caligari
Enthusiasm from editor Pulver notwithstanding, this is a proverbial grab-bag. Hits and misses. Ripe storytelling and wordy clunkers. Indeed, the failures for me stem from writers, who, in this instance, cannot tell a proper story.
Ross is too old for the college Film Studies course, but as a movie hound, a perceived expert, he anticipates an easy A. “The Words Between” finds his understanding of an Expressionist classic, his ability to coherently write an essay about the film, and his own self-awareness, beginning to fracture.
As with military indoctrination, the master seeks to break down the recruit - or patient - in order to reforge a superior specimen. In this “Conversion”, however, the process excels, resulting in malevolence.
She tells the tale to Tubby. A tale of adolescence, working a part-time job for the neighborhood babysitter. “Somnambule”, in this case not the sleepwalker, but closer to a chrysalis. The numbed soul, emotions and thoughts bent inwards, cocooned, then morphing out of the harmless.
“Et Spiritus Sanctus” showcases the royal daughter, surviving heiress, surrounded by lies, deceivers, manipulators, then coming into her own.
Unlike many collections, the second half of this is very strong (although one attempt was a cross between Kafka and 1984, one imagines the editor was being kind by including it).
Two Hollywood based yarns, a twisted ballet, and grim obsession set amidst the crumbling days of the Third Reich.
Far as I know, this is still available (2025) from the publisher. Even signed copies!
Grant, Helen - Atmospheric Disturbances
Nicely chosen group of Grant’s supernatural stories, leaning toward the unexplained.
“Mrs. Velderkraust’s Lease” opens and provides one of the darkest tales in this. The house is goodly sized, and the rate more than reasonable. One stipulation, that the house be vacated for two days in December, is irksome. No excuses, no exceptions. She agrees, since December is months away. Time creeps ahead, however, as the weather gets colder.
Simon is a cautious opportunist. A thief, to be blunt. Scours the obituaries for estates, empty manors, than has a look-see before the arrival of agents or relatives. “50” is the vintage year of the dust covered bottle. 1950? 1850? Earlier? How would it taste? Curiosity can be so cruel.
She spots the private investigator straight away. Young, inexperienced, careless. Mélisande invites him into her apartment, permits him to search thoroughly. As she insists, her husband abandoned her. “Friday” is a satisfying read for those caught in an unhappy union.
An enchanting smile and a sheer garment that reveals hidden mysteries underneath. Nick, new homeowner, is agog. To the point he begins traipsing after her the lissom creature, even into what he soon realizes is “The Lost Maze.” Another of the darker tales, and, for asthmatic readers, you will enjoy an open car journey in bitter winter more than this. Not so? You’ll see.
Various (Editor: Black, Andy) - Necronomicon Book Two
This set rectifies an omission from the first book straightaway. Jess Franco. The first section details how heavily influenced Franco was by de Sade, referencing several films. Following is a lively interview with Franco.
“Abnormal Ward” explores earlier films of Hisayasu Sato, often voyeuristic prowls by damaged observers amidst indifferent back alley cruelty.
“Strange Images Of Death” is a real high point in this collection. Paralleling the Polanski version of Macbeth with the Tate murders. Of further reading for the Manson events, find Ed Sanders’ “The Family” followed with “Helter Skelter” by Vince Bugliosi.
“Tits, Ass and Swastikas” serves as an introduction to Nazispliotation. For my money, it would be easier and more efficient to watch the breezy, sleazy documentary, Fascism On A Thread.
Less popular than his more celebrated works, Russ Meyer’s Mudhoney is presented as an early take on the demise of the American Dream in “Rope Of Flesh”.
Final section, “Female Vampires”, checklists the earliest with Gloria Holden, onto Hammer, then Franco and Rollin. Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” is pretty much the inspiration for many of the early films. With Franco and Rollin, one offers blood and carnality, the other dreamlike sensuality.
A good followup to Volume One, used copies usually affordable.
I just finished reading the Art of the Kelvin timeline and i’m not the biggest fan of those. I do think Ryan Church’s production painting of the USS Enterprise is not that far off from Jefferies design. Too bad they did the one in the film instead. With all those silly hot-rodded designs and ugly bussards that look like Jet engines.
Despite those criticisms the book is short and sparse but what is there does give me more appreciation for the art and costume design. For movies I sort of enjoyed the first two but they weren’t Star Trek.
But its closer to a love/hate relationship I have with few films that I hate and love equally.
Parsons, Eliza - The Mysterious Warning
Ferdinand, impetuous youth, marries the impoverished yet lovely Claudina, against the expressed wishes of his father, the Count.
He is swiftly disinherited, casting he and Claudina adrift in the cruel world.
The best course of action seems to join the Emperor’s regiment against the Turks.
Where, he is injured and imprisoned.
Meanwhile, half-brother Rhodophil pleads his case, or so he says, all while seducing the lovely Claudina, causing servants to whisper, “she’s now a-breeding”.
Sprawling novel thumps across the continent from manor to castle.
Barons and counts, thieves and rogues, misunderstood hearts and treachery.
While not what I would call a thumping good read, it does entertain, amidst a lot of soap opera revelations and tangled relations.
I blame Jane Austen for this, my initial entry into her “horrid novels”.
Read, if you have leisure, and a taste for extended prose.
Note: the observation of ancient Rome is unsettling.