Showing results by author "Algernon Blackwood" in All Categories

As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.

Described by H P Lovecraft as 'the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere', Algernon Blackwood (CBE) was the acclaimed and prolific author of numerous ghost stories and horror tales. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories. This anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence.

Dive into the eerie and enthralling world of the supernatural with master anthologist Joseph Lewis Frenchs collection of the finest ghost stories ever penned. From the early influential works of Daniel Defoe and Edward Bulwer-Lytton to the chilling narratives of contemporary legends like M. R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and E. F. Benson, this anthology promises to deliver a treasure trove of haunting tales that will keep you on the edge of your seat and awake through the darkest hours of the night! - Summary by Ben Tucker

Perhaps Blackwood's most celebrated story, The Willows was influenced heavily by his own trips down the Danube River. It tells the story of two campers who pick the wrong place to sleep for the night, a place where another dimension impinges on our own. H.P. Lovecraft considered this the finest supernatural tale in English literature.

In The Willows, master of the supernatural Algernon Blackwood weaves a haunting tale of nature's unknown terrors. Two friends canoeing down the Danube River venture into an isolated marshland, where the willow-lined banks seem to whisper with life—and menace. As the men set up camp, they encounter an overwhelming sense of unease that grows into a surreal and terrifying confrontation with an elemental, otherworldly force.

The Willows is a novella by English author Algernon Blackwood, originally published as part of his 1907 collection The Listener and Other Stories. It is one of Blackwood's best known works and has been influential on a number of later writers. Horror author H.P. Lovecraft considered it to be the finest supernatural tale in English literature. The Willows is an example of early modern horror and is connected within the literary tradition of weird fiction. Two friends are midway on a canoe trip down the Danube River.

Days from civilisation five men are about to experience something beyond the rational. In the snow slaked wilds where the natives fear to tread, these men search for moose but find something more terrifying and supernatural. With a rush of wind and the smell of feral nature one of their number is whisked away, leaving them wondering: Who might be next?

First published in 1917 by Alfred A. Knopf, this collection of Algernon Blackwood's short stories includes some of his most beloved classics.

British author Algernon Blackwood was a prolific writer who is usually remembered for his numerous ghost stories; however, he also wrote on many other supernatural themes. This collection of 13 stories includes: "The Wendigo", "The Olive", "The Goblin's Collection", "The Sea Fit", "Ancient Lights", "The Prayer", "The Wood of the Dead", "An Egyptian Hornet", "The Other Wing", "The Singular Death of Morton", "Entrance and Exit", "The Kit Bag", "The Damned".

The unifying factor of this collection is that, without exception, every author included here was in some way or another involved with or interested in the occult. In some cases, they were members of an occult organization, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society, or similar such groups. Others simply had a strong personal interest in the subject matter or practiced some form of the esoteric sciences in private.

This collection comprises 40 stories by and inspired by the originators of weird fiction. From Blackwood's The Empty House, through to Philip K. Dick's The Hanging Stranger, Lovecraft's Out of The Aeons, and beyond.

CONTENTS: 1. The Imp of the Perverse [Poe], 2. The Devil in the Belfry [Poe], 3. The Crawling Chaos [Lovecraft], 4. Aunt Joanna [Sabine Baring-Gould], 5. The Outsider [Lovecraft], 6. The Hound [Lovecraft], 7. The Disinterment [Lovecraft], 8. The Horror At Martin's Beach [Lovecraft], 9. The Tree On The Hill [Lovecraft], 10. The Outgoing of The Tide [John Buchan], 11. The Curse of Yig [Lovecraft], 12. The Haunter Of The Dark [Lovecraft], 13. Berenice [Poe], 14. The Angel Of The Odd [Poe], 15. Black Ram [Baring-Gould], 16. The Cask Of Amontillado [Poe], 17. Dracula's Guest [Bram Stoker].

A monster lurks in the Canadian forests. If the legends are to be believed, a small band of hunters is about to meet the Wendigo. The legend of the Wendigo originates from folk stories from the Plains and Great Lakes Native Americans. The creature is a malevolent spirit, known to possess and even eat humans.

Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows is widely hailed as one of the greatest works of supernatural fiction ever written. Blending breathtaking descriptions of nature with an atmosphere of mounting unease, Blackwood creates a tale where the boundary between the real and the unknown grows dangerously thin.

H.P. Lovecraft considered The Willows to be "the finest supernatural tale in English literature", and its appeal is obvious. In his tale of an adventurous duo who embark on a seemingly innocuous river trip down the Danube, Blackwood personifies the desolate willows to be ominous, alive, and menacing. The river itself brims with human passions, and the elemental winds and heavenly forces all combine to create a sense of a supernatural intelligence orchestrating it all.

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood is a haunting masterpiece of early supernatural fiction, blending psychological horror with the eerie majesty of nature.

This collection contains a mixture of stories about ghosts and contacts from spirits, some by celebrated authors, together with essays on psychical research. As Joseph French notes in the preface, even for the skeptic, tales of ghostly activity retain a distinct fascination. The widespread interest in psychic phenomena in the early twentieth century proved to be a significant stimulus to literary production.

Durante un viaggio in canoa sul Danubio, due uomini sono costretti a fermarsi su un'isola a causa della corrente. Quello che doveva essere un tranquillo campeggio temporaneo si trasforma in un'esperienza inquietante e soprannaturale: i salici che ricoprono l'isola sembrano muoversi e bisbigliare, al soffio del vento, dando l'impressione di essere vivi; si percepisce la presenza di entità ostili invisibili e spaventose, che mettono in dubbio ogni capacità di raziocinio.

An abandoned house whose horrific past is reenacted for those who dare visit; a terrifying trip down the Danube River; a malevolent half-beast creature who abducts a member of a hunting party; and a tale of paranoia, mental deterioration, and all-consuming feelings of doom: Here are four feverish, spine-tingling tales that will chill the blood and make the flesh creep. The collection includes "The Empty House," "The Willows," "The Listener", and "The Wendigo".

Contents: Edgar Allan Poe - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - The Gold Bug - The Black Cat - The Pit and the Pendulum - The Tell-Tale Heart - The Fall of the House of Usher - The Masque of the Red Death - The Cask of Amontillado - The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar - Hop-Frog - The RavenBram Stoker - DraculaMary Shelley - FrankensteinJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu - CarmillaRobert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeH.P. Lovecraft - The Alchemist - At the Mountains of Madness - Azathoth - The Beast in the Cave.