Showing results by narrator "Matthew Schmitz" in All Categories

Cool Air, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1926, is a chilling tale that masterfully blends gothic horror with the scientific and psychological themes characteristic of Lovecraft's work. First published in Tales of Magic and Mystery in 1928, this story explores the fragility of human life and the lengths to which one might go to preserve it, set against the backdrop of a decaying New York City apartment.

The Alchemist, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1908, is one of his earliest works, showcasing his budding talent for atmospheric storytelling and his lifelong fascination with themes of ancestral guilt, curses, and the occult. Set in a decaying, isolated castle in the heart of medieval France, this gothic tale is steeped in the dark traditions of vengeance and supernatural retribution.

The Beast in the Cave, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1905 when he was just 14 years old, is one of his earliest forays into the world of macabre fiction. Despite its brevity and the youthfulness of its author, this tale demonstrates Lovecraft's early talent for crafting an atmosphere of suspense and his fascination with the grotesque and the unknown.

The Book is an enigmatic and fragmentary story written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1933, left incomplete and unpublished during his lifetime. It stands as a tantalizing glimpse into the core of Lovecraft’s mythos, where forbidden knowledge and ancient horrors intertwine to create a sense of cosmic dread. Though brief, the piece carries the essence of Lovecraft's obsession with the dangers of delving into mysteries beyond human comprehension.

The Diary of Alonzo Typer is a haunting story crafted by H.P. Lovecraft in collaboration with writer William Lumley. Written in 1935, it unfolds in the form of a found manuscript—a diary belonging to Alonzo Typer, an investigator who vanishes after exploring an eerie, abandoned mansion steeped in mysterious and occult history. This story combines Lovecraft’s fascination with ancient evils, forbidden knowledge, and crumbling old New England settings with Lumley’s intense interest in mysticism and the supernatural.

The Curse of Yig, a horror tale by H.P. Lovecraft, delves into the folklore and dark superstitions of the American Midwest. The story follows the narrator, an investigator intrigued by tales of a curse surrounding Yig, the snake god of Native American lore. As the narrator delves into the history of this malevolent deity, he encounters unsettling accounts of madness, transformation, and death. Central to the story is the tragic tale of settlers Walker and Audrey Davis, whose fear of snakes and belief in Yig’s curse leads them down a path of terror and doom.

The Evil Clergyman is a brief but chilling work by H.P. Lovecraft, written in 1933 and published posthumously in 1939. Unlike many of Lovecraft's stories that delve into cosmic horror and elaborate mythologies, this tale presents a deeply personal and mysterious vision, drawing readers into an unsettling encounter with the unknown. Originally conceived as a vivid nightmare that Lovecraft recounted in a letter to fellow writer Bernard Austin Dwyer, this story unfolds with an eerie immediacy that reflects its dreamlike origins.

The tale follows an unnamed narrator, an intern at a mental hospital, who becomes intrigued by a patient, Joe Slater, a troubled man from the backwoods of the Catskills. Slater’s violent outbursts and visions of a celestial battle suggest a connection to a higher, otherworldly plane. Using a fictional “etheric wave” device, the narrator attempts to link his consciousness with Slater’s, embarking on a journey into an ethereal world where thoughts and dreams take on cosmic significance.

Gitanjali is a collection of poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, for its English translation, Song Offerings, making him the first non-European and the first Asian & the only Indian to receive this honour. It is part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.

"The Transcendentalist" is an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson that was first published in 1841. In this work, Emerson defines and reflects on the Transcendentalist movement, a philosophical and literary movement that was influential in the United States in the 19th century. Transcendentalism emphasized the importance of individualism, intuition, and a direct connection to the divine, and rejected the materialism and conformity of contemporary society.

Fifty-One Tales is a collection of fantasy short stories by Irish writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin and others.

For long I have been spending much of my time in a world of great beauty of thought and purity of feeling, created by the devotion and intelligence of one of the many theosophical fraternities of the ancient world. They called themselves disciples of Thrice-greatest Hermes, and sometimes spoke of their faith as the Religion of the Mind. They were prior to and contemporary with the origins and earliest centuries of Christianity, and they lived in Egypt.

Mazes and Labyrinths is a look into the origin and mystery of mazes. From ancient stone carvings, Minoan palaces to today's hedge-maze, Matthews chronicles the history of the maze. With devoted scholarship to "the lure of the labyrinth," W. H. Matthews has composed an exhaustive history of mazes and labyrinths from antiquity to the present.

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180.

TIME AND THE GODS is the second book by Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin, and others. It is a collection of short stories linked by Dunsany's invented pantheon of deities who dwell in Pegāna. It was preceded by his earlier collection The Gods of Pegāna and followed by some stories in The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories. Dunsany included a brief preface in the original edition and added a new introduction to the 1922 edition.

Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893-August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne. As a poet, Smith is grouped with the West Coast Romantics alongside Joaquin Miller, Sterling, and Nora May French and remembered as "The Last of the Great Romantics" and "The Bard of Auburn".

Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893-August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is a book by the English poet and printmaker William Blake. It is a series of texts written in imitation of biblical prophecy but expressing Blake's own intensely personal Romantic and revolutionary beliefs.