J. Sheridan Le Fanu – författare

`the ideal reading...for the hours after midnight'Thus Henry James described the style of supernatural tale of which Sheridan Le Fanu was a master. Known in nineteenth-century Dublin as `The Invisible Prince' because of his reclusive and nocturnal habits, Le Fanu was fascinated by the occult. His writings draw on the Gothic tradition, elements of Irish folklore, and even on the social and political anxieties of his Anglo-Irish contemporaries. In exploring sometimes inexplicable terrors, the tales focus on the unease of the haunted men and women who encounter the supernatural, rather than on the origin or purpose of the visitant. This makes for spine-chilling reading.The five stories presented here have been collected by Dr Hesselius, a `metaphysical' doctor, the forerunner of the modern psychiatrist, who is willing to consider the ghosts both as real and as hallucinatory obsessions. The reader's doubtful anxiety mimics that of the protagonist, and each story thus creates that atmosphere of mystery which is the supernatural experience. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

''Well, a corpse is a natural thing; but this was the dreadfullest sight I ever sid...''Sheridan Le Fanu is one of the indispensable figures in the history of Gothic and horror fiction-the most important such writer in English, certainly, between Poe and M. R. James. While a number of his sensation and mystery novels were popular with mid-Victorian readers, it was in shorter forms that he truly excelled, and most showed himself an innovator in the field of uncanny fiction. Tales such as ''Carmilla'' and ''Green Tea'' prompted M. R. James to remark, ''he succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer''. This landmark critical edition includes the original versions of all five stories later collected in the superb In a Glass Darkly, along with seven equally chilling tales spanning the length of Le Fanu''s career, from ''Schalken the Painter'', a pioneering story of the walking dead, to ''Laura Silver Bell'', a haunting exploration of the dark side of fairy lore. Aaron Worth''s introduction discusses the paranoid, claustrophobic world of Le Fanu''s fiction as a counterpoint-one in its own way equally modern-to the cosmic horror tale as practiced by such writers as H. P. Lovecraft.

''Well, a corpse is a natural thing; but this was the dreadfullest sight I ever sid...''Sheridan Le Fanu is one of the indispensable figures in the history of Gothic and horror fiction-the most important such writer in English, certainly, between Poe and M. R. James. While a number of his sensation and mystery novels were popular with mid-Victorian readers, it was in shorter forms that he truly excelled, and most showed himself an innovator in the field of uncanny fiction. Tales such as ''Carmilla'' and ''Green Tea'' prompted M. R. James to remark, ''he succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer''. This landmark critical edition includes the original versions of all five stories later collected in the superb In a Glass Darkly, along with seven equally chilling tales spanning the length of Le Fanu''s career, from ''Schalken the Painter'', a pioneering story of the walking dead, to ''Laura Silver Bell'', a haunting exploration of the dark side of fairy lore. Aaron Worth''s introduction discusses the paranoid, claustrophobic world of Le Fanu''s fiction as a counterpoint-one in its own way equally modern-to the cosmic horror tale as practiced by such writers as H. P. Lovecraft.

'Well, a corpse is a natural thing; but this was the dreadfullest sight I ever sid...'Sheridan Le Fanu is one of the indispensable figures in the history of Gothic and horror fiction-the most important such writer in English, certainly, between Poe and M. R. James. While a number of his sensation and mystery novels were popular with mid-Victorian readers, it was in shorter forms that he truly excelled, and most showed himself an innovator in the field of uncanny fiction. Tales such as 'Carmilla' and 'Green Tea' prompted M. R. James to remark, 'he succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer'. This landmark critical edition includes the original versions of all five stories later collected in the superb In a Glass Darkly, along with seven equally chilling tales spanning the length of Le Fanu's career, from 'Schalken the Painter', a pioneering story of the walking dead, to 'Laura Silver Bell', a haunting exploration of the dark side of fairy lore. Aaron Worth's introduction discusses the paranoid, claustrophobic world of Le Fanu's fiction as a counterpoint-one in its own way equally modern-to the cosmic horror tale as practiced by such writers as H. P. Lovecraft.

In a Glass Darkly is Sheridan Le Fanu's most famous collection of ghost and mystery stories. There are five, all recounted by Martin Hesselius: Green Tea, The Familiar, Mr Justice Harbottle, The Room in the Dragon Volant and Carmilla. What makes the Faber Finds edition unique is the illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. The original title-page says, 'with numerous illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.' That is true, there is an abundance of them from the full-page to the vignettes. This illustrated edition was first published in November 1929. Eighty years to the month is it being reissued by Faber Finds. It is an anniversary worth celebrating. Edward Ardizzone was one of the best and most distinctive illustrators of the twentieth-century and this was the very first book to benefit from his work. It was an auspicious start.

Sheridan Le Fanu’s queer Gothic pre-Dracula vampire tale, now in a beautiful gift edition for the Union Square & Co. Signature Gilded Editions line. Laura's sheltered life in Austria is forever changed by the arrival of Carmilla, a beautiful and enigmatic stranger whose obsession with Laura is both sensual and destructive. A foundational and unconventional work of vampire literature that predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years, Carmilla has also inspired authors like Carmen Maria Machado and Kat Dunn. This edition also includes The Room in the Dragon Volant, wherein a man's obsession with a mysterious countess pulls him into a deadly conspiracy.

J. Sheridan Le Fanu's queer Gothic pre-Dracula vampire tale, now repackaged for Union Square and Co.'s Signature Editions series.In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion.But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day... Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

This early work by J. Sheridan Le Fanu was originally published in 1853 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. ''An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street'' is a short story about strange occurrences in a house where a judge had once hung himself and now monsters of the night roam its halls. Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was born in Dublin in 1814. His was a literary family of Huguenot origins; both his grandmother Alicia Sheridan Le Fanu and his great-uncle Richard Brinsley Sheridan were playwrights, and his niece Rhoda Broughton would go on to become a successful novelist. At his peak, le Fanu was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century, and he is now seen as central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

The Gothic Terror MEGAPACK™ presents 17 tales from the early and late Gothic periods, drawn from both the English and American Gothic movements. Here you will find murder, insanity, scandal, obsession, secrets, and gloom…and even the occasional ghost. Included are:

A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family, by J. Sheridan LeFanuJack Long; or The Shot in the Eye, by Charles Wilkins WebberMaster Sacristan Eberhart, by Sabine Baring-GouldCurious If True, by Elizabeth GaskellSelina Sedilia, by Bret HarteThe Romance of Certain Old Clothes, by Henry JamesJean-Ah Poquelin, by George Washington CableOlalla, by Robert Louis StevensonBarbara of the House Of Grebe, by Thomas HardyThe Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins GilmanHurst of Hurstcote, by Edith NesbitThe Dead Valley, by Ralph Adams CramThe Striding Place, by Gertrude AthertonThe Dead Smile, by F. Marion CrawfordA Vine on a House, by Ambrose BierceThe Old English Baron by Clara ReeveThe Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

And don''t forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more great entries in this series, ranging from mystery to westerns to science fiction to adventure stories, and much more! (View them by publication date to see the most recent additions.)

Just in time for Halloween -- Wildside Press is pleased to present a small MEGAPACK® of great horror tales! Because it has an original story, we decided to release it for everyone to read. (It was free on our web site on Free Ebook Tuesday on the Tuesday before Halloween). Here are:

THE WHITE CAT OF DRUMGUNNIOL, by J. Sheridan Le FanuTHURNLEY ABBEY, by Perceval LandonSPIDER MANSION, by Fritz LeiberTHE GREEN THING, by Manly Banister (writing as Gregg Powers)THE ROMAN LADY, by H. B. Fyfe and John Gregory Betancourt

If you enjoy this ebook, don''t forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 260+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. No less an authority than M.R. James described Le Fanu as “absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories”—but he was far more than that. His short novel Carmilla is an early tale of vampirism, and it has lesbian elements as well, making it of interest to many scholars and readers today. His best-known works are, of course, Carmilla, plus Uncle Silas and The House by the Churchyard.

Before Dracula, there was Carmilla—the first seductive vampire to haunt readers’ imaginations This classic of Gothic horror follows Laura, a woman haunted by a girlhood dream of a beautiful visitor to her bedroom. Now, a decade later, Laura finds Carmilla, who appears to be her own age, on the side of the road after a carriage accident. The two recognize each other from the same childhood dream and become fast friends. Soon after, Laura begins to experience mysterious feelings and is once again haunted by nightmares. She finds Carmilla strangely irresistible and longs to be with her. But as the two friends grow closer, Laura’s health begins to fail. It becomes apparent that her enchanting companion is harboring a sinister secret. To free herself from Carmilla’s grasp, Laura and her family must fight for their lives. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

The iconic Gothic horror classics that gave birth to the monstrous myths that still inhabit our nightmares. Tragic heroines, windswept moors, dark and stormy nights, castle prisons, and forbidden desires realized at the greatest cost—these are the elements of Gothic horror, given its finest expression in these five enduring novels.  Frankenstein: Obsessed with the secret of creation, Swiss scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein cobbles together a body he is determined to bring to life. When the creature opens his eyes one fateful night, the doctor is repulsed: His vision of perfection is a hideous monster. Dr. Frankenstein abandons his creation, but the furious, lonely monster will not be ignored, setting in motion a chain of violence and terror. A gripping story about the ethics of creation and the consequences of trauma, Frankenstein is as relevant today as it is haunting.  Dracula: Upon a visit to Transylvania, young English lawyer Jonathan Harker makes a horrifying discovery about Castle Dracula and its resident count, who survives on the blood of human beings. Thus a battle of wits ensues between the vicious count and his various adversaries in this legendary Gothic novel of horror, dark romance, and chilling suspense.  Carmilla: Published twenty-five years before Stoker’s Dracula, Carmilla is the passionate, thrilling tale of a mysterious young woman’s dramatic arrival at an isolated castle. The innocent Laura has never seen anyone like the seductive, secretive Carmilla, except in her dreams—and an antique portrait, which resembles the visitor perfectly, down to the mole on her tempting neck. Laura quickly realizes there is something far more dark and sinister about Carmilla than meets the eye.  The Great God Pan: When Mr. Clarke agrees to visit his friend Dr. Raymond, he is dubious about the proceedings he is to witness. In pursuit of what Raymond calls “transcendental medicine,” the doctor intends to make a small incision in a woman’s brain, allowing her to see past the world of the senses to a reality beyond imagining—a realm where, Raymond says, one can see the great god Pan. Stephen King has called The Great God Pan “one of the best horror stories ever written.”  The Mysteries of Udolpho: Orphaned heroine Emily St. Aubert has been imprisoned by Signor Montoni, her evil guardian, in his gloomy medieval fortress in the Apennines. Terror is the order of the day inside the walls of Udolpho, as Emily struggles against Montoni’s rapacious schemes and the threat of her own psychological disintegration. A bestseller in its day and a potent influence on Walpole and Poe, this dreamlike, nearly hallucinatory classic remains one of the most important works in the history of European fiction.  This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.