Tales of the wonderfully weird and superbly supernatural, with titles by well-known masters of the genre to all too often overlooked & unsung geniuses and one-hit wonders.
Weird & Supernatural
Forty-Five New Stories of Detection, Horror and Adventure by Eminent Modern Authors
London, E.H. Samuel, [1936].
First edition. 8vo. Original grey cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.
An uncommon anthology, featuring contributions by numerous authors of the day, including John Gawsworth, Edgar Jepson, Richard Middleton, M.P. Shiel and E.H. Visiak (featuring his novel-length story, The Shadow).
Weird & Supernatural
An Anthology of Mystical Verse
London, Macmillan, 1932.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
An interesting and ambitious work, compiling mystical poems from English and non-English traditions. Scarce in the dust-jacket.
Weird & Supernatural
A practical treatise in support of the assertion that the hand-writing of a person is an infallible guide to his character
London, William Rider, 1919.
Third edition, revised & enlarged. 8vo. Original cloth. Printed dust-jacket.
A scarce graphological work, particularly in the original dust-jacket and in such condition. The eldest daughter of an eminent London newspaper man, Rosa Baughan was a prolific writer on spiritualist subjects, including graphology, divination and the influence of the stars.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Thornton Butterworth, 1929.
First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, with 'overseas edition' printed to spine.
A very good first edition of this uncommon weird & supernatural title about the transference of a soul and the resultant implications.
War, Invasion & Spy
First UK edition, Faber, 1936. Hans Schindler Bellamy (1901-1982) was a populariser of the unorthodox "Glazial-Kosmogonie" or "World Ice Theory" of the Austrian cosmologist Hans Hörbiger. Unfortunately, following his death his theories were embraced by the German far right and incorporated into National Socialism as a rejection of "Jewish" science. In this volume Bellamy describes Hoerbiger's theory in detail, and its application to world myths, and his subsequent books develop the theory in light of the Bible, the Atlantis myth, and the Tiahuanaco ruins.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Chapman & Hall, 1912.
'New and Cheaper Edition'. 8vo. 2pp. advertisements. Original cloth.
The first U.K. edition was published in 1909. One of only 2 fantasy titles written by Bennett, the other being The Ghost published in 1907.
According to Joshi, it is an elaboration of a short story of the same title and concerns Maurice Loring, a writer on music, who suffers a heart attack and appears to die. His soul leaves his body and experiences the wonders of the afterlife. Described as a 'unusual contribution to the literature of the cosmic'.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Heinemann, 1906.
First UK edition, second impression. 8vo. Original pictorial yellow cloth.
A solid first edition, second impression, of this tale of the supernatural by Mapp and Lucia creator E.F. Benson.
Weird & Supernatural
and other stories
London, Cassell, [1920].
First edition. 8vo. Original decorative cloth, spine slightly sunned.
A very good copy of this collection by the creator of the Mapp & Lucia series, which includes, alongside the titular story alongside The Blackmailer of Park Lane, The Dance on the Beefsteak, The Oriolists In the Dark, The False Step and The Case of Frank Hampden. Some tales with supernatural tones.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd, 1928.
Early jacketed edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket.
A rare jacketed issue of this important work by Father Benson, lauded in his own day as one of the leading figures in English literature, having written the notable novel Lord of the World (1907). This collection of supernatural horror stories, originally published in various periodicals and later collected in book form, examines "that horrible sense of silence round about us, in which dreadful forces are alert and watching us."
Weird & Supernatural
London, Isbister, 1904.
First edition, fourth printing. Title printed in red & black. 8vo. Original dark blue cloth blocked in white to upper cover and lettered in gilt to spine.
An early printing of this famous collection of supernatural tales, recounted from the perspective of an old Roman Catholic priest.
Children's Books
First edition, Macmillan, 1913. Author’s presentation copy to Louis Parker. Louis Napoleon Parker was an English dramatist, composer and translator. Signed ‘from AB (author)’ on front end paper. Very rare survival in a jacket especially inscribed.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Cassell, 1923.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 15/.
The early autobiography of legendary weird fiction author Algernon Blackwood, describing the author's life, adventures and misadventures in North America between his twentieth and thirtieth years. Uncommon in the dust-jacket. Precedes the US limited edition (1924).
Weird & Supernatural
First edition.
London, Macmillan, 1914.
A collection of three long tales and a couple of short stories. The weird fiction historian ST Joshi has acclaimed Incredible Adventures as possibly "the premier weird collection of this or any other century’’.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Macmillan, 1915
First edition, later impression, inscribed by the author on front free endpaper and with additional gift inscription from him mounted to same; 8vo. 8pp. advertisements; typed Blackwood poem loosely inserted. Original red cloth, lettered in gilt, t.e.g. Dust-jacket.
First published in 1909, this is at least the fourth reprint. The inscriptions seem to imply a correction on the author's behalf, the first inscribed to 'Miss Norton', the second 'Miss Naughton'.
Weird & Supernatural
London &c., Ward, Lock, 1914.
First edition. 8vo. Original blind-tooled green cloth lettered in gilt.
A fresh & bright first edition of this art-theft tale by Irish writer Bodkin, creator of Paul Beck and the bicycling lady detective Dora Myrl. A wonderful Velasquez painting is stolen from a house in County Galway.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Macdonald, 1947.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 8/6.
An intriguing tale by this author of crime fiction, the title taken from a line by Pope, "What beckoning ghost along the moonlight shade Invites my steps and points to yonder glade?".
Weird & Supernatural
Second English edition.
London. Richard Bentley, 1850
A very handsome copy of Calmet's influential work on angels, demons, spirits and vampires, originally published in French in 1746, first appeared in an anonymous English translation in 1759. This translation is taken from the two volume 1751 third edition, a much expanded and revised version, and the last to be corrected by Calmet himself. This is the second English edition and is rarely encountered in original binding.
Weird & Supernatural
and Less Welcome Tenants
Sauk City, Wisconsin, Arkham House, 1964.
First edition, one of 2000 copies. 8vo. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket.
A fine first edition of this Cthulu mythos collection, the author's first book, published when he was only eighteen. Campbell (who also wrote under the House name Carl Dreadfield) spawned his own spin-off from Lovecraft's Cthulu, known as the Brichester Mythos.
Weird & Supernatural
A Book of Romances, Fantasies, Whimsies, and Levities
Edinburgh & London, William Blackwood, 1900.
First edition. Publisher's presentation copy with blind-stamp to title. 8vo. Original dark green cloth lettered in gilt.
An author who turned his pen to various genres, including crime fiction and weird & supernatural. Rare.
Weird & Supernatural
London and New York, Harper & Brothers, 1905.
First edition. 8vo. 4pp. advertisements. Publisher's claret cloth blocked in black to upper cover and lettered in gilt to spine.
An uncommon collection of mystery short stories imbued with the supernatural, from the creator of Father Brown. Includes 'Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown' which some have suggested predicts the concept of an alt-reality game. Each story focusses on a person who makes his living by some unusual means (the "queer trade" of the title). To gain admittance one must have invented a unique means of earning a living and the subsequent trade being the main source of income.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Hutchinson, n.d..
'New Edition (6th thousand)'. 8vo. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Clarke specialised in Catholic literature, but this title also brings in supernatural elements via a seance. Uncommon.
Weird & Supernatural
Comfort (Will Levington) and Zamin Ki Dost [pseud. Willimina Armstrong] Son of Power
London, Thornton Butterworth, 1922.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, price cut from spine.
An uncommon first edition, especially in the Abbey dust-jacket. The title is listed in Bleiler's Check-List of Science-Fiction and Fantasy, where it is coded for 'paranormal abilities'.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Herbert Jenkins, [c.1934].
First edition, second impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 2/6.
A wonderful, bright jacket on this scarce early printing by a prolific author, who wrote over 40 novels, often with a flair for unusual phrasing that would be lucky to escape the editor's blue pencil these days.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Frederick Muller, 1938.
First edition. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
Blessedly not the Ash-Tree Press edition that is normally the only way one finds this rare title these days, and with a nice personal inscription from the author, but unfortunately it looks like someone tried to suppress this weird & supernatural compilation through drowning! The slightly damaged inscription reads 'To Mrs Hindes w[ith] the [author]'s compliments and very pleasant memories [of] a happy evening. Frederick Cowles 21st January 1941'.
Weird & Supernatural
1st printing contained within Volume 3 of Hogg’s Weekly Instructor (pages 184-189).
London, Hogg's Weekly Instructor, 1846
The volume contains many articles, stories and poems as was the nature of the periodical but primarily it is the inclusion of the important first printing of Catherine Crowe's 'The Story of a Weir-Wolf' that makes this desirable. It is a 'Witch Trial' story of the sufferings of a maiden who is wrongly accused of Lycanthropy.
This story is arguably wrote the first werewolf short story by a female. It was reprinted in The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Werewolf Anthology but its first appearance was in this volume.
Two years after “A Story of a Weir-Wolf” was published Crowe published a collection she titled “The Night-Side of Nature, or Ghosts and Ghost-seers.”
An attractive addition to any collection of gothic and/or supernatural fiction.
Weird & Supernatural
and other sketches and vignettes
London etc., Humphrey Milford, 1921.
First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Printed dust-jacket.
A collection of short stories, many of a supernatural nature. De Montmorency's background was in law, but he was a prolific writer, "much of his published work is of a somewhat miscellaneous and transient character. He was one of the principal contributors to the series of monographs published by the Society of Comparative Legislation under the title of Great Jurists of the World, and he wrote the section 'Sea-policy and the Alabama claims' in the Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy, volume 3 (1923). Selections of the articles which he contributed to The Times and the Contemporary Review were published under the titles of The Never-Ending Road (1916), The White Riders (1918), and The Admiral's Chair (1921)." (ODNB)
Weird & Supernatural
and other sketches in war-time
London etc., Humphrey Milford, 1918.
First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Printed dust-jacket.
A collection of short stories, many of a supernatural nature. De Montmorency's background was in law, but he was a prolific writer, "much of his published work is of a somewhat miscellaneous and transient character. He was one of the principal contributors to the series of monographs published by the Society of Comparative Legislation under the title of Great Jurists of the World, and he wrote the section 'Sea-policy and the Alabama claims' in the Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy, volume 3 (1923). Selections of the articles which he contributed to The Times and the Contemporary Review were published under the titles of The Never-Ending Road (1916), The White Riders (1918), and The Admiral's Chair (1921)." (ODNB)
Weird & Supernatural
London, Bell & Daldy, 1863.
First edition. 8vo. Original tooled brown cloth.
A compilation of imaginative representations of folk- & later tales. Uncommon.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Robert Hale, 1956.
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth lettered in green with silver stamped logo to spine. Dust-jacket correctly priced 10s 6d.
One of the last novels by Cicely Sibyl Alexandra Dick-Erikson under the pseudonym Alexandra Dick (she also wrote as Frances Hay), a story of murder & satanism. Uncommon.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Ward Lock, 1934.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
The first book by the author of The Golden Fluid, contains fantastic elements, including a gem with occult powers. Excellent semi-abstract jacket artwork.
Weird & Supernatural
and other Naval Stories. As originally Told to the Marines by one of themselves.
Portsmouth, Charpentier, 1896.
True first edition. 8vo. Original purple cloth stamped in gilt.
A rare collection of nautical tales, many of a weird and supernatural bent. The collection is referenced in Bleiler's Guide to Supernatural Fiction, the main entry given to the 1899 Simpkin, Marshall edition, but noting 'There is an earlier edition of this book (Charpentier; Portsmouth, England 1896), which has not been seen.'
William Price Drury (1861-1949) was himself in the Royal Marines, as was the previous owner of this copy, General Sir Lewis Stratford Tollemache Halliday.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Heinemann, 1936.
First edition. 8vo. Original green boards. Dust-jacket.
A good first edition of Dunsany's classic humorous novel about an alcohol-loving clergyman who thinks he is the reincarnation of a dog...the jacket artwork says it all.
Weird & Supernatural
London, R. & L. Locker, 1947.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/-.
Striking jacket artwork on this semi-weird tale of arcane rites in the Brazilian forest.
Weird & Supernatural
Erckmann-Chatrian (nom-de-plume, Émile Erckmann & Alexandre Chatrian) Stories of the Rhine
London, Ward Lock & Co., c.1882-84.
Early English edition. 8vo. Publisher's adverts to rear. Original decorative cloth blocked in black & gilt.
This copy dates from sometime between 1882 and 1884 based on the title page. Ward, Lock & Co. did not open an office in New York at 10 Bond Street until June of 1882. In November of 1884 that office moved to 31 Bond Street. The first edition of Stories of the Rhine was published by Ward, Lock & Tyler in 1875, and in addition to stating "Ward, Lock& Tyler" on the title page, it would only have their earlier address of Warwick House, Salisbury Square. Ward, Lock & Tyler became Ward, Lock, & Co, in 1877.
Collection of short stories, set in the late 18th century and in the 19th century, most with a weird element including 'The Buried Treasure' where the treasure of Gontran the Miser is found by supernatural means. All Victorian editions of Erckmann-Chatrian titles are uncommon especially in original cloth.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Collins, [1930].
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth, blocked in red.
A very good first edition of this collection of short stories by hugely prolific crime writer J.S. Fletcher. The title story is about a mysterious death of a magistrate who was an avid collector of rare books and antiques. Other stories involve a haunted lighthouse, a family feud, a stolen diamond, a secret tunnel and a murder at sea.
Weird & Supernatural
Fortune (Dion, pseud. Violet Mary Firth Evans) The Demon Lover
London, Noel Douglas, 1927.
First edition. 8vo. Original dark green cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
The rare first edition of occultist Dion Fortune's first novel, revolving around a secret society of mystics in London, and the machinations of their leader, Lucas. Fortune co-founded the 'Fraternity of the Inner Light', an occult organisation that promoted philosophies which she claimed had been taught to her by spiritual entities known as the Ascended Masters.