Frighten Brighton at the Rock Inn yesterday was a great success. We had a lot of fun meeting other horror fans and chatting about books old and new.Thanks to everyone who stopped by our stall, you made our day!
If you weren’t able to make it this time, there will be another Frighten Brighton Horror double bill taking place on Saturday February 25th. What horror films would you like to see? Make a suggestion and find out more over at the Brighton Horror Posse Facebook page HERE.
“It proved a wet, ungenial summer, and incessant rain often confined us for days to the house… In the evenings we crowded around a blazing wood fire, and occasionally amused ourselves with some German stories of ghosts, which happened to fall into our hands. These tales excited in us a playful desire of imitation… ‘We will each write a ghost story,’ said Lord Byron; and his proposition was acceded to.”
Collier Books 1961
At this challenge Mary Shelley began work on the “ghost story” that was to evolve into the most celebrated horror novel in literary history. Frankenstein was published the next year and became the rage of London. In generations since, the story of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created has been read by millions all over the world. It inspired hundreds of imitations, but it has never been equalled for its masterful manipulation of the elements of horror and suspense.
You’ve read the book (haven’t you?!) now watch the film! Tomorrow, 3rd December, those lovely people behind the Classic Horror Campaign are holding an all day horror fest at the Rock Inn, Brighton, with book signings, stalls, loads of giveaways and of course some great films! We are going to be there with a few nice books so stop by and say Hi. More details below and over at: Frighten Brighton.
Pan Books 1979
Pan Books 1977.
Daphne du Maurier has a rare gift for dragging up those irrational fears that lurk just behind the smooth plaster of existence. In ‘The Birds’ she somehow lends probability to an impossibility which is nearly too fearful to imagine. United by mad hatred the birds – the gulls, finches, crows and tits – have combined to wipe out humanity. This strange haunting fantasy has been chosen by Alfred Hitchcock for the making of a horror film.
I’m posting this because I got bitten by a seagull today (don’t ask – it’s a long and bloody story, though not as long or as bloody as this one).
Below is the Penquin 1963 edition with cover art by Virgil Burnett.
They were young, married and doing what comes supernaturally!
For the first time in book form – the hilarious extra-sensory relations between America’s most over-hexed husband and his all too enchanting wife…
Samantha –
A witch in wife’s clothing.
A perfectly charming lady with earthbound tastes, magical twitches, and some ideas about love that are out of this world.
Bewitched. A novel by Al Hine.
First Dell printing February 1965.
Over-hexed? Extra-sensory relations?! Whoever wrote the back copy sure earned their money for this one! Bewitched was one of my favourite TV shows growing up. One of the funniest characters was Samantha’s mum, Endora. A quick flick through the pages of this book and I’m pleased to see she makes an appearance! So my Halloween reading is sorted!
By James Branch Cabell. With an introduction by Joseph Hergesheimer. Illustrated by Frank C. Papé. First published in 1927. Reprinted 1928.
This is a beautiful book, and the sentences sing like lutes. It has a sensitive and splendid introduction by Mr. Joseph Hergesheimer. – Spectator.
Subtitled ‘A Comedy of Woman Worship’, Domnei is a fantasy-romance set in the imaginary French province of Poictesme during the second half of the 13th century.
I just love the artwork on this one, the dust jacket’s a little war weary but wouldn’t you be if you were over eighty years old?
Frontispiece by Frank C. Papé.
Harlequin have a series of composition books, featuring the coverart of six vintage titles, and they look stunning.
One of the books is I’ll bury my dead by James Hadley Chase. The Harlequin reprint can be seen HERE. Below is the original cover art on one of my Pocket Editions.
I’LL BURY MY DEAD by James Hadley Chase. A Robert Hale Pocket Book, this edition 1955.
The action in Mr Chase’s new, sophisticated thriller is crammed into the space of six hair-raising, breathless days and nights. It is the story of organised blackmail, punctured by sudden and gruesome murder, peopled by ruthless killers, shady cops and Mr. Chase’s own particular brand of young ladies.
Written with the punch and speed of a rivet gun, and with an economy of words that will hold the reader’s attention from the first to the last page, I’ll Bury My Dead again confirms the reputation won by James Hadley Chase as the leading writer of all-action, thrill-a-minute, toughness-plus-one thrillers that demand to be read at a sitting.
I’ve not read any of Hadley Chase’s novels, so I can’t comment on his own ‘particular brand of young ladies’ but, if the cover is anything to go by, they look like a force to be reckoned with!
Jerome Podwil is one of my favourite cover artists. I have more scans of his ‘gothic’ cover art over on my other blog. This cover for Nightmare – (written by Edward S. Aarons, a prolific thriller writer whose career spanned from the 40′s – 70′s) – is gorgeous, and I just love her hair!
Nightmare by Edward S. Aarons. Macfadden second printing October 1967. Cover art Jerome Podwil.
A TWISTED MIND GUIDED THE SCALPEL -
Pain roared through his shoulder. He couldn’t see beyond the intolerable, torturing glare. The dwarf’s voice came from somewhere beyond the haze.
“I have a girlfriend you know,” it whispered. “She plays at being a nurse. She likes to watch me work, because she wants to see men suffer. She always hopes there’ll be lots of blood. Now don’t scream…”
Nolly gritted his teeth as the probe went in. He was taking a long chance – but otherwise he’d be dead by morning…
My, my, my, this book seems to have a bit of something for everyone – a private eye being probed by a twisted dwarf and his sadistic nurse girlfriend… what’s not to love?
Another undersea adventure with some more great cover art by Paul Lehr.
The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke. Signet second printing July 1974.
UNDERWATER CHALLENGE
He was a misfit – a space-ship engineer who had developed such fear of outer space that he could no longer function.
Permanently separated from his wife and children on Mars, he faced a terrible future back on Earth – unless through psychiatry he could create a new life as a warden of the oceans’ depths.
Taut with excitement and suspense, this is a thrilling novel of tomorrow and a fascinating picture of the weird and sometimes terrifying life beneath the seas in a future when submarine patrols harvest the water’s wealth to feed the world.
Today‘s the first day this year I’ve actually braved a swim in the sea – and it was cold! I’m still in a watery mood though, so here are a couple of books based on underwater adventures. Both cover illustrations beautifully done by Paul Lehr. Some great scans of more of his work can be seen over at Monster Brains.
Conquerors from the Darkness by Robert Silverberg
First Dell printing September 1968
A thousand Years in the future, the earth has been conquered by an alien race and covered by a single sea. Dovirr Stargan, who is disgusted with the servility of his life on the floating city of Vythain, longs to become one of the Sea-Lords, who roam the sea as powerful protectors of the cities. Dovirr gets his wish, but the return of the alien race brings unexpected and critically dangerous crises to his new life as he learns the real, sometimes terrible, significance of power.
The Dolphins of Altair by Margaret St. Clair
First Dell Printing May 1967.
Before the dawn of man…
…there was a covenant between the land and sea people – a covenant long forgotten by those who stayed on shore, but indelibly etched in the minds of the others – the dolphins of Altair.
Now the covenant had been broken. Dolphins were being wantonly sacrificed in the name of scientific research, their waters increasingly polluted, their numbers dangerously diminished. They had to find allies and strike back. Allies willing to sever their own earthly bonds for the sake of their sea brothers – willing if necessary, to execute the destruction of the whole human race…
Welcome to House of Secrets, an online depository for some of the bad, the beautiful and the downright bizarre books I’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon over the years (& years!)I’ve spent rummaging around in the darker corners of arcane bookshops and specialist book fairs.
Based in Brighton, East Sussex, I buy, sell and collect vintage pulp fiction from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s – in particular horror and gothic romance. I also create unique gifts with a gothic twist and will be posting some photographs soon. Check out the Events page for details of Markets etc where I will be trading.
Any questions, feedback or if you just want to say hi, please email me via the contacts page.
Cheers!
Sara.
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