Showing results for "roy mccrerey" in Literature & Fiction

Tadeusz Borowski’s concentration camp stories were based on his own experiences surviving Auschwitz and Dachau. In spare, brutal prose he describes a world where where the will to survive overrides compassion, and prisoners eat, work, and sleep a few yards from where others are murdered; where the difference between human beings is reduced to a second bowl of soup, an extra blanket, or the luxury of a pair of shoes with thick soles; and where the line between normality and abnormality vanishes.

The pioneer of modern-era horror stories, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, meets one of his "gurus" - Edgar Allan Poe (Lovecraft himself is sometimes referred to as E. A. Poe's direct successor). "William Wilson" is a typical specimen of Poe’s fantastic, even mystic style that won him world renown. H. P. Lovecraft is also the author of the other two short stories - "The Terrible Old Man" and "Ex Oblivione". Curiously enough, Lovecraft's name now defines one of the subgenres of horror literature (the fear of the unknown, as opposed to a bloodbath).

The darkness is rising, and one man stands against it: the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. But in Baltimore, he finally meets his match...a part-mortal divinity with the power to whisper away demons.

The series debut Charm City introduces the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. For Simon, magic isn't just a curiosity or a skill. It's the source of a bone-deep addiction. Fighting demons is dirty work but someone has to do it. Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, the demons fight back...and every once in a while, the demon wins. That's because that particular demon is all your very own....Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned - especially the woman scorned by the King of Hell himself.

"Beyond the Wall of Sleep" is a short story from 1919 based on the innovative (at that time) idea of using psychology for explaining real-life issues. Incidentally, a near namesake song ("Behind the Wall of Sleep") appeared on the debut album of Black Sabbath. The second story, "From Beyond" (written in 1920, published in 1934), hovers around the theme of a mad scientist willing to peek beyond reality. It inspired a few films, songs by death-metal bands, and it even features in the PC game, "Half-Life". The last story of the trio is "The Transition of Juan Romero", from 1919. The feature "character" is a mysterious evil encountered in an ancient ritual to the Mexican deity, Huitzilopochtli.

"The Outsider" is one of most often published short stories by H. P. Lovecraft, and it has proven to be very popular with both readers and listeners. Lovecraft himself thought that he came near to Poe's style in this story (the first paragraphs are an echo of "Berenice" by E. A. Poe, and the inspiration of "The Masque of Red Death" is also pretty clear). This short story is probably the most elaborate story by Lovecraft, with echoes of his gurus and multifaceted references. The atmosphere is emphasized by actors' performances, music, and the graphics on the cover.

This audiobook features "The Tenant of the Cedars" by Mary Elizabeth Penn - a story about the vengeance of the dead. Little is known of the author other than the fact that she was published in magazines in the late Victorian era. On the other hand, Bram Stoker (author of the famed novel "Dracula") is a legend in the horror world. This collection features Stoker's short story, "A Dream of Red Hands". The theme is crime and punishment, seasoned with a hint of redemption.

R. E. Howard created Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, and Solomon Kane. Together with H. P. Lovecraft and others, R. E. Howard was one of the most prominent purveyors of the Cthulhu Mythos (the best-known contemporary author of this fictional mythology is Stephen King). "The Horror from the Mound" and "The Fearsome Touch of Death" are excellent even by today’s standards - and the stories are further highlighted by incredible vocal performances, stunning music, and superb graphics on the cover.

"The Music of Erich Zann" by H. P. Lovecraft: the author himself considered the story to be one of his masterpieces, and it is often deservedly included in various horror-story collections. The second short story was written by Bram Stoker. Indeed, THAT Stoker who wrote the epistolary novel "Dracula" - the very first novel that dealt with a vampire legend. "The Judge's House" (written in 1914) completes the collection, and its strongest point is building the atmosphere of fear, which is underlined by excellent voices and music.

Ghost stories by M. R. James are pretty varied, and based on the genre of Gothic novels. The plot of "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is unveiled when Professor Parkins finds a whistle engraved with a Latin inscription... and blows it. "The School Story", builds a mystic and fearsome atmosphere around a mysterious Byzantine coin. Once again, well-chosen voices, superb music, and original cover-graphics serve to enhance the feel of the stories.

The first short story - "The Tomb of Sara" - was written by English navy officer, and writer, Frederick George Loring. It was one of the very first stories from the last century featuring a lady vampire. The feminine element represents the connection with "Luella Miller" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman. The inhabitant of a haunted house sucks life out of everyone who gets interested in her - and the atmosphere gets denser throughout the story.

"Dracula's Guest" is one of the stories published only after Stoker's death, and even though Dracula is in the title, he will not make it into the story. Interestingly enough, Jonathan Harker, the actual guest - also does not appear. This short story is actually an original introduction to Dracula. It is a slightly altered version of a chapter of the novel that was discarded during preparations for print. The final story is "The Room in the Tower", by Edward Frederic Benson. Strange, unsettling atmosphere is present right from the beginning, and it intensifies via recurrent nightmares - right up to the shocking climax of the final scene.

The author of the first short story - "The Haunted Dolls' House" - is Montague Rhodes James, "master of terror and monstrous visions". "Cool Air" and "Azathoth" by Howard Phillips Lovecraft complete the collection. The atmosphere of horror and mystery is underlined by excellent performances by all actors and music.