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Tales from a Gas-Lit Graveyard
Assembled by an authority on vintage thrillers, these 17 Victorian-era stories of the macabre include works from around the world by both popular and lesser-known authors. Among the more celebrated contributors to this collection are Ambrose Bierce, Robert Barr, R. Murray Gilchrist, Mrs. H. H. Riddell, Richard Marsh, and Guy Boothby.
CONTENTS
The Haunted Station / Hume Nesbit --
The Hour and the Man / Robert Barr --
Nut Bush Farm / Mrs. J. H. Riddell --
The Man Who Coined His Blood in Gold / J. H. Pearce --
The Shrine of Death / Lady Dilke --
The Black Veil / Lady Dilke --
The Ways of Ghosts / Ambrose Bierce --
The Fever Queen / by K & H Prichard --
The Permanent Stiletto / W. C. Morrow --
The Houseboat / Richard Marsh --
Dame Inowslad / R. Murray Gilchrist --
The Mountain of Spirits / Anonymous --
The Golden Bracelet / Anonymous --
The Tyburn Ghost / The Countess of Munster --
Remorseless Vengeance / Guy Boothby --
The Green Bottle / Bernard Capes --
An Eddy on the Floor / Bernard Capes.
CONTENTS
The Haunted Station / Hume Nesbit --
The Hour and the Man / Robert Barr --
Nut Bush Farm / Mrs. J. H. Riddell --
The Man Who Coined His Blood in Gold / J. H. Pearce --
The Shrine of Death / Lady Dilke --
The Black Veil / Lady Dilke --
The Ways of Ghosts / Ambrose Bierce --
The Fever Queen / by K & H Prichard --
The Permanent Stiletto / W. C. Morrow --
The Houseboat / Richard Marsh --
Dame Inowslad / R. Murray Gilchrist --
The Mountain of Spirits / Anonymous --
The Golden Bracelet / Anonymous --
The Tyburn Ghost / The Countess of Munster --
Remorseless Vengeance / Guy Boothby --
The Green Bottle / Bernard Capes --
An Eddy on the Floor / Bernard Capes.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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July 25, 2021The Hoopla blurb for this book: "Easy-to-use, well-illustrated volume by experts explains grozzing, roughing, mitering, smoothing, polishing; joining bevels with lead or foil. Patterns in Victorian and contemporary styles for 14 projects: mirrors, lamps, hanging ornaments, panels. Plus, 6 guest artists exhibit more than 30 works. 248 black-and-white, over 30 color illustrations. Appendix. Index."
October 6, 2010
I am really thankful to anthologists like Hugh Lamb, who are so passionate and driven to unearth the works of authors who have largely been lost to modern readers; those whose works have fallen out of literary consciousness. In this anthology, he has given us seventeen stories that have rarely been anthologized, if at all. I must say that I enjoyed pretty much all of them.
My favorites in this collection:
The Haunted Station by Hume Nesbit
Nut Bush Farm by Mrs. JH Riddell
The Fever Queen by K & H Prichard
The Permanent Stiletto by W.C. Morrow
The Houseboat by Richard Marsh (my absolute favorite story here)
The Tyburn Ghost by The Countess of Munster
The Green Bottle by Bernard Capes
The only two stories I wasn't that fond of were The Mountain of Spirits and The Golden Bracelet. They were a bit too esoteric for my tastes.
I admit, when I read Victorian tales of terror, I like them to be a bit sensational, and sometimes, but not always, over-the-top. It's quite fun to read them. I am often quite surprised at how visceral the horror can be. I think that the Victorian storytellers were able to write stories that managed to have some pretty outrageous events, but without being vulgar about it. The writing is old-fashioned and quite appealing. Victorian language takes a roundabout approach to getting its point across. I've seen this as a good thing in some writings I've read, and in others, not so much. Generally, it was appealing in most of these stories. One thing I did wish is that the endings weren't quite so abrupt. That seems to be a common characteristic that I've noticed with Victorian tales of terror. This was a great collection to read in October, to get me in the mood for Halloween. Sadly, this anthology has only made me more passionate about reading these vintage horror stories. Fortunately, I have found a lot of really obscure gothic/classic horror free on Amazon Kindle. That's a good thing for my pocketbook.
My favorites in this collection:
The Haunted Station by Hume Nesbit
Nut Bush Farm by Mrs. JH Riddell
The Fever Queen by K & H Prichard
The Permanent Stiletto by W.C. Morrow
The Houseboat by Richard Marsh (my absolute favorite story here)
The Tyburn Ghost by The Countess of Munster
The Green Bottle by Bernard Capes
The only two stories I wasn't that fond of were The Mountain of Spirits and The Golden Bracelet. They were a bit too esoteric for my tastes.
I admit, when I read Victorian tales of terror, I like them to be a bit sensational, and sometimes, but not always, over-the-top. It's quite fun to read them. I am often quite surprised at how visceral the horror can be. I think that the Victorian storytellers were able to write stories that managed to have some pretty outrageous events, but without being vulgar about it. The writing is old-fashioned and quite appealing. Victorian language takes a roundabout approach to getting its point across. I've seen this as a good thing in some writings I've read, and in others, not so much. Generally, it was appealing in most of these stories. One thing I did wish is that the endings weren't quite so abrupt. That seems to be a common characteristic that I've noticed with Victorian tales of terror. This was a great collection to read in October, to get me in the mood for Halloween. Sadly, this anthology has only made me more passionate about reading these vintage horror stories. Fortunately, I have found a lot of really obscure gothic/classic horror free on Amazon Kindle. That's a good thing for my pocketbook.
January 9, 2023
What a pleasure to read a book compiled by an expert who so clearly loves his topic! Hugh Lamb, in gathering this collection of macabre Victorian fiction, has sought out many authors who, while successful in their day, have not necessarily remained in the public consciousness. These forgotten (or nearly) writers are once again given attention and acknowledgement in this little gem of a book. These stories are dark, powerful, and creepy—and while they certainly have a strong 19th-century flavor (that is their time period, after all) the content is never saccharine, and the writing is such that could hold its own against the tales of the present day.
Here are some good things:
• The book is well-organized.
• Each author has a mini (1 page) introduction.
• Lamb, in his intros, gives salient information without being loquacious.
• There are many unknown (or at least not well-known) authors.
• The stories show a wide variety of styles.
• The stories are interesting and quite well-written.
• Lamb clearly knows his craft and has done his research, but he never condescends to his readers or comes off as pretentious.
I suppose perhaps the best compliment I can give is this: these tales tend a bit too much toward the macabre for my taste, and yet I enjoyed reading each and every one of them, partly because Lamb’s introductions helped me understand their value, and mostly because his love for these stories shone through every page.
Here are some good things:
• The book is well-organized.
• Each author has a mini (1 page) introduction.
• Lamb, in his intros, gives salient information without being loquacious.
• There are many unknown (or at least not well-known) authors.
• The stories show a wide variety of styles.
• The stories are interesting and quite well-written.
• Lamb clearly knows his craft and has done his research, but he never condescends to his readers or comes off as pretentious.
I suppose perhaps the best compliment I can give is this: these tales tend a bit too much toward the macabre for my taste, and yet I enjoyed reading each and every one of them, partly because Lamb’s introductions helped me understand their value, and mostly because his love for these stories shone through every page.
November 1, 2014
There do not seem to be any end to discoveries among Victorian and Edwardian short story authors of superb supernatural fiction. Hugh Lamb in Tales from a Gas-Lit Graveyard has gathered from the English (and Spanish) speaking worlds a collection of minor masterpieces from authors who have been forgotten for the better part of a century.
Of particular interest are Lady Dilke's "The Shrine of Death," W. C. Morrow's "The Permanent Stiletto," and two stories by Bernard Capes, namely: "The Green Bottle" and "An Eddy on the Floor." Of the seventeen stories in this volume, not one was a stinker, and several more will be imprinted on my memory for some time to come. That's a rare thing to say about a collection written by a miscellany of writers.
I finished reading this book on Halloween night, and I am sure it will affect my sleep this night.
Of particular interest are Lady Dilke's "The Shrine of Death," W. C. Morrow's "The Permanent Stiletto," and two stories by Bernard Capes, namely: "The Green Bottle" and "An Eddy on the Floor." Of the seventeen stories in this volume, not one was a stinker, and several more will be imprinted on my memory for some time to come. That's a rare thing to say about a collection written by a miscellany of writers.
I finished reading this book on Halloween night, and I am sure it will affect my sleep this night.
October 22, 2009
These anthologies of obscure vintage thrillers are always interesting grab bags of fiction. "Tales from a Gas-lit Graveyard" sheds light on some quirky (and spooky) short stories from the English-speaking world (and two from the Spanish) gleaned from various Victorian magazines. Some involve ghosts and others simply describe typically macabre or Gothic themes. However, none include a gas-lit graveyard, which was a bit of a disappointment for me! My favorite story was probably "The Haunted Station" by Hume Nisbet which paints a very atmospheric picture of the Australian outback. I also thought that "The Tyburn Ghost" by the Countess of Munster was a really creepy story. A few others definitely show their age, however and are a bit dry and keep to well worn Victorian themes, in particular Marsh's "The Houseboat." Still this collection is worth a read for a bit of eerie Autumn atmosphere.
October 21, 2013
Hugh Lamb is an extraordinary editor of Victorian literature. He seems to have read every journal published in Great Britain from 1870 to 1910. We readers are especially fortunate that he is also prolific, and that Dover has published his books.
Tales from a Gas-Lit Graveyard is a book that you will want to bring with you on vacation, or if you have some time to yourself. It is a wonderful book to read at night, with a cup of coffee or tea to keep you company. The stories are uniformly good, with a few rising to the superb.
Tales from a Gas-Lit Graveyard is a book that you will want to bring with you on vacation, or if you have some time to yourself. It is a wonderful book to read at night, with a cup of coffee or tea to keep you company. The stories are uniformly good, with a few rising to the superb.
September 30, 2021
Great read! This is a collection of Victorian short horror stories from lesser known authors, and I thought the collection was well curated. Some were very creepy. Good Halloween read.
July 31, 2011
Another fine collection of Victorian horror by Lamb, with the usual blend of well-known and utterly forgotten authors. Among the former, W.C. Morrow takes the prize , and among the latter, Lamb's "discovery", Bernard Capes, make an impressive return from oblivion.
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