Arthur Machen

Per la prima volta nel panorama editoriale italiano, la raccolta completa dei racconti di Arthur Machen, ispiratore delle più esimie menti dell’orrore e del gotico quali H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King e l’acclamato regista Guillermo Del Toro. In questo primo volume, troneggia “Il Grande Dio Pan,” ritenuto da King stesso come il più bel racconto horror in lingua il folle tentativo del dottor Raymond di penetrare nel regno dello spirito darà esiti inaspettati… e catastrofici; ne “La Luce Interiore” i protagonisti tentano di scoprire il segreto celato dietro a un misterioso caso di sparizione in cui è coinvolta la misteriosa e oscura figura d’un noto medico ormai in decadenza; “La Piramide di Luce” permette a due gentiluomini di assistere all’insolita apparizione di figure in selce presso una casa di campagna, mutanti continuamente si tratta forse di messaggi cifrati? Ne “La Mano Rossa” l’omicidio di un famoso chirurgo è attorniato da un’aura macabra e l’assassinio è stato compiuto con un’arma preistorica, e l’abbozzo di una mano rossa, presagio di sventura, lo accompagna; “Il Popolo Bianco,” fonte d’ispirazione per “Il Labirinto del Fauno” (Guillermo Del Toro), racconta in forma di falso manoscritto le vicende di una ragazza iniziata a un culto antico e malefico nelle campagne inglesi. Traduzione a cura di Azaria Scavuzzo.

Un chirurgo opera una donna al cervello con lo scopo di aprire il suo “occhio interno” e farla entrare in contatto con il diabolico dio Pan. Dall’unione con il male (Pan rappresenta la mostruosa divinità della natura, la cui semplice visione induce alla pazzia) nascerà un essere terrificante, che porterà terrore e follia nelle vite di coloro che entreranno in contatto con lui. Machen trascina il lettore con tensione crescente fino all’orrore finale, portando alla luce le terribili potenzialità delle teorie darwiniane sulla selezione delle specie. Padrone di una prosa filigranata e delicatamente lirica, Machen va soprattutto ricordato per essere stato il primo scrittore ad aver dedicato un ciclo narrativo alle antiche divinità e ad averne proclamato il ritorno tra gli uomini. Per Machen il mondo non è altro che un'illusione, il pallido riflesso di una realtà più grande e sconosciuta che brulica di “cose che [l'autore] nemmeno osa sussurrare nella notte più oscura e nella più totale solitudine”. È la realtà degli esseri notturni e furtivi, un universo profondamente mistico e pagano, che egli descrive nel suo Piccolo Popolo. Machen è fra i pochi autori che abbiano fatto dell'orrore cosmico il fulcro del loro messaggio artistico. Le sue radici celtiche, i ricordi giovanili legati alle inquietanti colline, le antiche foreste e le rovine cariche di mistero, hanno contribuito a sviluppare in lui una vita immaginativa la cui bellezza è comparabile solo alla ricchezza del suo retroterra culturale. Scrittore scarsamente conosciuto dal grosso pubblico, apprezzato solo da una ristretta cerchia di appassionati dell'occulto, del misterioso e del magico, la sua influenza è tuttavia evidente in autori successivi, quali H.P. Lovecraft, del quale è considerato il maestro, e che definiì il suo The White People (1904) “il miglior racconto del soprannaturale di tutti i tempi”.

Prima guerra mondiale. In un angolo remoto del Galles la popolazione deve fare i conti con una serie di morti raccapriccianti e di eventi inspiegabili. Presto il terrore si diffonde nelle campagne e, in un crescendo di angosciose supposizioni, la comunità arriva ad addebitare gli incomprensibili omicidi ai tedeschi, che si suppone abbiano creato un vero e proprio Stato sotterraneo. Si scoprirà tuttavia che non sono loro gli artefici del misterioso terrore calato inesorabilmente sulla placida campagna inglese, e prenderà sempre più corpo un’ipotesi sconvolgente, e cioè che l’ordine cosmico sia stato sovvertito e che (forse) non sia più possibile tornare indietro.

(from the publisher's website) In his short story 'N', Arthur Machen (1863-1947) considers what would happen if the mystical were to intrude upon the everyday world we all take for granted. Borrowing from the writings of William Law the Non-Juror (1686-1761), Machen places a fragment of Paradise, created from a ruined part of primordial creation, in the London suburb of Stoke Newington. In his story those who try to understand what they have seen experience rapture, horror, or both, and they have trouble convincing others of their sanity. For Machen the mystical is so powerful that it cannot be properly comprehended. 2010 is the 75th anniversary of "N" by Arthur Machen. To celebrate this the comedian Stewart Lee will be discussing Machen's short story at the Stoke Newington Literary Festival in June. In conjunction with the Literary Festival and the Friends of Arthur Machen, Tartarus Press is publishing a short run paperback of "N" with illustrations by Stephen J. Clark.

O único homem capaz de inspirar horror verdadeiramente profundo e espiritual." Foi assim que H. P. Lovecraft descreveu, em uma carta, o autor desta novela aterrorizante. Numa época em que as fronteiras entre ciência e misticismo eram menos definidas, O grande deus Pã abre com um experimento médico. Um cientista realiza uma pequena cirurgia cerebral numa mulher, com o objetivo de colocá-la em contato direto com o mundo espiritual. A experiência era chamada pelos antigos de "ver o deus Pã", mas a tentativa fracassa, e a mulher perde totalmente a razão, deixando atônito o sr. Clarke, que havia aceitado a contragosto testemunhar o procedimento. Anos mais tarde, Clarke ouve falar dos acontecimentos sombrios envolvendo uma mulher chamada Helen Vaughan. Um garoto, que a vê na floresta com um "estranho homem nu", enlouquece. Uma vizinha de Helen aparece em casa seminua e transtornada após uma incursão na floresta com a amiga. A vizinha retorna para a floresta e nunca mais é vista. Marco do terror gótico, O grande deus Pã é um mergulho no mundo sobrenatural e nos pavores da sociedade vitoriana. Numa trama de paganismo, sexo e morte, Machen extrapolou os códigos sociais de sua época e revelou um tipo de horror que influenciaria uma geração de autores. Com tradução e apresentação de Guilherme da Silva Braga, O grande deus Pã segue tão assombroso hoje quanto no seu lançamento original.

Machen's weird tales of the creepy and fantastic have fascinated readers for generations.

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was a Welsh author and mystic, best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy and horror fiction. 'The Bowmen' is perhaps the most famous of Machen's tales. It is the iconic story of an incident from the First World War trenches. Faced with inevitable death and defeat, a battalion of English soldiers is saved by the mysterious and miraculous intervention of Saint George and a company of English bowmen who had last fought at Agincourt.

Something pushed out from the body there on the floor, and stretched forth a slimy, wavering tentacle... Perhaps no figure better embodies the transition from the Gothic tradition to modern horror than Arthur Machen. In the final decade of the nineteenth century, the Welsh writer produced a seminal body of tales of occult horror, spiritual and physical corruption, and malignant survivals from the primeval past which horrified and scandalized late Victorian readers. Machen's "weird fiction" has influenced generations of storytellers, from H. P. Lovecraft to Guillermo Del Toro and it remains no less unsettling today. This new collection, which includes the complete novel The Three Impostors as well as such celebrated tales as The Great God Pan and The White People, constitutes the most comprehensive critical edition of Machen yet to appear. In addition to the core late Victorian horror classics, a selection of lesser known prose poems and later tales helps to present a fuller picture of the development of Machen's weird vision. The edition's introduction and notes contextualize the life and work of this foundational figure in the history of horror. Contents: - The Lost Club - The Great God Pan - The Inmost Light - The Three Impostors - The Red Hand - The Shining Pyramid - The Turanians - The Idealist - Witchcraft - The Ceremony - Psychology - Midsummer - The White People - The Bowmen - The Monstrance - N - The Tree of Life - Change - Ritual.

"I will not read it; I should never sleep again" A doctor performs an experiment on a young woman that goes horribly wrong, and a series of increasingly strange events follow: sinister woodland rituals, disappearances, suicides... Viewed as immoral and decadent on first publication in 1894, Machen's weird tale has since established itself as a classic of its genre and has been described by Stephen King as "one of the best horror stories ever written. Maybe the best in the English language."

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was a leading Welsh author. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. He also is well known for his leading role in creating the legend of the Angels of Mons. At the age of eleven, he boarded at Hereford Cathedral School, where he received an excellent classical education. Family poverty ruled out attendance at university. Around 1890 Machen began to publish in literary magazines, writing stories influenced by the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, some of which used gothic or fantastic themes. This led to his first major success, The Great God Pan (1894), which was part of the growing aesthetic movement of the time. Machen's story was widely denounced for its sexual and horrific content and subsequently sold well, going into a second edition. Machen next produced The Three Impostors, a novel composed of a number of interwoven tales, in 1895. The novel and the stories within it were eventually to be regarded as among Machen's best works.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

"The Islington Mystery" is a classic horror mystery story by one of the modern masters of supernatural and horror fiction, Arthur Machan. Arthur Machen (1863 - 1947) was a Welsh author and renowned mystic during the 1890s and early 20th century who garnered literary acclaim for his contributions to the supernatural, horror, and fantasy fiction genres. His seminal novella "The Great God Pan" (1890) has become a classic of horror fiction, with Stephen King describing it as one of the best horror stories ever written in the English language. Other notable fans of his gruesome tales include William Butler Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle; and his work has been compared to that of Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde. This chilling tale of inexplicable circumstances in London's borough of Islington is highly recommended for fans of the macabre and is not to be missed by collectors of vintage supernatural fiction. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

The Shining Pyramid is a novel by Arthur Machen, first published in 1923. The story follows a young man named Edward Lessingham who inherits a large estate in Wales. While exploring the grounds, he discovers a mysterious pyramid that glows with an otherworldly light. As he delves deeper into the pyramid's secrets, he becomes entangled in a web of ancient magic and dark forces that threaten to consume him. Along the way, he encounters a cast of strange and sinister characters, including a mad scientist, a beautiful but deadly woman, and a powerful sorcerer. As the plot unfolds, Lessingham must use all of his wit and courage to unravel the mysteries of the pyramid and save himself from certain doom. The Shining Pyramid is a gripping tale of horror and suspense that showcases Machen's mastery of the genre. With its vivid descriptions, haunting imagery, and unforgettable characters, it remains a classic of early 20th-century horror fiction.They lay full length upon the turf; the rock between their faces and the Bowl, and now and again, Dyson, slouching his dark, soft hat over his forehead, put out the glint of an eye, and in a moment drew back, not daring to take a prolonged view. Again he laid an ear to the ground and listened, and the hours went by, and the darkness seemed to blacken, and the faint sigh of the wind was the only sound.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Conspiracy theorists will be thrilled with Welsh-born author Arthur Machen's short novel The Terror. In it, a number of residents of a quaint Welsh village begin to notice the alarmingly large number of strange incidents that have been occurring in and around their community. Gradually, a few begin to piece the clues together—and in the process, they stumble on a terrible secret... Arthur Machen was a leading Welsh author of the 1890s. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction: he produced some of the most evocative weird fiction in all literary history. Written with impeccably mellifluous prose, infused with a powerful mystical vision, and imbued with a wonder and terror that he felt with every fiber of his being, his novels and tales will survive when works of far greater technical accomplishment fall by the wayside.

Three friends in a large old dilapidated house are laughing. They seem as giddy as an acting troupe at closing night. But their laughter is callous, cruel; you might say, evil. One of them, a young woman described as piquant rather than beautiful with eyes of a shining hazel, carries a neatly wrapped parcel. She says it is for the doctor's museum. It is dripping. Do you want to know why? Then, listen! There's more than one tale told, but what is the truth? My dears, are you sure you want to know?

Some of the finest horror stories ever written. Arthur Machen had a profound impact upon H.P. Lovecraft and the group of stories that would later become known as the Cthulhu Mythos. This first volume of Chaosium's Arthur Machen collection begins with the chilling "The Three Impostors" in its complete form, including the rarely seen sections "The Decorative Imagination" and "The Novel of the Iron Maid." Rounding out the first volume are "The Great God Pan," "The Inmost Light," and "The Shining Pyramid," all are excellent tales.

The White People (1904) is a short story by Arthur Machen. Originally published in Horlick’s Magazine , the story was later printed in The House of Souls (1906), a short story collection. Condemned as decadent and obscene upon publication, Machen’s writing earned praise from Oscar Wilde and H. P. Lovecraft. Throughout the years, Machen’s work has been referenced and adapted by such figures as Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro, and Josh Malerman for its masterfully unsettling blend of science, myth, and magic. As the sun sets over the lush countryside, Cotgrave and his friend Ambrose discuss the thin boundary that separates sorcery and the sacred. Unable to agree about the nature of good and evil, on what defines a sinner as opposed to a saint, Ambrose offers his comrade a book to borrow. Surprisingly well-kept for its age, the green book accompanies Cotgrave on his journey home, where he opens it to discover a strange, mysterious tale. Its pages contain the diary of a young girl who, encouraged by her nurse, immerses herself in the world of magic. As she grows adept in the ways of witchcraft, the girl begins referring to strange beings and unknown places, all while doing her best to conceal her secret life from friends and family. When he reaches the diary’s end, Cotgrave will wish he had never looked past its binding. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Arthur Machen’s The White People is a classic of British horror fiction reimagined for modern readers.

The haunting title story of this volume was considered by Lovecraft to be the second greatest horror tale ever written. One of the stories, 'The Angel of Mons', was so coolly reported during the Great War that millions of people believed it to be true.

"Of living creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few if any can hope to equal the versatile Arthur Machen." -H.P. Lovecraft Actor, journalist, devotee of Celtic Christianity and the Holy Grail legend, Welshman Arthur Machen is considered one of the fathers of weird fiction, a master of mayhem whose work has drawn comparisons to H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Readers will find the perfect introduction to his style in this new collection. With the title story, an exercise in the bizarre that leaves the reader disoriented virtually from the first page, Machen turns even fundamental truths upside down. "There have been those who have sounded the very depths of sin," explains the character Ambrose, "who all their lives have never done an 'ill deed.'"

Decadent, perverse and unreal, the strange stories of Arthur Machen uncover a lingering, ancestral horror, distantly remembered in the language of fairy tales, pagan lore, and in the secret old games that nurses teach to children. Deeply controversial in their own time, some of Machen’s stories had to wait decades to for changing social mores to permit their publication. This new collection by Lowood Press combines all of Machen’s most celebrated works in one volume. Herein are his greatest short stories, including The White People , The Great God Pan , The Bowmen and The Shining Pyramid ; his semi-autobiographical novel, Hill of Dreams ; and the original, complete version of The Three Impostors , with its interconnecting tales of occult intrigue. An unrivaled master of sacred terror and pioneer of the weird fiction genre, Machen’s work has directly influenced such notable horror writers as H. P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Stephen King—but it has yet to be surpassed.

Başta H. P. Lovecraft olmak üzere kendisinden sonraki birçok yazarı etkileyen Arthur Machen, modern korku edebiyatının erken dönem ustalarından biri. Doğaüstü, fantazi ve korku türlerinde verdiği eserlerin arasında en ünlüsü olan Yüce Tanrı Pan da yazıldığı dönemde cesur içeriğiyle büyük yankı uyandıran ve ünü günümüze kadar ulaşan bir başyapıt. Dr. Raymond’ın ruhani dünyaya erişmek için yaptığı “Yüce Tanrı Pan’ı görmek” adlı deneyin sonucunda kentte gizemli olaylar vuku bulmaya başlamıştır. Bu deneyle birlikte Yunan mitolojisinde ormanların ve kırın tanrısı olan yarı keçi yarı insan Pan, hikâyede korkutucu bir figüre dönüşerek, eski çağların dehşetini on dokuzuncu yüzyıla taşır. Machen’ın benzersiz üslubuyla bilim, bir nevi, korkuya hayat verir. “Yazılmış en iyi korku öykülerinden biri. Belki de en iyisi.” - Stephen King Ormanın fısıltısı yükseliyor... Yüce Tanrı Pan’a zihnini açmanın vakti geldi.