It may seem strange, in a world with so much natural horror, to seek to explore and even celebrate horror that extends even further beyond human control. It may seem misanthropic, pessimistic, or even sadistic to find pleasure in a tradition that is energized by human frailty and terror. What is it that compels so many people to indulge stories of horror and the macabre? Can anything good come from a tradition that focuses so much on the negative elements of our already troub

There is perhaps no more cursed writer of horror in the English canon than the elegant Edwardian, W. W. Jacobs. World renowned for one tale, “The Monkey’s Paw,” he is often classed alongside the three S’s (Stoker, Shelley, and Stevenson) as an unquestionable dean of the classic British supernatural tale. But little or nothing else about his fiction is commonly read or talked about. “Jerry Bundler” receives some attention, and a bit is given to “The Toll House” and “The Well,”

Dickens is widely renowned in popular culture as a writer of grade-A ghost stories. “Could you name some?” a person – not particularly given to the ghostly – might ask of a supernatural aficionado such as yourself. “Well, A Christmas Carol,” you are bound to say. You will likely be quick at mentioning “The Signal-Man,” and perhaps “To Be Taken With a Grain of Salt.” But that might (perhaps, I say, just perhaps) be where you stop. Here is a list of Dickens’ seven best ghost st

Excerpted from the Introduction to our best-selling title: BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA: ANNOTATED AND ILLUSTRATED (Available HERE) DRACULA IN FILM: THE TOP 9 CINEMATIC COUNTS. Perhaps just as important to the study of Dracula, the Gothic novel, are the dozens of cinematic adaptations which have been responsible for the book’s longevity and popular appeal. While Dracula has appeared as a character in an astounding 404 films (ca. 2014), for our purposes, we will filter the best gems

While the weird tale and horror fiction existed in Britain long before the Edwardian Era (fl. 1895 - 1919), this period was certainly the zenith of supernatural fiction in the English-speaking world. Although the Victorians boasted a handful of truly excellent supernaturalists (Le Fanu, Riddell, Oliphant, Edwards, Broughton, etc.), the production of high-octane speculative fiction reached a high watermark during the years between Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan and M. R. Ja

As the proliferation of podcasts like A Podcast to the Curious, the H.P. Podcraft, the Edgar Allan Poe-cast, and the Yog-Sothoth Podcast can attest, classic supernatural fiction has merged with popular culture. Only two decades ago, Lovecraftian fiction and classic horror were soundly ensconced in the fringe culture of death metal bands, role playing games, and goth reading lists. As they move into mainstream culture and enter common parlance, it might help the transition to