Tartarus Press Bibliography 1990-1999

Tartarus Press Coverley House, Carlton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4AY United Kingdom Telephone/Fax: +44 (0) 1969 640399 email Tartarus Press Home Page News Titles In Print Ordering Information Wormwood Out Of Print Titles Bibliography Tartarus Book Design Submissions Links: Bibliography; 1990-1999; (2000-2007); Continually under construction! Please note that it takes some time to load all of the images.; **********; PRECIOUS BALMS, by Arthur Machen. November 1999, 108 pages. £27.50. Sewn hardback printed and bound by Antony Rowe in green wibalin cloth stamped in gold,with gold and green head and tailband. 200 numbered copies produced by Tartarus for the Arthur Machen Society with the kind assistance of Javier Marias. Not for sale.; return to top of page; **********
: THE COLLECTED STRANGE STORIES OF ROBERT AICKMAN, VOLUME I, by Robert Aickman, 1999, pp.xvi/399, £70 with Volume II below, not sold separately. 500 copies printed. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. ISBN 1872621473. Contents: quote from Stenbock/ Robert Aickman: An Appreciation, by David Tibet/ An Essay by Robert Aickman/ Remembering Robert, by Ramsey Campbell/ The Trains/ The Insufficient Answer/ The View/ The School Friend/ Ringing the Changes/ Choice of Weapons/ The Waiting Room/ Bind Your Hair/ Your Tiny Hand is Frozen/ My Poor Friend/ The Visiting Star/ Larger Than Oneself/ A Roman Question/ The Wine-Dark Sea/ Ravissante/ The Inner Room/ Never Visit Venice/ The Unsettled Dust/ The Houses of the Russians/ No Stronger Than a Flower/ The Cicerones/ Into the Wood. Jacket by Steven Stapleton.; THE COLLECTED STRANGE STORIES OF ROBERT AICKMAN, VOLUME II, by Robert Aickman, 1999, pp.viii/ 456. ISBN 1872621481. 500 copies printed. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. The Swords/ The Real Road to the Church/ Niemandswasser/ Pages from a Young Girl's Journal/ The Hospice/ The Same Dog/ Meeting Mr Millar/ The Clock Watcher/ Growing Boys/ Marriage/ Le Miroir/ Compulsory Games/ Raising the Wind/ Residents Only/ Wood/ Hand in Glove/ No Time Is Passing/ The Fetch/ The Breakthrough/ The Next Glade/ Letters to the Postman/ The Stains/ Just a Song at Twilight/ Laura/ Rosamund's Bower/ Mark/ Ingestre: The Customer's Tale. Jacket by Steven Stapleton.; Co-produced with Durtro.; Note: An addendum was produced for the volumes. Both volumes were reprinted in 2000 in an edition of 250 copies with minor corrections.; Reviews:; “Tartarus have done a superb job of making these books available to the reader at a price which demands commitment, but represents value.” - Phil Baker, Times Literary Supplement.; “Straightforward genre horror, you would think, but it’s all crossed with acute social observation and the kind of resistance to closure associated with more literary work. Pricey, but well worth it.” - The Guardian; “I recommend buying The Collected Strange Stories by Robert Aickman; he is not simply a writer of ghost stories, but a master of the macabre whose ‘strange stories’ will haunt you forever.” - Matt Leyshon, Enigma (Waterstones Magazine); “There has long been a need for an omnibus edition of Aickman’s ‘Collected Stories’—no easy task in view of the fact that he wrote 48 in all. Fortunately this project has now been realized with the publication by the Tartarus Press and the Durtro Press of The Collected Strange Stories, a handsome two-volume edition.” - Richard Dalby, Book and Magazine Collector.; “Aickman will continue to be read, should continue to be read, and this kind of lovingly constructed story collection is a straightforward and effective way of ensuring just that.” - Edward Bryant, Locus; “Now, at last—salvation! This handsome new two-volume edition, beautifully presented and printed, puts you in possession of all eight of his collections, for the price you’d have to pay for a tatty copy of any one of the originals.” - David Rowlands, Ghosts and Scholars; “Tartarus and Durtro are to be congratulated for doing justice to one of the most interesting writers of any sort of fiction.” - David Longhorn, All Hallows; “Surely the supernatural publishing event of the year.” - Jo Hird, Antiquarian Book Monthly; "These two volumes represent quality at a price that, while expensive, is worth the exhaustive quality of its presentation and thoroughness, including ALL of Aickman's short work" - "Fine Frights" column from The Horror Within; "All of this adds up to fiction of a singular, expressionistic excellence in a collection whose presence is a dark gift to the adventurous seeker of dark pleasures. " - Flesh and Blood Magazine; "Tartarus press and Durtro Press did a great favor for horror fans, as well as for the literary world in general, with the publication of Rovert Aickman: The Collected Strange Stories." - Tony Fonseca, Necrofile; return to top of page; **********
: THE SECRET GLORY, by Arthur Machen, 1999, iii, 253 pages. £25.00. Sewn hardback printed and bound by Antony Rowe in green wibalin cloth stamped in gold,with yellow and green head and tailband. 500 copies. ISBN 1872621268. Out of print.; Description: Contains all six chapters of the novel together for the first time.; "This definitive edition of The Secret Glory is essential reading for lovers of Arthur Machen and anyone else who values exquisite prose." - Peter Canon, All Hallows; "Offering ecstatic prose, genuine emotion, and passages that reach the ecstacy of which Machen so often aimed, The Secret Glory delights and disturbs in equal measure, embodying within its narrative an alchemist's brew of wisdom and wonder by an author whose work was an internal pilgrimage, an attempt to define and experience that which was undefinable. " - William Simmons, Underworlds; return to top of page; **********
: THE SOUND OF HIS HORN & THE KING OF THE LAKE, by Sarban (pseud J(ohn) W(illiam) Wall), 1999, pp.175, £27.50. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 350 numbered copies. ISBN 1872621430. Out of print. Contents: The Sound of His Horn/ The King of the Lake.; Reprint of the classic novel about an escaped WWII POW who stumbles into a very ugly parallel world where the Nazis won, and the first publication anywhere of a newly discovered fantasy story.; Reviews:; “This revival and expansion of Sarban's creepily masterful work is well worth the acquiring” - Edward Bryant, Locus; “[This edition contains] ... a very informative and interesting introduction. It's a lovely book” - Roger Johnson, All Hallows.; “Tartarus continues their most commendable program of bringing the works of John William Wall (Sarban) back into print... All in all, another highly recommended offering from Tartarus” - John Pelan , Hellnotes.; return to top of page; **********
: GUIDE TO FIRST EDITION PRICES, 2000/1, Edited by R. B. Russell, 1999, pp.326, paper only, £14.99. ISBN 1872621457. Printed and bound by the Atheneum Press. Front cover illustration by David Johnson. Out of print.; This revised edition now gives an indication of values for over 20,000 collectable books.; Reviews:; The tantalizing game of wondering how much your first editions are worth may be continued, with the publication of the Guide to First Edition Prices - T.L.S.; An extremely valuable book... This comprehensive volume indicates the going rate among serious collectors - Observer; It makes a very good job of guiding book lovers in general through the tough task of realistically valuing many collectables. - Antiques Magazine; return to top of page; **********
: FOREVER AZATHOTH AND OTHER HORRORS, by Peter Cannon, 1999, pp.viii/234, £25. 250 copies printed, all signed and numbered by the author. ISBN 1872621422. Out of print. Contents: Introduction by Steven J. Mariconda/ Forever Azathoth/ Azathoth in Arkham/ The Revenge of Azathoth/ The House of Azathoth/ Azathoth in Analysis/ Bride of Azathoth/ Son of Azathoth/ The Partridgeville Papers/ The Letters of Halpin Chalmers/ Last Flight/ It Was the Day of the Deep One/ The Hound of the Patridgevilles/ Parodies or Pastiches?/ The Undercliffe Sentences/ Tender is the Night-Gaunt/ Scream for Jeeves/ Cats, Rats, and Bertie Wooster/ Something Foetid/ The Rummy Affair of Young Charlie. Jacket/ frontispiece illustration by Jason Eckhardt.; New and reprint material; Reviews:; “This book is a total delight for the Lovecraftian and for the informed horror fan... In all respects a good job and a fine production.” - John Howard, All Hallows; “The man is an accomplished writer...” - John Pelan, Hellnotes; “...The thoroughly scholarly and wickedly funny Mr Cannon.” - Edward Bryant, Locus; “...is a book well worth buying and treasuring.” - Peter Coleborn, Prism; “However serious your Lovecraftian endeavors, I urge you to arm yourself with a copy of Forever Azathoth... Peter, I hope you will keep entertaining us with Lovecraftian pastiches well into the next millennium. The Lovecraftian field is richer for your efforts.” - Snake Den; return to top of page; **********
: THE DOLL MAKER and Other Tales of the Uncanny, by Sarban (pseud J(ohn) W(illiam) Wall), 1999, pp.227, £25. 200 numbered copies printed. ISBN 1872621414. This Tartarus edition is out of print but a new printing is available. Contents: The Doll Maker/ The Trespasses/ A House of Call. Afterword by Mark Valentine; bibliography.; Reprint of the 1953 Davies edition.; Reviews; A beautifully written tale of rural magic reminiscent of Machen. Another Tartarus book to be read and treasured." - Matt Leyshon, Blood from Stones (Waterstones magazine); I am delighted with this lovely new edition of a favourite book. There are only 200 copies, so get your order in quickly - you won't regret it." - Roger Johnson, All Hallows.; return to top of page; **********
: IN VIOLET VEILS, by Mark Valentine, 1999, pp.104, £20. 200 numbered copies, signed by the author. ISBN 1872621406. Out of print. Contents: The Effigies/ After the Darkness/ The Paravine Cries/ Pale Roses/ In Violet Veils/ The Lost Moon/ Cafe Lucifer/ The Craft of Arioch/ The Secret Stars.; Collection of nine stories, six original, about the occult detective, The Connoisseur.; Reviews:; “This is an interesting, if regrettably slim volume of highly original tales... In Violet Veils is nicely presented to complement the rich prose, and is not illustrated. This is a good thing: Mr Valentine conjures up quite enough vivid images in the reader's mind.” David Rowlands, Ghosts and Scholars; “This is a very curious and wonderful book: curious because a contemporary author dares to write in a style and mode fashionable a century ago; wonderful because he does so with such apparent ease, perfectly matching sometimes purple but always precise prose with outre subject matter. In this slim, elegantly produced volume ... nine exquisite episodes...” Peter Cannon, All Hallows; “Oh this is luscious! It's a hardback, 104 page special limited edition with an old-fashioned feel to it, but forget that, let's jump into this wonderful creation... guaranteed to enchant.” - Prism; “Mark Valentine is a truly gifted writer and I hope that we have not seen the last of him or of the Connoisseur.” - Hellnotes; return to top of page; **********
: LE GRAND MEAULNES, OR THE LOST DOMAIN, AND MIRACLES, by Henri Alain-Fournier, the novel translated by R.B. Russell, the poetry by Adrian Eckersley, 1999, pp.xiv/283, £25. 250 numbered copies. ISBN 1872621384. Out of print. Contents: The Tantalising Elsewheres of Henri Alain-Fournier by Adrian Eckersley/ Le Grand Meaulnes by Henri Alain-Fournier; trans. by R. B. Russell/ How Far Should We Believe in "Miracles"? by Adrian Eckersley/ Translated by Adrian Eckersley: Miracles/ Summer Misery/ Young People/ The Shower/ Tale of the Sun and the Highway On This Great Road/ Round/ Through Summers/ Highway Shanty/ Under This Tepid Remnant/ The First Fogs of September/ The People of the Manor/ And Now That There's Rain.../ On the Road Which Drops Down/ Woman's Body/ Dialogue as Christmas Approaches/ [Untitled]/ The Poisoned Woman/ The Pleasure Party/ In the Very Small Garden/ Three Prose Poems: (Major Manoeuvres, The Tailor's Guestroom, March Before Daybreak)/ Love Seeks Out Abandoned Places/ Magdalene/ The Miracle of the Three Village Ladies/ The Quarrel and the Night in the Cell/ Public Holidays/ The Miracle of the Farmer's Wife/ Portrait. Jacket by Peter Strausfeld.; "This publication, handsomely printed on cream paper, comes from a small press and has clearly been undertaken with affection: the two introductions by Adrian Eckersley are enthusiastic and perceptive." Adrian Tahourdin, Times Literary Supplement.; "This ravishing and utterly lustrous novel" - Zene; return to top of page; **********
: UNCANNY TALES, by F. Marion Crawford, 1999, pp.270, £25. 250 numbered copies. Out of print. Contents: Introduction by Richard Dalby/ The Dead Smile/ The Screaming Skull/ Man Overboard!/ For the Blood is the Life/ The Upper Berth/ By the Waters of Paradise/ The Doll's Ghost/ The King's Messenger/ A Mystery of the Campagna, by Anne Von Degen: A Mystery of the Campagna/ A Shadow on a Wave/ A Were-Wolf of the Campagna, by Mrs Mary Fraser.; Note: Due to the discontinuation of the flecked yellow paper used for the dustjackets the printer used a similar paper in light blue. A very few were printed on the original yellow paper.; Crawford's collected supernatural fiction; adds one story not in the original publication of this title as well as stories by Crawford's sisters, Mary and Anne.; Review:; "This is a treasure for the book-lined study we all hope one day to retire to." - Gail-Nina Anderson, Prism.; “My one complaint about this handsome volume is that it is printed on rather yellow paper...” - Katherine Haynes, All Hallows; return to top of page; **********
: THE COLLECTED STRANGE PAPERS OF CHRISTOPHER BLAYRE, by Edward Heron-Allen, 1998, pp.257, £25. ISBN 187262135X. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 250 copies printed. Out of print. Contents: The Purple Sapphire/ The House of the Way to Hell/ Aalila/ The Mirror that Remembered/ Purpura Lapillus/ Mano Pantea/ The Thing that Smelt/ The Blue Cockroach/ The Man Who Killed the Jew/ The Demon/ The Book/ The Cosmic Dust/ The Cheetah-Girl/ "Zum Wildbad"/ The Boots/ Another Squaw?/ Passiflora Vindicta.; Ghost and horror stories by the polymath Heron-Allen.; "Tartarus Press have issued many memorable volumes in their time but few can possibly better Edward Heron-Allen The Collected Strange Papers of Christopher Blayre." - Zene; "The present edition can be recommended for libraries with developed collections of fantastic fiction" - SFRA Review.; "Readers ... should definately buy a copy of this extraordinary book," Alexis Lykiard, All Hallows,; return to top of page; **********
: THE CHEETAH GIRL, by Christopher Blayre, 1998, pp.71, £25. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 99 copies printed. Frontispiece by David Johnson. Gilt top and edge, marbled endpapers. No ISBN assigned. Out of print on publication.; A once controversial story of human-feline miscenegation which was considered too erotic for publication in the author's early collection The Purple Sapphire.; Review:; “An excellent example of a school of writing that has virtually vanished...” - SF Site; return to top of page; **********
: AKLO, edited by Mark Valentine, Roger Dobson, and R.B. Russell, 1998, pp.256, £14.99. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 400 copies printed. Illustrations from various sources. ISBN 1872621325. Out of print.; Aklo was a late twentieth-century small-press literary magazine that published the likes of Cabell, Stenbock, Gawsworth, Stanford, and others. This collection was its last flourish , for the first time in hardcover.; Points: Published in association with Caermaen Books. Please note that the ISBN listed on front flap of the jacket is incorrect (it is the ISBN for The Hill of Dreams).
: Review:; “ This finely-produced tome is presented as the final issue of a journal of the fantastic and decadent. I missed the previous numbers, and on this evidence, I'm sorry I came in late. It's a luxurious selection of lightly poisoned confections. The only thing that isn't decadent about it is the price.” - Douglas M. Campbell, All Hallows; return to top of page; **********
: THE HILL OF DREAMS, by Arthur Machen, 1998, pp.xxx/195, £25. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 350 numbered copies printed, with marbled endpapers, headbands, and silk ribbon marker bound in, and three illustrations by Sidney Sime tipped in. Introduction by Mark Valentine. Jacket illustration a detail from a picture by Sime. ISBN 1872621317. Out of print.; Machen's classic novel.; Review:; “"Any new edition of Machen's finest creation is cause for celebration, but when the production is as sumptuous as this, with marbled endpapers, burgundy boards, silk ribbon and cream coloured paper, then it's a doubly welcome addition to the Machen shelf. Ninety one years after the debut of The Hill of Dreams it's delightful to have all three of Sidney Sime's illustrations . . ." - Roger Dobson, Avallaunius; "Charming, even old fashioned...” - Hellnotes; return to top of page; **********
: AFTERGLOW by Mitchell S. Buck & ON PAGANISM by Arthur Machen, 1998, pp.58, £12.99 ISBN 1872621309. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 200 copies printed, with headbands and silk ribbon marker. An additional 10 copies were produced with marbled endpapers and lettered, (Not for Sale). Out of print.; The obscure Machen intro for Afterglow, "On Paganism" and a somewhat related oddity first published in America in 1924, Buck composed a series of sketches of decadent "Greek Egypt", peopled with courtesans and poets, philosophers and pharaohs.; return to top of page; **********
: GUIDE TO FIRST EDITION PRICES, 1998/9, Edited by R. B. Russell, 1997, pp.287, paper only, £12.99. ISBN 1872621295. Printed and bound by the Atheneum Press. Front cover illustration by David Johnson. Out of print.; This revised edition of the previous year's guide now gives an indication of values for over 18,000 collectable books.; Reviews:; An indispensable volume for collectors, dealers and all who love books. - Biblio.; Collectors will find this book invaluable. - Antiques Bulletin.; return to top of page; **********
: RITUAL AND OTHER STORIES, by Arthur Machen, 1997, pp.270, £25 ISBN 1872621279. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 20 copies in marbled binding as presentation, NFS; 180 copies "trade." Contents: The Town of Long Ago/ Of the Isle of Shadows/ A Further Account of the Academy of Lagado/ Tales from Barataria/ Sir John's Chef/ The Autophone/ A Remarkable Coincidence/ A Double Return/ A Wonderful Woman/ The Lost Club/ An Underground Adventure/ The Decorative Imagination/ The Novel of the Iron Maid/ Jocelyn's Escape/ The Red Hand/ The Hidden Mystery/ The Soldier's Rest/ Drake's Drum/ A New Christmas Carol/ 7B Coney Court/ The Gift of Tongues/ The Islington Mystery/ Johnny Double/ Awaking/ The Compliments of the Season/ The Dover Road/ The Exalted Omega/ Change/ Out of the Picture/ Ritual.; Prior edition: Tartarus, 1992. This edition replaces stories now in Ornaments in Jade with the novelette "The Red Hand." Now out of print, but a fourth edition is available.; return to top of page; **********
: A NIGHT WITH MEPHISTOPHELES: Selected Works of Henry Ferris, edited by S. T. Joshi, 1997, pp.254, £20. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 250 numbered copies. ISBN 1872621260. Out of print.; Presented by S.T.Joshi as the original writings of a hitherto unknown author, two of the stories have been subsequently found to be translations of work by other authors. "A Leaf from the Berlin Chronicles" is by E.T.A.Hoffman and "Tobias Guarnerius" is by Charles Rabou. The others may well be by Ferris.; return to top of page; **********
: TALES OF HORROR AND THE SUPERNATURAL, by Arthur Machen, 1997, pp.xviii/ 391, £25. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. Only 250 copies were printed, although it was originally intended to be 500. 20 of these copies were bound in with marbled endpapers, NFS. ISBN 1872621252. Introduction by Roger Dobson. Contents: Introduction, by Roger Dobson/ The Novel of the Black Seal/ The Novel of the White Powder/ The Great God Pan/ The White People/ The Inmost Light/ The Shining Pyramid/ The Bowmen/ The Great Return/ The Happy Children/ Out of the Earth/ N/ The Children of the Pool/ The Terror.; Considered the quintessential Machen, with his best longer stories.; Reviews:; ... this is an excellent collection, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with Machen’s work, which at its best is as good as anything the genre has to offer - Berenice M. Murphy, The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies; Stories of the macabre exert their pull from Hallowe'en onwards, such as the stories of Arthur Machen, republished by Tartarus Press in handsome editions, made for reading by a flickering fire. - Suzi Feay, The Independent (29/10/05); A storyteller of impressive imaginative power, startling authenticity, and undeniable originality … Tales Of Horror And The Supernatural, a generously thick collection of the author's arguably best short macabre fiction is a celebration of primal mysteries and complex human conflicts between psyche and soul which serves as a fine, fitting tribute to a man whose life was as paradoxical and mystifying as much of his fictions. - William Simmons, Gauntlet; Tales of Horror and the Supernatural is, quite simply, one of the most important collections of weird tales by any author, and Tartarus press has done it proud. - Ramsey Campbell, Waterstones Guide to Science fiction, Fantasy and Horror.; The third edition is now in print.; return to top of page; **********
: ORNAMENTS IN JADE, by Arthur Machen, 1997, pp.x+54, 25 copies in special marbled binding for presentation only, NFS; 375 copies clothbound, £12.99. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. Introduction by Barry Humphries, President of the Arthur Machen Society. ISBN 1872621244. Out of print. Contents: The Rose Garden/The Turanians/The Idealist/Witchcraft/The Ceremony/Psychology/Torture/Midsummer/Nature/The Holy Things; Point: Published in association with Caermaen Books.; First UK edition of this slender collection first published by Knopf in 1924; Reviews:; “A desirable little volume... ” - All Hallows; “Contains some of his most finely modulated prose and most elusive supernaturalism” - Necrofile; return to top of page; **********
: STEEPLE ON A HILL: POEMS, by Glen Cavaliero, 1997, pp.57, £9.99. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 400 hardcover copies. ISBN 1872621236. Out of print.; Glen Cavaliero's fourth collection of poetry.; Review:; “These are poems to return to, to live with, and to ponder. ” - Powys Society Newsletter; return to top of page; **********
: THE TARTARUS PRESS GUIDE TO FIRST EDITION PRICES, 1997, edited by R.B. Russell, 1997, pp.254, trade paperback only, £8.99. Printed and bound by the Atheneum Press. ISBN 1872621228. Front cover illustration by David Johnson. Out of print.; Covers 15,000 titles.; Reviews:; Should become a classic, like Miller's Antique Guide. - The Guardian.; Beautifully produced and easy to use. - It Goes on the Shelf.; return to top of page; **********
: ARTHUR MACHEN - A NOVELIST OF ECSTASY AND SIN, by Vincent Starrett, 1996, pp.64, Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. Not for sale. Produced by Ray Russell and Jon Preece in memory of the late Christopher Palmer, given to members of the Arthur Machen Society. No ISBN. Out of print.; America's introduction to Arthur Machen; return to top of page; **********
: WORMING THE HARPY and other Bitter Pills, by Rhys Hughes, 1995, pp.203, £14.95. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 200 numbered copies, plus 26 which were lettered A-Z and signed by the author, £14.95 ISBN 187262120X. Out of print. Contents: Cat O' Nine Tales/ Worming the Harpy/ The Falling Star/ Quasimodulus/ The Good News Grimoire/ Fintlock Jaw/ Velocity Oranges/ A Carpet Seldom Found/ The Chimney/ One Man's Meat/ The man Who Mistook His Wife's Hat For The Mad Hatter's Wife/ Cello I Love You/ What to do when the Devil Comes Round to Tea/ Arquebus for Harlequin/ Eclair de Lune/ Grinding the Goblin. Jacket design and text in gold on black, laminated.; Original horror collection by British author.; Reviews:; “The stories are essentially literature in its purest form - wonderfully rumbustuous, humorous, word-magical fantasies, liberally peppered with honest-to-goodness horror. They remind me of Lord Dunsany, John Barth, Jorge Luis Borges, Jack Vance, involving fabulous traditions of surrealism, fairy stories and piquant wit . . . Rhys Hughes’ book is one that I had dreamed of reading but never thought I’d be so lucky ever to do so in real life." - Deathrealm; "Rhys Hughes is a very good writer . . . a fabulist whose sense of the absurd is peerless." - Grotesque; "The overall tone is one of disturbing, occasionally shocking surrealism . . . fans and others who are looking for something significantly offbeat in supernatural fiction will be delighted with this, his first book."- All Hallows; **********
: TALES FROM TARTARUS, edited by R.B. Russell & Rosalie Parker, 1995, pp.202, £14.95. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. 250 copies. ISBN 1872621197. Out of print. Contents: Introduction, by R.B. Russell/ The Forest Chapel Bell, by Rhys Hughes/ Saint 505, by John Clark/ Portrait of a Girl in a Graveyard, by Simon Clark/ Powers of the Air, by Dale Nelson/ As Gone as the Dead, by Jon Preece/ The Interview, by Colin Pink/ Do Bats Eat Cats?, by Alan Webster Lear/ Kruptos, by Mark Samuels/ Forbidden Fruit, by Elizabeth Brown/ The Paper, by William Charlton/ The Reverend Douglas Delves, by R.B. Russell/ The Lurker in the Room With a View, by Andy Darlington/ Talking Pictures, by Clare Johnson/ Napier Court, by Ramsey Campbell/ Completion, by Peter Vincent. Jacket design and text in gold on black, laminated.; Anthology of original weird tales.; Reviews:; “The 16 tales here deal with the imaginative and fantastic. They all use language with care, knowing that the weight of words entraps the reader,pulling them into the mood of each piece not just by what they describe, but by how they describe it. That said, atmosphere, content and style vary just as you'd expect throughout a collection penned by 16 living authors brought together only by their enthusiasm for this project. Some of the names you'll have previously found only in desk-top published pamphlets, but a moody account of supernatural menace linked to emotional vulnerability from the pen of the ineffable Ramsey Campbell sets rhe seal of professionalism on the whole endeavour.” - Dr Gail-Nina Anderson, Samhain; “More, please, Tartarus!” - Roger Johnson, All Hallows; “As black and shiny as a beetle-shell, this original anthology of weirdness is an expressway to your skull!” - The Edge; return to top of page; **********
: THE SECRET OF THE SANGRAAL, by Arthur Machen, 1995, pp.ii/286, £20.00. 250 numbered copies. Sewn hardback, printed and bound by Antony Rowe. ISBN 187262118X. Out of print. Contents: Introduction, by R.B. Russell/ The Secret of the Sangraal (Introduction, Essay)/ The Stroller/ When I Was Young in London/ London Thirty Years Ago/ The Joy of London/ Re-Discovery of London/ Dr. Johnson's Disappearing Act/ Guinevere and Lancelot/ Shakespeare and Shakespere/ A New Year Meditation/ Casulstry/ Superstition--or Instinct?/ Imagination and Health/ England and Revolution/ Celtic Magic/ The Holy Graal/ Justice, Liberty--and Fallacy?/ The Art of Divination/ Our Absurd Education/ The Cult of the Secret/ Rouge et Noir--and the Unknown/ The Moth and the Flame/ Tom O'Bedlam and His Song/ The Gray's Inn Coffee House/ Bridles and Spurs/ A Forgotten Book/ The Strange Tale of Mount Nephin/ Pictures on the Cards/ The Ancient Speech/ Mutterings in the Dark Grove/ The Old Grammar School/ Riddles and Symbols/ The Holy Grail/ The Bitter Impatience/ Lost Books/ True to Life/ A Note on Poetry/ The Only Way/ Bibliographical Notes (from Danielson's Bibliography). Jacket is all text in black on pale yellow jacket stock.; Point: There is a withdrawn edition dated 1994 also of the above in which the printers placed the text too high on the page. It was also 250 copies, of which most copies were destroyed.; Collection of Machen's short essays.; Reviews:; “An antique charm and a dry wit.” - The Fortean Times; “The 1990s has seen an uncanny throw-back to those days of sixty years ago with the advent of Ray Russell's Tartarus Press. From modest beginnings Tartarus has blossomed into a comprable literary force, with a special interest in the uniquely endearing Arthur Machen. A previous book by this imprint, Ritual, was certainly one of the most outstanding of Machen publications and it is no faint praise to say that this present volume in some ways even surpasses it.... For those seeking rare and out of print Machen items, this book is a real treasure trove.... The entire volume, beautifully produced, deserves the highest praise and will be indispensable for both the Machen reader and also for those interested in the mysteries of the Sangraal.” - Godfrey Brangham, Avallaunius; “Every true Macheniac absolutely must acquire a copy of The Secret of the Sangraal.” - Richard Whittinton-Egan; “Beautifully printed on an ivory stock and bound in gold-stamped black cloth.” - It Goes on the Shelf; return to top of page; **********
: XÉLUCHA and THE PRIMATE OF THE ROSE, by M.P. Shiel, 1994, pp.30. Stapled booklet with wrapper. £4.50. 100 copies printed. ISBN 1872621171. Out of print.; Reprints of the classic short stories.; return to top of page; **********
: UNDER THE LEADS, by Arthur Machen, 1994, pp.11. Stapled booklet with wrapper. £4.50. 100 copies printed. ISBN 1872621163. Out of print.; A retelling (not a translation) of the life of Cassanova, from T. P.'s Weekly.; return to top of page; **********
: THE YELLOW SIGN, by Robert W. Chambers, 1994, pp.22, £4.50. Stapled booklet with wrapper. 100 copies printed. ISBN 1872621155. Out of print.; Reprint of the classic short story.; return to top of page; **********
: EDGAR ALLAN POE AND ARTHUR MACHEN, by Arthur Machen & Mark Samuels, 1994, pp.23. Stapled booklet with wrapper. £4.50. 100 numbered copies printed. ISBN 1872621147. Out of print. Contents: The Supreme Realist, by Arthur Machen / Brilliance Beyond Darkness, by Mark Samuels.; Essays; return to top of page; **********
: CONTAINING A NUMBER OF THINGS, by Starrett and Millard, 1993, pp.120, £20. Printed by the New Venture Press and sewn and bound by hand. 72 copies printed, hardbound with jacket. For advance subscribers only. No ISBN assigned. Out of print.; Contains letters between the Machen collector and his dealer, and facsimilies of obscure Machen items.; Reviews:; “It will amuse anyone with the incurable affliction of bibliomania” - Roger Dobson, Antiquarian Book Monthly Review; return to top of page; **********
: THE NEW YEAR: Ancient Lights With Certain Modern Reflections, by Arthur Machen, 1992, pp.12. Stapled booklet, given as a gift to regular customers. 100 copies printed. ISBN 1872621279. Out of print.; Reprint: Tartarus, 1995, identical but so marked, 100 copies, £4.50. Same ISBN used.; An essay from The Referee, 1/1/1928.; return to top of page; **********
: RITUAL & OTHER STORIES, by Arthur Machen, 1992, pp.ii/286, £22.50. 300 numbered copies printed. Printed by the New Venture Press and sewn and bound by hand. ISBN 1872621112. Now out of print, but a fourth edition is available. Contents: Introduction, by R.B. Russell/ The Town of Long Ago/ Of the Isle of Shadows/ A Further Account of the Academy of Lagado/ Tales from Barataria/ Sir John's Chef/ The Autophone/ A Remarkable Coincidence/ A Double Return/ A Wonderful Woman/ The Lost Club/ An Underground Adventure/ Jocelyn's Escape/ The Decorative Imagination/ The Novel of the Iron Maid/ Drake's Drum/ The Idealist/ Witchcraft/ Midsummer/ Nature/ Torture/ 7B Coney Court/ Johnny Double/ A New Christmas Carol/ The Gift of Tongues/ The Islington Mystery/ Awaking/ The Compliments of the Season/ The Dover Road/ The Exalted Omega/ Change/ Out of the Picture/ Ritual. Jacket is just text, printed in red on pale yellow jacket stock.; Point: 4 copies as above but with altered title page and with Carbonnek's The Red Hand (see above) bound in at the rear of the book, labeled "The Chilton Grounds Edition." All NFS.; Large collection of previously uncollected works by Machen.; Reviews:; “This beautifully-made volume contains 32 Machen pieces, 14 of which are collected from pre-1900 magazines and so extremely hard to track down. I enjoyed them very much” - It Goes on the Shelf; “It is the achievement of Ritual that it allows us to give our attention to a host of previously inaccessible Machen writings, to savour anew the flavour of a prose we may have thought we knew too well; I cannot think that any Machen enthusiast, or savant of the fantastic in literature, will wish to be without it.” - Mark Valentine, Avallaunius; “The Arthur Machen renaissance has been quietly underway for years. R.B.Russell's Tartarus Press has been at the forefront, issuing the previously unpublished chapters of Machen's The Secret Glory (1991), a two volume anthology of criticism, Machenalia (1990), and now, most significantly, a volume of Machen's uncollected fiction.” - Necrofile; return to top of page; **********
: SHADY CUSTOMERS, by Bertram Rota, 1992, pp.16. Stapled booklet. £4.50. 100 numbered copies printed. ISBN 1872621104. Out of print.; A story in which the shades of the decadents of the 1890s meet upon New Years Eve.; return to top of page; **********
: ARTHUR MACHEN AND "THE SPHINX", by Julie Speedie, 1992, [pp.20]. Stapled booklet. £4.50. 100 copies printed, with four camera portraits tipped-in. ISBN 1872621082. Out of print. Front cover illustration taken from an edition of the Yellow Book.; Essay on Ada Leverson and Arthur Machen.; Point: Five copies of the above have dark brown card covers, the rest light brown. Textually the same.; Reviews:; “Beautifully printed and illustrated with four laid-in photographs... Much interesting material on the literary environment that surrounded Machen” - It Goes on the Shelf; return to top of page; **********
: RUS IN URBE AND OTHERS, by Arthur Machen, 1992, pp.32. Stapled booklet. £4.50. 200 numbered copies printed. ISBN 1872621074. Out of print. Contents: Rus in Urbe/ The Brook Farm/ Over the Fate/ By the Brook.; Nature pieces.; Reprint: Tartarus, 1997, adds two more prose poems.; Reviews:; “...beautiful descriptions of country places that Machen knew.” - It Goes on the Shelf; return to top of page; **********
: A BIBLIOPHILE'S HOLIDAY, by John Gawsworth, 1992, [pp.24], £4.50. 150 numbered copies printed. Stapled booklet. ISBN 1872621066. Out of print.; return to top of page; **********
: THE RED HAND, by Arthur Machen, 1992, [pp.48], 250 copies printed. Stapled booklet, produced for Carbonnek Books and not sold directly by Tartarus. Short story. No ISBN assigned. Out of print.; return to top of page; **********
: CHAPTERS FIVE AND SIX OF THE SECRET GLORY, by Arthur Machen, 1991, pp.92, £21.50. Hand-sewn and bound by Waite's Bindery, Tunbridge Wells. 250 copies printed, all numbered, clothbound, with jacket. ISBN 1872621058. Out of print.; Unpublished chapters of Machen's novel.; The complete edition was published in 1999.; Reviews:; On the 16th March 2003 Stewart Lee in the Observer described The Secret Glory as the most underrated book ever written (the Bible was the most overrated) and described how in 1991 he "found that a 1991 run of 250 copies of the lost final chapters ... sees him find the holy Grail only to be crucified by Kurds. Admit it. You're curious."; “Worth reding for its exquisite prose and for what it tells us about the life and mind of Arthur Machen” - Studies in Weird Fiction; "I have re-read the first four chapters and the final two and loved it." - It Goes on the Shelf; return to top of page; **********
: MACHENALIA, by Divers Hands, 1990, 2 stapled booklets, I: pp.57 ISBN 1872621031 and II: 62 ISBN 187262104X resp., sold together, £6. Cover illustration by John Coulthart. Out of print.; Two volumes of critical essays on a wide range of themes and all aspects of Machen's writings. Authors include Godfrey Brangham, Michael Butterworth, Roger Dobson, Kenneth Faig Jr., John Howard, Dale J. Nelson, Gregory Ventre, Vincent Williams and Jonathon Wood. Due to typographical errors a large part of the run was pulped and a revised edition was printed on demand.; Reviews:; “Contains some very meritorious material... Volume II is still more substantial, containing some of the best criticism of Machen in recent years.” - Studies in Weird Fiction; "An excellent magazine" - It Goes on the Shelf; return to top of page; **********
: THE DIARY OF A SUCCESSFUL MAN, by Ernest Dowson, 1990, [pp.24]. Stapled booklet. Cover plus 3 internal illustrations. 25 numbered copies printed, given as a gift to Tartarus customers, N.F.S. ISBN 1872621023. Out of print.; Reprinted: 100 copies. Stapled booklet. £4.50. Only two internal illustrations. ISBN 1872621090; return to top of page; **********
: THE ANATOMY OF TAVERNS, edited by R.B. Russell, 1990, pp.20+iv (and addenda), £2. Stapled booklet. 50 numbered copies printed. ISBN 1872621007. Out of print.; Machen's tastes in food, drink, and restaurants.; Reprint: Revised and enlarged. Tartarus, 1990, 50 copies. [pp.32] ISBN 1872621015.; return to top of page; **********; (2000-2007)
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Page updated 11th May 2007