Sarob Press have just announced pre-orders for Spirits of the Dead, a new collection of stories by Ron Weighell. This brings together eleven excellent stories, including three that are previously unpublished, and several others that are hard to find elsewhere.
Some are overtly in the style of M R James and Arthur Machen, authors whose work Ron greatly admired and understood well, others allude to Poe, De Quincey or Yeats, and all are informed by his deep interest in the esoteric and arcane.
In my introduction I discuss Ron’s beginnings in writing supernatural fiction and the particular background to the stories here. I conclude:
‘Ron Weighell’s stories deploy a library of arcane learning in a lucid and thoughtful way, they evoke a real sense of place and have plausible, unusual characters, they are salted with oblique wit and satire, and they convincingly conjure up barbaric and infernal forces. Above all, we always know we are in the company of a writer with a real relish and respect for his art, who is not only a keen scholar but a storyteller of magnificent zest.’
Spirits of the Dead will be published as a limited edition jacketed hardcover with artwork by Nick Maloret, and publication is currently scheduled for April 2024.
(Mark Valentine)
Thanks, Mark. I have enjoyed Weighell's work since his work first started appearing in Ghosts & Scholars. Now, if someone would only publish a collection of his essays on arcane lore!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mark. It is in my queue. I have enjoyed Weighell's work since it first started appearing in Ghosts & Scholars. I thought his essays on arcane and esoteric subjects were fascinating as well. If only someone would finally publish an illustrated collection of those!
ReplyDeleteAlready ordered, Mark. Look forward to reading your Rontroduction!
ReplyDeleteI ordered a copy from Sarob Press and am looking forward to reading the collection.
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