Book Collecting

Ray Russell of Tartarus Press has made a short film in which I talk about my book collection and especially some authors I think are unfairly neglected, such as Ronald Fraser and J.C. Snaith. It can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYsL7BUO6c4

Vivian Meik's DEVILS' DRUMS

Front cover of dust-wrapper

I'm very pleased to say that the expanded edition of Vivian Meik's Devils' Drums (originally published in 1933), which I finished eight years ago (for a different publisher), has now come out in a very attractive edition from Medusa Press.  Not only is the dust-wrapper attractive, but the design on the binding is as well, so I will show scans of both here. Meik's stories of central African voodoo are refreshingly different from most British horror fiction of the 1930s. One story from Devils’ Drums has been filmed. "The Doll of Death" was adapted for the television program, Rod Serling's Night Gallery. Directed by John Badham, it was the second to last episode of the series, broadcast on 20 May 1973. 

This new edition is limited to 300 copies.  Order via the Medusa Press website.

Here is the table of contents:

INTRODUCTION – Douglas A. Anderson

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

I           DEVILS’ DRUMS

II         WHITE ZOMBIE

III        AN ACRE IN HELL

IV        THE DOLL OF DEATH

V         WHITE MAN’S LAW

VI        .  . .  L’AMITIÉ RESTE

VII      THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SHADOW

VIII     RA

IX        A HONEYMOON IN HATE

X         DOMIRA’S DRUM

ADDITIONAL STORIES:

XI        THE TWO OLD WOMEN

XII      CHIROMO

XIII     I LEAVE IT TO YOU

Spine and upper cover of binding

WORMWOOD 17

Wormwood # 17 is due to be published shortly and contains Joel Lane's new insights on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, as well as essays on Gabriele d’Annunzio's poetry, Reginald Hodder, Ernest Bramah’s Max Carrados, Donald Armour’s Swept & Garnished, Robert Aickman's plays and an Overview of American Decadence, and our usual columns 'Under Review' by Reggie Oliver, ' Late Reviews' by Doug Anderson and 'Camera Obscura'.

Wormwood 17 also includes a fascinating article by Doug Anderson about Robert Aickman's plays. These are a completely unknown part of Aickman's literary work for almost all readers, and Doug helpfully summarises the plays and comments on their themes. As Doug concludes, drama probably wasn't the right form for Aickman's imagination, but even so it is intriguing to learn more about his work here.

By a frustrating oversight, Doug's essay was not included on the cover or contents page of this issue. However, readers should certainly not miss this opportunity to find out about such rare Aickmaniana.