Sphinxes & Obelisks is a new volume of essays on rare
books and recondite subjects. All the pieces are previously uncollected and
many are new or revised.
The books discussed include an interplanetary fantasy by a
Welsh squire, a timeslip novel by the priest-poet once thought to be the original
of Dorian Gray, an occult thriller about the rivalry to possess an ancient
grimoire, and an overlooked work about the revival of Roman paganism in a quiet
English village.
Other essays discuss Tarot in the 1950s, fashionable wear
for ghosts, the rich history and mythology behind the Saracen’s Head inn sign,
and a book-collecting expedition to the West Country.
You will also discover why Queen Victoria demanded to see the disembodied head of a Sphinx, the slight flaw with the idea of racing cheetahs at the White City, how Apocalypse was announced at a Somerset railway station book-stall, and how to play the game of Cat-at-a-Window.
The hardback first edition, available from Tartarus Press, is limited to 300 copies.
(Mark Valentine)
I have been waiting for your latest collection since you mentioned it a few months back....This looks completely fascinating. Thanks Mark...Again!
ReplyDeleteCan hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteOrdered immediately. Irresistible stuff, Mark.
ReplyDeleteOrdered my copy this morning from Tartarus Press. Looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteSounds fascinating. Will buy.
ReplyDelete