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- Nightmare-Touch
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- by Lafcadio
Hearn
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- Introduction by Paul A.
Murray
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- 'His hobbies were fantastic. He
knew all manner of odd things, dreadful things, uncanny things. He was
purblind, and the shadow of a telegraph pole rose to him 'the shadow of
a gigantic skeleton'. He studied Hoodooism [sic], witchcraft, etc. . .
and knew all the horrible things about the old-time doings-frightful,
barbaric, hideous punishments, etc.; and he knew some of the sweetest
poetry in all tongues.'
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- So wrote an acquaintance of prolific horror writer
Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904). But in his writing Hearn was not concerned
with achieving cheap thrills or titillation: horror was rather a means
of expanding the boundaries of experience. He used his extensive
knowledge of folklore and ancient beliefs and religions to challenge his
readers, using horror to hint at spiritual realities beyond the grasp of
contemporary materialism.
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- Hearn was brought up in Ireland, then England, and
after school spent two years of near destitution in London before
emigrating to America. After some years working as a journalist in
Cincinnati he moved to New Orleans, becoming immersed in Creole culture
and French literature. From 1888-1890 he lived in the West Indies before
moving to Japan, where he married and settled for the remainder of his
life. Undoubtedly one of the greatest Western interpreters of Japan,
Hearn wrote many books on Japanese culture, as well as translating
traditional ghost tales.
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- Contents: 'Introduction' by Paul A. Murray,
'Nightmare-Touch'. Fantastics: 'The Fountain of Gold', 'The Ghostly
Kiss', 'The Vision of the Dead Creole', 'The Name on the Stone',
'Aphrodite and King's Prisoner', 'A Dead Love', 'At the Cemetery',
'Stray Leaves from Strange Literature', 'The Fountain Maiden', 'The
Magical Words', 'The Bird Wife', 'The Legend of the Monster Misfortune'.
Some Chinese Ghosts: he Legend of Tchi-Niu', 'The Story of Ming-Y', 'The
Return of Yen-Tchin-King', 'The Tradition of the Tea-Plant'. Two Years
in the French West Indies: 'La Guiablesse', 'Yé'. Japanese Ghosts: 'Of
Ghosts and Goblins', 'Fragment', 'A Passional Karma', 'Ingwa-banashi',
'The Reconciliation', 'The Corpse-Rider', 'Of a Promise Broken', 'The
Story of Umétsu Chubei', 'The Legend of Yurei-Daki', 'In A Cup of Tea',
'The Story of Chugoro', 'Ikiryo', 'The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoďchi',
'Rokuro-Kubi', 'Yuki-Onna', 'The Dream of Akinosuké', 'Jikininki',
'Mujina', 'The Story of Ito Norisuké'.
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- ISBN 978-1-905784-19-6
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- Nightmare-Touch is a sewn hardback
of 235+xvi pages.
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- Limited to 300 copies.
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- Price Ł30.00/$55 inc. p&p.
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Review:
"...a fine introduction to
the writer’s work and life." - Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year
Three
Page updated 22nd June
2011 |