We’ve ended up in a lot of discussions about classic authors of the supernatural recently. Which is nice. And we do love them, dear listener. Here at greydogtales we especially like to dig out (no, NOT dig up) some of the lesser known ghost and weird story writers. However, we often can’t find our own articles on these folk, due to the appalling lack of proper indexing and tagging on the site.
So here’s a reminder of what we’ve said about some of these fascinating authors. We hope that you might be tempted by some, if you don’t already know them, and enjoy the styles, peculiarities and occasional bizarrities of the past…
(Oh, yeah – we owe everyone some lurcher and longdog stuff, but during August we spend more time walking and running them than writing about those little donkeys. They will return soon.)
Key writers covered in the articles linked below, in alphabetical order:
- Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Sir Andrew Caldecott
- F Marion Crawford
- Amelia B Edwards
- Mary E Wilkins Freeman
- Katharine Fullerton Gerould
- E and H Heron
- Jerome K Jerome
- Bessie Kyffin-Taylor
- Sheridan Le Fanu
- E Nesbit
- Mrs. Oliphant
- Ella M Scrymsour
- E G Swain
- Everil Worrell
That covers a few Victorians and other oldies from our vaults. As for the third bit…
The Shy Violet
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
Mark Twain
If you want violet water, which was splashed over many a classic complexion, we suggest that you:
- Fill a large jar with sweet violet flowers
- Boil a pint of water, let it come off the boil and tip it in the jar
- Cover the jar
- Wait a couple of hours and filter the flowers out to leave the infusion
- Add a large cup of gin, cider vinegar or similar preserving spirits
- Bottle it
Voila, violet water! Good for the skin, apparently, and possibly for children in the early stages of the falling sickness – but we wouldn’t put money on that.
Sweet violets are also edible – but African violets and others variants may not be. Be careful out there!
The Vaults
Here are the links, with those key authors in bold.
- Master & Madame
L T Meade
http://greydogtales.com/blog/master-madame-detectives-l-t-meade/
- F Marion Crawford & the Screaming Skull
http://greydogtales.com/blog/f-marion-crawford-screaming-skull/
- Out of the Silence with Bessie Kyffin-Taylor
http://greydogtales.com/blog/out-of-the-silence-with-bessie-kyffin-taylor/
- Shiela Crerar, Clay-Corpses & Psychic Investigation for Girls
Ella M Scrymsour
http://greydogtales.com/blog/shiela-crerar-clay-corpses-psychic-investigation-girls/
- Five Mountains of Madness, & the Third Twin
E F Benson, H Russell Wakefield, Manly Wade Wellman, Jerome K Jerome
http://greydogtales.com/blog/five-mountains-madness-third-twin/
- Jerome K Jerome, Ghosts and Dystopias
http://greydogtales.com/blog/jerome-k-jerome-ghosts-dystopias/
- Vampire Women Go Fishing
Everil Worrell
http://greydogtales.com/blog/worrell-ward-vampire-women-go-fishing/
- Edith Wharton hears a Whooo!
Edith Wharton, Katharine Fullerton Gerould, and Mary E Wilkins Freeman
http://greydogtales.com/blog/edith-wharton-hears-whooo/
- E Nesbit – Mother of the Dead
http://greydogtales.com/blog/e-nesbit-mother-dead/
- Le Fanu Under Fire on the Royal Road of Ash
Sheridan Le Fanu
http://greydogtales.com/blog/le-fanu-fire-royal-road-ash/
- M R James and his Friend in The Fens
E G Swain
http://greydogtales.com/blog/m-r-james-friend-fens/
- Forever New: Women and Supernatural Fiction
Classic female authors including Mrs. [Margaret] Oliphant and Mary Elizabeth Braddon
http://greydogtales.com/blog/forever-new-women-supernatural-fiction/
- All Saints’ Eve: Some Seasonal Scares
Amelia B Edwards
http://greydogtales.com/blog/all-saints-eve-some-seasonal-scares/
- Casting the Prunes: Flaxman Low Triumphant!
E and H Heron
http://greydogtales.com/blog/casting-the-prunes-flaxman-low-triumphant/
- Not Exactly Ghosts
Sir Andrew Caldecott
http://greydogtales.com/blog/not-exactly-ghosts/
You might also enjoy our coverage of a collection by Willie Meikle, where each scary story is written in the style of a classic author.
- The Ghost Club Reveals Its Secrets
http://greydogtales.com/blog/ghost-club-reveals-secrets/
Next time, new news about weird new stuff for new people. And for old people. So anyone, basically…