{"id":3585,"date":"2017-01-22T13:08:59","date_gmt":"2017-01-22T13:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/?p=3585"},"modified":"2017-01-30T20:49:24","modified_gmt":"2017-01-30T20:49:24","slug":"six-dark-tales-dread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/six-dark-tales-dread\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Dark Tales of Dread"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a ‘classic’ horror story? Today we’ve picked out six tales which are both old-style and yet more intriguing than some of the usual fare, each with its own sense of dread. They’re not especially rare or unknown (except possibly for the Barry Pain<\/strong> story), but each conjures a sense of dread from quite different circumstances.<\/p>\n

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vernon lee, by sargent (1881)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They might be said to form part of our set of ‘Tales Which Linger’,<\/em> from which we offered twelve examples last year \u2013 and one even makes a repeat appearance. We offer no apologies. Your statutory consumer rights are not affected, but please note that the value of your dread may go up or down. Terms and conditions apply.<\/p>\n

As before, the stories are given order of the author\u2019s year of birth, for no particular reason. Also as before, the rating system is badly-thought out, unreliable and of no real value whatsoever. It merely amuses us. This time we’ve offered audio readings for three of the stories, for a change.<\/p>\n

1) Oke of Okehurst<\/h1>\n

Vernon Lee (1856-1935)<\/em><\/h2>\n

A study in psychology and obsession which takes time to build to its dark conclusion. The narrator observes Alice Okehurst and her husband, creations who frustrate and fascinate, as if at any moment there might be relief from the situation, yet a tragic end seems somehow inevitable. Lee delivers a ghost story where the haunted mind proves more terrible than the haunted house.<\/p>\n

Dread rating: 6\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Style rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

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2) Where Their Fire is Not Quenched<\/h1>\n

May Sinclair (1863-1946)<\/em><\/h2>\n

The only returnee from one of our previous lists, and a story which is again a study in psychology, yet heavy in dread because of its lack of the usual horrors. The fate of the entangled souls is all the more disquieting because it is possible to relate to it, to recognise the failings of love and relationships which occur within the story. Not some people’s idea of a ‘supernatural’ story’, but highly recommended. The Guardian<\/em> called Sinclair, whose work is harder to find than it should be “the readable modernist”.<\/p>\n

Dread rating: 9\/10 (but not the usual kind)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Style rating: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

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may sinclair (1924)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3) The Undying Thing<\/h1>\n

Barry Pain (1864-1928)<\/em><\/h2>\n

Old-style, yes, but notable for its allusions rather than its disclosures, with a constant sense of threat. The why and the what of it are never quite certain, an approach which makes the story an improvement on many more clearly defined tales of its kind. The theme is kin to many others \u2013 the doomed lineage, the werewolf tale, the monstrous birth, but has its own life, both a classic horror story but, in a sense, more reminiscent of some of Lovecraft’s tales.<\/p>\n

Dread rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Style rating: 4\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Note: If you’re not familiar with Pain, a contemporary of Jerome K Jerome, and his sometimes uneven horror fiction, then you might like to glance at his entry in the always-interesting <\/em>Skulls in the Stars blog – the undying thing and others<\/em><\/p>\n

4) The Red Room<\/h1>\n

H G Wells (1866-1946)<\/em><\/h2>\n

A challenge to the haunted room trope and at the same time a most excellent example of it, with an ending which is far more disturbing than the conventional wrap-up. All the characteristics are there \u2013 the old caretakers, the rumours, the candles which will not stay alight, but this is, at heart, another piece of psychology. Some have said that it was written as satire, but the conclusion is no less chilling because of it.<\/p>\n

Dread rating: 7\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Style rating: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n