The

CLASSIC HORROR BLOG

Literary Essays on Classic Horror, Ghost Stories, & Weird Fiction

— from Mary Shelley to M. R. James —

by M. Grant Kellermeyer

Apr 4, 202214 min read

Arthur Machen's The Novel of the White Powder: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

One of Machen’s most anthologized stories – and certainly his most gruesome – “The Novel of the White Powder” is an excerpt from The...

Jun 15, 20196 min read

Arthur Machen's The Bowmen: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

More than “The Great God Pan,” more than “The White People,” more than anything written in “The Three Imposters,” Machen is best known...

Mar 7, 20199 min read

Arthur Machen's The Novel of the Black Seal: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

Another frequently anthologized excerpt from The Three Imposters, “The Novel of the Black Seal” leant its pacing and style to M. R. James...

Dec 26, 201810 min read

Arthur Machen's The White People: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

Written one year after “The Turn of the Screw,” the story which many consider Machen’s masterpiece shared several elements with Henry...

Jun 19, 20187 min read

Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan: A Literary Analysis

When Arthur Machen published his first serious attempt at a supernatural tale in 1890, it would set the tone for his horror fiction for...

May 16, 20186 min read

7 Best Horror Stories by Arthur Machen -- Not Including 'The Great God Pan'

With only a few exceptions, Arthur Machen rarely reveled in gore, Gothic clichés, or moments of horror. He hosts no chattering skeletons,...

Apr 22, 201814 min read

Arthur Machen's Savagely Erotic, Mystical Horror Stories

There are sacraments of evil as well as of good about us, and we live and move to my belief in an unknown world, a place where there are...

Oct 5, 20164 min read

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween

Why should Christmas have all the fun? Oldstyle Tales proudly presents a literary advent calendar for your favorite season. Each day has...