The Entail Fantasy And Horror Classics

‘The Entail’ (1885) is a ‘weird tale’ written by the German Romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann, most famous for his novella ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ (1816) which inspired Tchaikovsky’s opera ‘The Nutcracker’. This classic short horror story tells of a castle haunted by the ghost of a murderer. It is perfect for fans of horror and fantasy fiction and the authors H. P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman. Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known as E. T. A. Hoffmann, was a German Romantic author of fantasy and gothic horror. He was also a composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. Hoffmann's stories inspired several famous operatic composers, including Richard Wagner, Jacques Offenbach and Léo Delibes. He is also the author of the novella ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’, on which Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, ‘The Nutcracker’ is based. The story also inspired the film ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ (2018), starring Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren.

This early work by E. T. A. Hoffmann was originally published in 1819. Born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1776, Hoffmann's family were all jurists, and during his youth he was initially encouraged to pursue a career in law. However, in his late teens Hoffman became increasingly interested in literature and philosophy, and spent much of his time reading German classicists and attending lectures by, amongst others, Immanuel Kant. Hoffman went on to produce a great range of both literary and musical works. Probably Hoffman's most well-known story, produced in 1816, is 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', due to the fact that - some seventy-six years later - it inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. In the same vein, his story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for Léo Delibes's ballet Coppélia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. (Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature.") Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

This early work by E. T. A. Hoffmann was originally published in the 19th century. Born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1776, Hoffmann's family were all jurists, and during his youth he was initially encouraged to pursue a career in law. However, in his late teens Hoffman became increasingly interested in literature and philosophy, and spent much of his time reading German classicists and attending lectures by, amongst others, Immanuel Kant. Hoffman went on to produce a great range of both literary and musical works. Probably Hoffman's most well-known story, produced in 1816, is 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', due to the fact that – some seventy-six years later - it inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. In the same vein, his story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for Léo Delibes's ballet Coppélia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. (Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature.") Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

Lafcadio Hearn's “non-fiction” article was originally published by Harper's Magazine in 1889. Detailing skulduggery and supernatural phenomenon on the island of Mozambique, 'The Country of the Comers-Back' marked the first mention of the zombie in Western literature. Patrick Lafcadio Hearn was born in Lefkada, Greece in 1850. He was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, but in his infancy, his family relocated to Dublin, Ireland, where Hearn attended the Roman Catholic Ushaw College. Neither of these religious faiths stuck, however, and when he was nineteen Hearn went to the United States, where he began to work in journalism. He gained employment as a reporter for the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer in 1872, and became known as an investigative yet sensational journalist.

Many of the earliest ghost stories and tales of hauntings, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

When strange, monstrous carcasses are observed floating in the river following a historic flood in Vermont, instructor of literature Albert N. Wilmarth becomes involved in the controversial argument as to their authenticity. Sceptical, he embarks on an investigation of his own that pushes the boundaries of credulity, leading him to a horrific cult of ancient power and a race of extra-terrestrial beings with malign intentions. “The Whisperer in Darkness” is a 1931 novella by H. P. Lovecraft and part of his famous "Cthulhu Mythos". A chilling example of horror fiction by master of the genre not to be missed by those who have read and enjoyed others in Lovecraft's Cthulhu series. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American writer of supernatural horror fiction. Though his works remained largely unknown and did not furnish him with a decent living, Lovecraft is today considered to be among the most significant writers of supernatural horror fiction of the twentieth century. Other notable works by this author include: “The Call of Cthulhu”, “The Rats in the Walls”, and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. Read & Co. is publishing this classic work now as part of our “Fantasy and Horror Classics” imprint in a new edition with a dedication by George Henry Weiss.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of detective Sherlock Holmes, is the father of crime fiction. This intriguing short story, first published in the Strand Magazine in 1928, was based on a bizarre cricketing experience Doyle underwent as a young man. Many of the finest English sport stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This vintage book contains Francis Marion Crawford's 1911 horror novel, “The Dead Smile”. With a ghastly banshee, a cadaver that's wont stay put, and an infectious and sinister smile, this eerie novel is a masterpiece of the macabre that constitutes a must-read for fans of the genre. Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) was an American writer of novels most famous for his notable contributions to classic supernatural and horror fiction. Contents include: “The Dead Smile”, “The Screaming Scull”, “Man Overboard!”, “For the Blood is the Life”, “The Upper Berth”, “By the Water of Paradise”, and “The Doll's Ghost”. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction.