The Great God Pan, The Shining Pyramid, The White People by Arthur Machen

Since horror does not mean “causing to scream out loud,” we can immediately distinguish Victorian horror fantasy from modern horror film -which is a kind of entertainment. His work is suggestive and descriptive, rather than exciting and gory. Let me begin by reorienting our thinking on the word horror. With its relatives horrid, horrible and horrifying, the word comes from a Latin root meaning to “shudder” or “tremble deeply.” Machen’s work is meant to cause shuddering at what is always present around us, but rarely seen. I find though, that great literature is so much more than its novelty, and that knowing a few themes or details beforehand rarely spoils the impact, but often prepares the reader or viewer for a deeper engagement. This is a warning for those whose appreciation of a story is mostly exhausted by its surprise. I might be throwing out some spoilers here. These are easily read in a few hours, though I recommend giving them plenty of time and attention. The stories in my collection included: The Great God Pan, The White People, The Inmost Light and The Shining Pyramid. My intention is to encourage greater readership of his works, because I feel that where he is known, he suffers under the label “genre writer” -a label he does not deserve. And for those who would avoid (or maybe be wrongly attentive to) the term “horror,” I offer a few reflections. I’ve just finished reading a collection of Machen’s short horror fiction.

Historian of fantastic literature Brian Stableford has suggested that Machen 'was the first writer of authentically modern horror stories, and his best works must still be reckoned among the finest products of the genre'.Why You Should Read Arthur Machen by Joshua Alan Sturgill His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror (Stephen King has called it 'Maybe the best in the English language'). He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. This carefully crafted ebook: “ARTHUR MACHEN Ultimate Collection: Dark Fantasy Classics, Supernatural Tales & Horror Stories (Including Essays, Translations & Autobiography)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.Īrthur Machen (1863-1947) was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century.

The Great God Pan, The Shining Pyramid, The White People by Arthur Machen