Showing results by author "Robert W. Chambers" in All Categories

In a future America that feels eerily controlled, prosperous, and quietly altered, Hildred Castaigne walks the streets of New York with a secret he believes will reshape the world. Recovered from a past injury and newly filled with ambition, Hildred becomes obsessed with a forbidden book—The King in Yellow—a work whispered to corrupt the mind of any who read beyond its opening act. From that moment on, reality begins to shift.

In a gripping tale of survival, Tressa Norne, an American living in China, finds herself thrust into a nightmarish reality. After narrowly escaping death during a local revolution, she is captured and forced into servitude by Erlik, a sinister demon-god, and his cult. Despite her harrowing journey to escape back to America, Tressa soon discovers that her troubles are far from over; she is now hunted by the Secret Service and her former captors. (Ann Boulais)

What exactly lies beyond the treacherous and previously impassable Canadian glacier? From the collection In Search of the Unknown comes a chilling tale of the things nature can do when nobody’s watching.

Robert William Chambers was born on 26th May 1865 in Brooklyn. His best-known work is ‘The King in Yellow’ (1895), a highly vivid collection of Art Nouveau short stories. These stories are woven together by the theme of a fictitious drama of the same title, which drives those who read it insane. ‘The Repairer of Reputations’ from ‘The King in Yellow’ is a mind-bending and disruptive story that adds just enough reality that the unreal elements seem totally at home in the descent to chaos.

"The Yellow Sign" is considered to be Robert Chambers’ horror masterpiece. He introduces us to Mr. Scott, an artist living in New York City. One day, Scott sees an overweight young man, who looks like a lawn grub to him. The artist’s is working on a painting of a girl named Tessie. When the girl falls ill, Scott tries to cure her, so he can finish his work as fast as possible. However, Tessie’s condition gets worse and she starts having very strange dreams.

In this dark story by Robert W. Chambers we are introduced to a detective, who is tasked to uncover a hoax in the Pacific Northwest. There he investigates the possible existence of a terrible porpoise-skinned humanoid with an insatiable hunger for human females. If you like reading dark and weird stories, then "The Harbor Master" from 1904 is the right one for you. Do not hesitate to embark on this journey and solve the mystery of the porpoise-skinned humanoid. B. J.

Hildred Castaigne is a young man who lives in New York City whose life changes drastically after he falls from his horse and injures his head. Castaigne gets unjustly confined to a mental institution, where Dr. Archer treats him. However, the doctor soon realizes, that this is a mistake and the young man’s condition is not as bad as he was told. During Hildred’s treatment, the United States have prospered and improved their infrastructure, a new aristocratic elite has been formed and suicide has been legalized.

Released one year after the publication of The King in Yellow - a milestone of supernaturalfiction - Robert W. Chambers’ title story of this short-story collection isconsidered one of his finest weird tales. It is followed by a series ofromantic art nouveau stories. Chambers’ love of natural scenery, symbolicanimal figures, and ghostly imagery are on full display as he weaves hischaracters through these otherworldly tales.

"The Profit’s Paradise" is a story from The King in Yellow narrated by Mark Turetsky, a collection of eight dreamlike poems by Robert W Chambers.

Dive into the whimsical world of Robert Chambers, a contemporary of Lovecraft, whose collection of weird supernatural tales leans more towards humor than horror. Join the narrator, an adventurous employee at the newly opened Bronx Zoo in New York, as he embarks on a quest to procure an array of rare and extraordinary animal specimens for the zoo. From the merely extinct to the wonderfully bizarre, his escapades are filled with unexpected twists and delightful encounters, including the inevitable romance with a captivating woman. (Summary by Peter Eastman)

Immerse yourself in a captivating collection of tales centered around a remarkable machine that unites people from all walks of life, proving that love knows no bounds. (Summary by Eva Staes)

Dive into The Mystery of Choice, a haunting collection of short horror stories by Robert W. Chambers. Set against the backdrop of France, these tales intricately weave natures beauty with chilling suspense, drawing readers into a world where every choice unravels a new layer of fear. - Summary by Veronica Maresh Mead

In the heart of Paris, amidst the bohemian world of artists and dreamers, a chilling tale of mystery and the macabre unfolds. Louis De Cressac, a gifted painter, lives a life of solitude and obsession, haunted by a dark legacy tied to the sinister Black King. When his friend, Jack Scott, visits, he is drawn into a world where art and the supernatural intertwine in terrifying ways.

The Flaming Jewel is a high-stakes adventure set in the North Woods, where rival factions clash over a legendary gem. As deception, betrayal, and fate intertwine, the mysterious Flaming Jewel becomes the center of a thrilling pursuit. A gripping novel of wilderness survival and hidden treasures.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. For America, as the century closes, she is becoming less isolated. Her industrial might, her rising military power are pulling her ever closer into the entangled globe of nations. Her authors flex ideas and lexicons with riveting tales of this astonishing society.