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CREEPS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1932]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-248 [249-256: ads], original tan cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. The first of the fourteen anthologies in the "Creeps" series, all anonymously edited by Charles Birkin. This collection consists of nine stories, several original to this collection, by Tod Robbins, H. R. Wakefield, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. The series, published 1932-1936, comprises CREEPS, HORRORS, MONSTERS, NIGHTMARES, PANICS, POWERS OF DARKNESS, QUAKES, SHIVERS, SHUDDERS, TALES OF DEATH, TALES OF DREAD, TALES OF FEAR, TERRORS, and THRILLS. The fourteen volumes collect 159 stories by Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Lord Dunsany, Margery Lawrence, Elliott O'Donnell, Tod Robbins, Russell Thorndike, H. Russell Wakefield and many others. "The earlier volumes are all reprint and feature several fine stories by H. Russell Wakefield and Tod Robbins; the later ones are mostly original stories by minor writers, with emphasis on shock value." - Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. See Tuck, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy Through 1968, pp. 120-21 for volume-by-volume contents listing. Also see various entries under title in Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, for story summaries. Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, pp. 35-6 provides information on the series, as well as an overview of Birkin's short fiction. The "Creeps" series, along with the eleven-volume "Not at Night" series (1925-1936) edited by Christine Campbell Thompson, form a major repository of British and American horror fiction, both original and reprint, of the 1920s and 1930s. The former is distinguished from the latter by being more distinctly British in tone, in a sense offering a cruder version of the refined cruelties captured in L. P. Hartley's "The Killing Bottle." Even the more traditional country tales are rife with nasty things that bite. Whereas the "Not at Night" series is very much the English beachhead for the American "Weird Tales" school of horror, the "Creeps" series, under Birkin's editorship, applies a sophisticated gloss to the "raw-heads-and-bloody-bones" tradition of English melodrama (which enjoyed a vigorous stage revival between the wars) with a nod to the Le Theatre Grand-Guignol. Birkin's own sadistic tales follow the example of Andre de Lorde, the greatest of the Grand Guignol playwrights, whose "Waxworks" appears in TERRORS. His editorial tastes thus set a sanguinary tone for the series. English in flavor with perhaps a slight continental aftertaste. This was the "splatterpunk" of the 1930s. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1351. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11946.
HORRORS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1933]. Octavo, pp. [1-10] 11-249 [250-255: ads] [256: printer's imprint], original green cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting twelve stories by Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Elliott O'Donnell and others. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1598. Carter, The Vampire in Literature, p. 57. Frost, The Monster with a Thousand Faces, p. 86. Bleiler (1948), p. 30. Not in Bleiler (1978). Reginald 14110.
MONSTERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1934]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-249 [250-256: ads], original gray cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Collects twelve stories, all but one original to this collection, by Vivian Meik, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Vivian Meik's "The Two Old Women" concerns African voodoo in London suburb, witches drawing blood and life-force of girl in dreams, probably to revive dead brother. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 450. Carter, The Vampire in Literature, p. 83. Frost, The Monster with a Thousand Faces, p. 86. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 10241.
MONSTERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1934]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-249 [250-256: ads], original gray cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Collects twelve stories, all but one original to this collection, by Vivian Meik, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Vivian Meik's "The Two Old Women" concerns African voodoo in London suburb, witches drawing blood and life-force of girl in dreams, probably to revive dead brother. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 450. Carter, The Vampire in Literature, p. 83. Frost, The Monster with a Thousand Faces, p. 86. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 10241.
MONSTERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1934]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-249 [250-256: ads], jacket illustration by Philip Simonds, original gray cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Collects twelve stories, all but one original to this collection, by Vivian Meik, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Vivian Meik's "The Two Old Women" concerns African voodoo in London suburb, witches drawing blood and life-force of girl in dreams, probably to revive dead brother. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 450. Carter, The Vampire in Literature, p. 83. Frost, The Monster with a Thousand Faces, p. 86. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 10241.
PANICS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1934]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-241 [242-254: ads] [255-256: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original red cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting twelve stories by Elliott O’Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11164. Not in Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction.
POWERS OF DARKNESS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1934]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-243 [244: blank] [245-256: ads], original green cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting ten stories by Lord Dunsany ("The Two Bottles of Relish"), Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Russell Thorndike and others. Part of the classic fourteen-volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1329. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11848.
QUAKES: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1933]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-252 [253-256: ads], original yellow cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting thirteen stories by Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Douglas Newton, Elliott O’Donnell and others. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1351. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11946.
QUAKES: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1933]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-252 [253-256: ads], original yellow cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting thirteen stories by Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Douglas Newton, Elliott O’Donnell and others. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1351. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11946.
SHIVERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1932]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-254 [255-256: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original gray cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Third book of the "Creeps" series. Collects nine stories, several original to this collection, by H. R. Wakefield, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Tod Robbins, Mrs. H. D. Everett ("The Death Mask"), Elliott O'Donnell and Philip Murray. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1474. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 13043.
SHIVERS: A THIRD COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1932]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-254 [255-256: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original gray cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Third book of the "Creeps" series. Collects nine stories, several original to this collection, by H. R. Wakefield, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), Tod Robbins, Mrs. H. D. Everett ("The Death Mask"), Elliott O'Donnell and Philip Murray. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1474. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 13043.
SHUDDERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1933]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-254 [255-256: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original tan cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Second book of the "Creeps" series. Collects eleven stories, several original to this collection, by H. R. Wakefield, Tod Robbins, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1475. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 13049.
SHUDDERS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, [1933]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-254 [255-256: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original tan cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Second book of the "Creeps" series. Collects eleven stories, several original to this collection, by H. R. Wakefield, Tod Robbins, Elliott O'Donnell, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd"), and others. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1475. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 13049.
THRILLS: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, 1935. Octavo, pp. [1-10] 11-249 [250-255: ads] [256: printer's imprint], original green cloth, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. Original anthology collecting fourteen stories by Tod Robbins, H. R. Wakefield, Birkin (as "Charles Lloyd") and others. Patrick Carleton's "Doctor Horder's Room" an antiquarian vampire story, after the manner of M. R. James; Elizabethan magus battens upon young collegians for their precious bodily fluids. Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1598. Carter, The Vampire in Literature, p. 57. Frost, The Monster with a Thousand Faces, p. 86. Bleiler (1948), p. 30. Not in Bleiler (1978). Reginald 14110.
TALES OF FEAR: A COLLECTION OF UNEASY TALES.
London: Philip Allan, 1935. Octavo, [1-10] 11-243 [244 (message to the reader) 245-253 (publisher ads) 254-256 (blank), boards. First edition. This copy signed by contributor Oswell Blakeston at his story entry. Blakeston was the pseudonym for Henry J. Hasslacher. He signs as Blakeston and underneath writes "Simon," a pseudonym he used for detective ficiton, and also humorously writes 'R.I.P. / H. Hasslacher." Part of the classic fourteen volume "Creeps" series. Collection of twelve stories, several feature vampires or vampirism. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-23. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1574. Bleiler (1978), p. 8. Reginald 11848.