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Never Trust a Beautiful Damsel in the Woods: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Christabel”

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Reading the Weird

Each week, authors Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth dig into weird fiction, cosmic horror, and Lovecraftiana — from its historical roots through its most recent branches.

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Illustration for Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Christabel" depicting two women, one reclined on a bed and the other standing near a table with an open book.

Never Trust a Beautiful Damsel in the Woods: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Christabel”

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Detail from the cover of the 2019 movie tie-in edition of Stephen King's Pet Sematary

Hitting Bottom: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 21)

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Detail from the cover of After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones

Finding It in the Atlas Doesn’t Help: Stephen Graham Jones’ “Xebico”

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Detail from the cover of the 2019 movie tie-in edition of Stephen King's Pet Sematary

Down the Worst Roller-Coaster: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 20)

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Detail from the cover of The Weird

No Messages on Wire Two: H.F. Arnold’s “The Night Wire”

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Stand-Alone Essays

105 Posts

Never Trust a Beautiful Damsel in the Woods: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Christabel”

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Finding It in the Atlas Doesn’t Help: Stephen Graham Jones’ “Xebico”

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No Messages on Wire Two: H.F. Arnold’s “The Night Wire”

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Crowns of Bone Are Really Uncomfortable: Gemma Files’ “Little Horn”

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Monsters With No Grandeur or Style Whatsoever: Goodnight Xiaoqing’s “The Shanxiao”

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Martha has two… — Mary Elizabeth Counselman’s “Mommy”

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Coordinate Dysfunction: Abigail Guerrero’s “Cartesiana”

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Time Is an Illusion, and Blog Time Doubly So: Ten Years of Reading the Weird

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All Sorrows Aside: E. Catherine Tobler’s “To Drive the Cold Winter Away”

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Disaster Response, Hard Mode: The Mist

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Never Respond to Rejection Letters: Aimee Picchi’s “The Only Writing Advice You’ll Ever Need to Survive Eldritch Horrors”

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The Viral Post From Beyond: Manish Melwani’s “Mammoth”

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The Award for Worst Person Ever: E. F. Benson’s “The Outcast”

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There Were Two Beds! — M.R. James’ “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”

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Reticence and Revenge: Sarah Monette’s “The Haunting of Dr. Claudius Winterson”

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Love in the Time of Fungi: Nika Murphy’s “The Ghost Tenders of Chornobyl”

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Death Takes a Busman’s Holiday: Sarah Orne Jewett’s “The Gray Man”

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I’ve Been Around the Block: Greg van Eekhout’s “Across the Street”

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The Worms Crawl Out: Megan Chee’s “The Worms That Ate the Universe”

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Hep Cats and Academics: Caitlin Kiernan’s “Four Excerpts for An Eschatology Quadrille”

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Book cover of Pet Semetary by Stephen King

Stephen King’s Pet Sematary

21 Posts

Hitting Bottom: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 21)

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Down the Worst Roller-Coaster: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 20)

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The Swamp Is Alive With the Sound of Screaming: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 19)

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I Don’t Wanna Talk About It: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 18)

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People Are Dying to Get In: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 17)

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Even the Green Beans Are an Omen: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 16)

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Return of the Bad Idea Bears: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 15)

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The Sleep of Reason: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 14)

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Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Ideas: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 13)

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The Limits of Horror: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 12)

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The Joy of the Vulture: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 11)

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We Go On: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 10)

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Problems That Smell: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 9)

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 “He Stinks of the Ground You Buried Him In”: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 8)

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We Thought He Was a Goner: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 7)

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Look Both Ways, But Don’t Look Down: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 6)

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Scaring the Ghosts: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 5)

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Analyzing Dreams in Real-Time: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 4)

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Let the Wild Rumpus Start: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 3)

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Smucky the Cat, He Was Obedient: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (Part 2)

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Max Gladstone's Last Exit

18 Posts

The Kiddie Pool of Forever: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 18)

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The Path to the Dark Side: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 17)

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Question Authority But Not Your Cowboy: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 16)

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These Songs Are True: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 15)

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Follow the Yellow Brick Road off a Cliff: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 14)

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Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method In’t: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 13)

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Into This World We’re Thrown: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 12)

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Into the Creepy Clown Mouth: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 11)

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Wheels Within Wheels: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 10)

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On a Horse With No Name: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 9)

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I Am No Jedi: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 8)

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The Politics of Transdimensional Travel: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 7)

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What We Learn From Demon Books: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 6)

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Black Hat, White Hat: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 5)

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One Piece at a Time: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 4)

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Gnawing at the Roots of Our Myths: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 3)

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The Hero Riding Off Alone Into the Sunset, Like an Idiot: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 2)

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The Rot Beneath the Great American Road Trip: Max Gladstone’s Last Exit (Part 1)

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Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black

12 Posts

It Made the Children Laugh and Play, To See an Eye at School: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 12)

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Body-less Modification: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 11)

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“That means a man for me”: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 10)

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A Plague of Psychic Shows: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 9)

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What We Do for Wraithlike Bodies: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 8)

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Beware the White Worm? — Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 7)

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Enhancing the Diversity of the Community: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 6)

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Alison Hart, Slightly Famous Along The A4: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 5)

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Celebrity Deathmatch, Awkward Psychic Version: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 4)

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An Evil Thing You Wouldn’t Want to See: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 3)

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The Mortifying Ordeal of Being (Telepathically) Known: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 2)

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Mind-Reading Doesn’t Always Help: Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (Part 1)

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N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became

15 Posts

Joy Is Joy, Even at the End of the World: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 15)

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Charging Into Battle: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 14)

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Why Villains Monologue: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 13)

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Things We Wish Were Metaphors: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 12)

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Defying, or at Least Neglecting, Gravity: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 11)

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No “I” in Team, No “We” Either: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 10)

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The Avatar of the NIMBYs: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 9)

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Eldritch Angel Investors From Hell: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 8)

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Interdimensional Rap Battle: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 7)

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Non-Euclidean Geometry Saves the Day: N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 6)

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Understatement of the Space-Time Continuum: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 5)

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New York State of Mind: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 4)

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Steel-Toed Boots of the Soul: N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 3)

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Tentacle Monster TV: N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 2)

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Fellowship of the Big Apple: N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (Part 1)

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J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla

8 Posts

Amphibious Vampires: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 8)

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The V-Word At Last: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 7)

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The Ol’ “Just Invite Me In” Con: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 6)

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Men Don’t Explain Things to Me: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 5)

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Completely Natural Explanations: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 4)

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Drunk Texts From a Vampire: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 3)

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But I’m So Cute: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 2)

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Gothic Social Distancing: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (Part 1)

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P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout

5 Posts

Read ’em: P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (Part 5)

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Feeding the Drama-Eaters: P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (Part 4)

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Bait for Chosen Ones: P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (Part 3)

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Free Meat: P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (Part 2)

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This Monster-Hunting Business Don’t Pay for Itself: P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (Part 1)

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John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas”

6 Posts

The Low Standards of the Legal Profession: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 6)

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The Universe as Unreliable Narrator: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 5)

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Souls for Sale, Bargain Prices: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 4)

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Messy Revisions: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 3)

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The Moving Finger Writes: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 2)

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The Man in the Inn With the Book: John Connolly’s “The Fractured Atlas” (Part 1)

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T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places

11 Posts

Coyote Paints a Rock: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 11)

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One Person’s Hell Dimension: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 10)

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Extradimensional Rubber Bands: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 9)

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Could Be Worse… We Guess: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 8)

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Hugging the Taxidermy: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 7)

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The Power of Earworms and Petty Anger: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 6)

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Sleep Tight: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 5)

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I Don’t Think We’re in Narnia Any More: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 4)

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Down the Rabbit Hole, With Tape Measure: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 3)

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More Wondrous on the Inside: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 2)

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Bigfoot, Therefore Evolution: T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places (Part 1)

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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House

11 Posts

What Walks Alone: Final Thoughts on The Haunting of Hill House

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Journeys End: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 10)

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Go Forth and Face Your Lover: The Haunting of Hill House (Part 9)

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Her Suitcase Full of Ectoplasm: The Haunting of Hill House (Part 8)

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Never a Mother: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 7)

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The Center of Attention: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 6)

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Foolishness and Wickedness Mixed Up: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 5)

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Tales to Tell at a Marshmallow Roast: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 4)

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My Bedroom Used to Be the Embalming Room: The Haunting of Hill House (Part 3)

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Following the Directions Too Far: The Haunting of Hill House (Part 2)

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Good Ghost-Hunters are Hard to Find: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (Part 1)

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Lovecraft Reread

301 Posts

Taking a Baseball Bat to Cthulhu: Watching the First Two Episodes of Lovecraft Country

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Nature Is Boring: William Browning Spencer’s “The Essayist in the Wilderness”

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The Horror of Improper Preservation Technique: H.P. Lovecraft and Winifred V. Jackson’s “The Green Meadow”

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Things Man Should Still Avoid Knowing: Leonid N. Andreyev’s “Lazarus”

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The Art of Dematerialization: Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas’s “T’la-yub’s Head”

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The Opposite of a Skeleton in the Closet: Alyssa Wong’s “What My Mother Left Me”

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Learning to Be Reptilian: Jamaica Kincaid’s “My Mother”

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The Elder Things of Kilimanjaro: Maurice Broaddus’ “The Iron Hut”

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An Ecstasy of Arrows: Craig Laurance Gidney’s “Sea, Swallow Me”

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Journalism More Yellow Than Most: Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Flash Frame”

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Potluck Devils: Stephen Graham Jones’s “The Spindly Man”

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Love in the Time of Parasitic Breeding Strategies: Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild”

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Maybe I Wouldn’t Have These Scars From the Octopus Deity: Autumn Christian’s “Shadow Machine”

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Lovecraft’s Model? Robert Barbour Johnson’s “Far Below”

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Safer Meat: Amanda Downum’s “The Tenderness of Jackals”

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Cribbage and Elder Gods: Manly Wade Wellman’s “The Terrible Parchment”

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Beware the Crib: Ray Bradbury’s “The Small Assassin”

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Don’t Talk to Strangers After All: Shirley Jackson’s “The Witch”

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One Channel and Literally Nothing On: Jerome Bixby’s “It’s a Good Life”

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Henry James is Not Amused: Gertrude Atherton’s “The Bell in the Fog”

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“You want stories?" Thom Merrilin declaimed. "I have stories, and I will give them to you. I will make them come alive before your eyes.”

Robert Jordan, The Eye Of The World

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