183 pp, 8vo (8" H), hard cover in dust jacket. ISBN 0575024178 6 b&w illustrations. "The Shilling Shockers came about in the great days of the Gothic novels, at around the turn of the nineteenth century, many of which were enormously long three-d eckers. In those days, before copyright existed, such titles....were plagiarised and abridged by hacks into what were known as 'Bluebooks', paper-covered pamphlets retailing at between 6d and 1s....when the supply of three-decker Gothic novels r a n thin, a good trade was done in Bluebooks comprising original short stories in the macabre field. It is on these short stories that Peter Haining has largely drawn for this collection....The book has a general introduction which explains the de ve lo p ment, success and eventual demise of the Bluebooks, and in addition each story is introduced with details of its provenance and other relevant information." Contents: The Vindictive Monk: Or, The Fatal Ring; The Mysterious Novice: Or, C onv ent of t he Grey Penitents; Captive of the Banditti: A Terrific Tale Concluded; The Spectre Mother: Or, the Haunted Tower; The Life and Horrid Adventures of the Celebrated Dr Faustus; The Old Tower of Frankenstein; The Bride of the Isles: A Ta le F ound ed o n t he Popular Legend of the Vampire; The Lunatic and His Turkey: A Tale of Witchcraft; The Severed Arm, Or, The Wehr-wolf of Limousin; Five Hundred Years Hence!; Bibliography. Faint cigarette odor, very light browning to edges of te xtblo ck, t iny b ump at tbottom of spine, light wrinkling at top of spine, tiny bump to bottom corner of both boards. Dust jacket has minor edge wear and very light edge wrinkling, very light rubbing, light browning at top of flap-folds. Very Goo d/Very Good

GOTHIC BLUEBOOKS BLUE BOOKS MONKS NUNS BANDITS GHOSTS HAUNTINGS