THE PALE APE AND OTHER PULSES. London: Published at Clifford's Inn, London by T. Werner Laurie, n.d. [1911]. Octavo, pp. [1-8] 1-339 [340: printer's imprint] [341-344 ads] [note: first leaf is a blank], half title and title leaves printed in orange and black, original pictorial green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in yellow, publisher's monogram stamped in yellow on rear panel. First edition, first issue (with "happenings" in title on front cover). Collects twelve stories, including "Huguenin's Wife," "The House of Sounds" (a revised version of "Vaila") which H. P. Lovecraft termed "Shiel's undoubted masterpiece ... This story, in its final form, deserves a place among the foremost things of its kind," and Shiel's horrific ghost story "The Bride," as well as three tales featuring Cummings King Monk. Barron (ed), Fantasy and Horror 4-136. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-177. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1469. Bleiler (ed), Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror, pp. 364-65. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 196. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature, p. 77. Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, pp. 382-84. Tymn (ed), Horror Literature 3-225. Bleiler (1978), p. 179. Reginald 13028. Hubin (1994), p. 737. Morse, The Works of M. P. Shiel Updated (1980), p. 181-82. An unusual copy, with the original plain endpapers replaced with handsome green marbled papers. Additionally, there are half a dozen marginal notes possibly made by English literary critic Wilfrid Hugh Chesson, with whom Shiel corresponded for 40 years, but, more likely, made by John Gawswoth. The most substantial note, on page 69, reads: "On Monday 16 June 1924 M. P. Shiel told W.H.C. that something W.H.C. had written had caused him M.P.S. to write this chapter on 'savages' and that for the sake of uttering this piece of criticism he had but enough story matter with it to make a volume." Cloth lightly worn at spine ends and corner tips, cloth rubbed along outer joints, page edges darkened, a very good copy. A nice copy of one of Shiel's scarcer titles and a book that is seldom found in nice condition. (#156858).
Price: $1,000.00 save 30% $700.00
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