Dreads and Drolls

First published in 1926, “Dreads and Drolls” is a collection of essays compiled by Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machan, many of which were taken from the publication “The Graphic”. The essays concern various historical and purportedly true tales of real characters and the strange and seemingly supernatural situations surrounding them and, often, their demises. This volume is not to be missed by lovers of the macabre and those with an interest in the unearthly and unexplained. Contents include: “The Man with the Silver Staff”, “The Adventurer of the Long-Lost Brother”, “7B Coney Court”, “The Strange Case of Emily Weston”, “The Highbury Mystery”, “The Little People”, “Madame Rachel”, “The Campden Wonder”, “The Man From Nowhere”, “Morduck the Witch”, “Doubles in Crime”, “How Clubs Began”, “Mr. Lutterloh”, etc. Arthur Machen (1863 – 1947) was a Welsh author and renowned mystic during the 1890s and early 20th century who garnered literary acclaim for his contributions to the supernatural, horror, and fantasy fiction genres. His seminal novella “The Great God Pan” (1890) has become a classic of horror fiction, with Stephen King describing it as one of the best horror stories written in the English language. Other notable fans of his gruesome tales include William Butler Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle, and his work has been compared to that of Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.