It also clearly illustrates otherwise to anyone who may still think that folk horror originated with three British films at the tail-end of the hippy dream. There are only a couple of tales that do this, so for the casual reader or those entirely new to folk horror: do not be put off. The Tarn of Sacrifice’ by Algernon Blackwood, first published in the collection ‘The Wolves of God, and Other Fey Stories’ (1921).

Damnable Tales by Richard Wells | Waterstones

It has the feel of a genuine folk narrative, and shows that Le Fanu wasn't finished after 'In a Glass Darkly'.

Now my day job has started up again, I’ve not been able to devote as much time to lino cutting than before. They stalk the moors at night, the deep forests, cornered fields and dusky churchyards, the narrow lanes and old ways of these ancient places, drawing upon the haunted landscapes of folk-horror – a now widely used term first applied to a series of British films from the late 1960s and 1970s: Witchfinder General (1968), Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), and The Wicker Man (1973). Conversely, there were also one or two that seemed to end very abruptly and could have gone on for a bit longer. A couple are a bit of a struggle because of their use of dialect, but if you hear a Scot read 'Thrawn Janet' aloud, I guarantee you'll get goosebumps. As with all collections of short stories, there are likely to be tales that appeal to some readers and others less so.

Unbound | Liberating ideas

Outside of his television work, he makes and sells his own darkly folkloric artwork, often lino cut and hand-printed.The Withered Arm was also a very interesting story, with almost a time travel/sensing the future paradox of the two main characters harming each other unintentionally, in ways that depend on the actions of the other. I will not dally on the tales which sat less well with me because there is nothing constructive in doing so: my taste is not necessarily your taste, and I didn’t actually dislike any of the tales selected – there were just some I liked more than others, as is the way with anthologies. An incredible book' Annie Kapur, Vocal Media This richly illustrated anthology gathers together classic short stories from masters of supernatural fiction including M. The 30th of April of course was Walpurgis Night, traditionally when fires are lit to ward off evil spirits, and the Devil himself creeps abroad. These twenty-two stories take the reader beyond the safety and familiarity of the town into the isolated and untamed wilderness.