The Pickman Papers

by Robert Poyton

It is 1826, and the august members of the Pickman Club gather for their Annual Dinner. As is usual, members are asked to share any recent strange or singular experiences with the group. And so, dinner done, the assembled gather round the fireplace as each, in turn, narrates their tale.

Here are those stories, collated by one who was there, presented for your interest and enjoyment. But be warned! The tales within reveal many disturbing secrets about our world and the things that lay beyond and, in some cases, beneath it.

Read then, if you will, of beings of the outer cosmos, and of the peculiar traditions of decaying, seaside towns. Learn of cursed family artefacts and the dangers of experimenting with exotic drugs. And hearken to the chilling reality revealed by the digging of the Thames Tunnel...

The door to the Pickman Club is open.....




Contents

THE PICKMANITES

THE AMAZING THOTH                               - Miguel Fliguer

THE DARK CLIFFS OF BLACK VEN         -Lee Clark Zumpe  

GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD                     - Mike Slater

THE HUNTERS OF THE HIGHWAY         - Tim Mendees

EVENTS IN THE CITY OF NORWICH      - Tony Bradbury

A SINISTER INTERLUDE                           - Gavin Chappell

THE ACCOUNT OF MALCOM CONRAD,  - B Harlan Crawford

THE FEASTER FROM AFAR                         - Glynn Owen Barrass

THE SHADOW OVER THE SEPULCHRE  - John DeLaughter                     

SHADWELL'S TALE                                    - Russell Smeaton

THE FITZWYRM LEGACY                        - John Houlihan     

THE TRUTH ABOUT DOTHEBOYS        - Shelley de Cruz

KING OF TIDES                                         - Robert Poyton

BIOGRAPHIES

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2023

Reviews

[Robert Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of Lovecraftian or Lovecraft-inspired horror stories, but it’s a bit different from your ordinary anthologies in that all of these are written as if they were speeches given at a meeting of the Pickman Club, a sort of society of distinguished gentlemen who share their research and experiences in strange and unusual phenomena. But this being a set of horror stories, one gets the impression their research often gets the so-called Pickmanites into not only bizarre but downright terrifying situations. In that way, it ends up reading as a sort of cross between Lovecraftian fiction and almost Sherlock Holmesian mysteries.

For me, that’s just what the doctor ordered. As much as I love a good horror story—any good horror story—I also have a soft spot for cross-genre works, and while these do all skew heavily toward the horror side, they also all have that little flavor of mystery, perhaps certain hints of antiquarianism, and a sort of je ne sais quoi that makes them true delight to read.

As will inevitably be the case with any anthology, some of the stories are stronger than others. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t find even one that didn’t work for me. That’s a rare accomplishment. There are three or four that really stood out as exemplary, but all the rest are still a pleasure to read. Illustrations accompanying the title page of each story also add a little extra touch that make this one of the better anthologies I’ve happened across in recent years.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting family history

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good ideas, but the writing is almost uniformly sloppy.

[James Alan Helfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short preternatural stories. I could read more of these.