What do you think?
Rate this book
Urn & Willow
Book 5 in The Dark Regions Ghost House Imprint
Ghostly tales of 18th and 19th century New England
The hour is late, and wind whispers at the window. Autumn leaves have taken wing and a breeze troubles the candle flame. Something from the past has returned and walks the moonlit night. Something dead.
The door may be bolted and the fire may be warm, but the ghosts in Scott Thomas's URN AND WILLOW will find you. They wait patiently within the covers, inviting you to visit the lonely chamber where three sisters starved to death, and the small town where the devil's hoof prints steam in the snow, and a house where the rooms mysteriously multiply and are inhabited by otherworldly creatures. Come inside and visit the haunted seasons of the past.
Ghostly tales of 18th and 19th century New England
The hour is late, and wind whispers at the window. Autumn leaves have taken wing and a breeze troubles the candle flame. Something from the past has returned and walks the moonlit night. Something dead.
The door may be bolted and the fire may be warm, but the ghosts in Scott Thomas's URN AND WILLOW will find you. They wait patiently within the covers, inviting you to visit the lonely chamber where three sisters starved to death, and the small town where the devil's hoof prints steam in the snow, and a house where the rooms mysteriously multiply and are inhabited by otherworldly creatures. Come inside and visit the haunted seasons of the past.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
198 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Scott Thomas
28 books59 followersThis bio is for the Horror/Fantasy author, Scott Thomas. There are also several other writers with this name.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 7, 2012
Urn and Willow by Scott Thomas (Dark Regions Press) is a collection of short supernatural tales. The quiet, reserved style stands in dramatic contrast to the high intensity characteristic of much recent horror fiction. Urn and Willow has the feel and the scent of the worn and tattered volumes the reader discovers on a grandparent's dusty bookshelf in childhood, strongly historical in orientation, and old-fashioned in both tone and setting. Pick up this book and read a few stories without first checking the publication date, and you might reasonably guess it had been published 75 years ago. The nostalgic quality of this collection arises not only from the date settings, but from the style of language and the very sensibility of the depicted worlds. By the end, there's no doubt: Scott Thomas is obsessed with a given era and locale.
These simple little stories are almost delicate in their restraint and subtlety. This antique or old-fashioned quality is not mere backdrop. Supernatural things happen -- ghosts appear, the dead walk, unexplained events manifest -- yet much of the book's purpose seems to be the careful rendering of rural New England, mostly in the early 19th century. Much as the stories focus on hauntings and supernatural mysteries, they're equally about the loving depiction of an earlier place and time. Close attention is given to details of nature, home and land. We observe interactions and customs in tiny villages and get a sense of a simple, almost puritan approach to daily living.
A few of the longer stories stood out as more modern in approach, despite settings similar to the rest. In "The Bronze-Colored Horse," one neighbor after another is victimized overnight by a terrible affliction. Investigation leads to the discovery of creatures from a surreal and terrifying dream. "The Seed of Increase Severance" likewise utilizes disturbing nightmarish imagery to tell a story that crosses multiple generations. "Miss Smallwood's Student" tells of a tutor's attempt to teach a very unusual young girl. In "The Company of Others," an occultist hires an artist to paint a landscape mural in his home, and by occult ritual summons odd creatures who then share his home. These more ambitious stories, modern in approach if not setting, hint at Thomas's ability to satisfy in a more adventurous, less conservative mode when so inclined.
The rest of the stories are unified by simplicity, brevity (most only 4-8 pages) and a throwback approach to depicting the supernatural. In these cases, the mere revelation of a disturbing event is enough. There is no twist, no gut-punch. To some readers, this is comfort food, difficult to come by these days. Scott Thomas is one of the few present-day writers serving up this sort of fare, and he does it with a deft, assured touch. This is a supernatural horror of chill and disquiet, not violence or extremity. Readers seeking the cutting-edge may find Thomas's work too subdued, but those who enjoy the restrained approach of yesteryear will find much to appreciate. The book is redolent of a slower, simpler world. With Thomas's polished and confident style, Urn and Willow vividly evokes another time and place.
These simple little stories are almost delicate in their restraint and subtlety. This antique or old-fashioned quality is not mere backdrop. Supernatural things happen -- ghosts appear, the dead walk, unexplained events manifest -- yet much of the book's purpose seems to be the careful rendering of rural New England, mostly in the early 19th century. Much as the stories focus on hauntings and supernatural mysteries, they're equally about the loving depiction of an earlier place and time. Close attention is given to details of nature, home and land. We observe interactions and customs in tiny villages and get a sense of a simple, almost puritan approach to daily living.
A few of the longer stories stood out as more modern in approach, despite settings similar to the rest. In "The Bronze-Colored Horse," one neighbor after another is victimized overnight by a terrible affliction. Investigation leads to the discovery of creatures from a surreal and terrifying dream. "The Seed of Increase Severance" likewise utilizes disturbing nightmarish imagery to tell a story that crosses multiple generations. "Miss Smallwood's Student" tells of a tutor's attempt to teach a very unusual young girl. In "The Company of Others," an occultist hires an artist to paint a landscape mural in his home, and by occult ritual summons odd creatures who then share his home. These more ambitious stories, modern in approach if not setting, hint at Thomas's ability to satisfy in a more adventurous, less conservative mode when so inclined.
The rest of the stories are unified by simplicity, brevity (most only 4-8 pages) and a throwback approach to depicting the supernatural. In these cases, the mere revelation of a disturbing event is enough. There is no twist, no gut-punch. To some readers, this is comfort food, difficult to come by these days. Scott Thomas is one of the few present-day writers serving up this sort of fare, and he does it with a deft, assured touch. This is a supernatural horror of chill and disquiet, not violence or extremity. Readers seeking the cutting-edge may find Thomas's work too subdued, but those who enjoy the restrained approach of yesteryear will find much to appreciate. The book is redolent of a slower, simpler world. With Thomas's polished and confident style, Urn and Willow vividly evokes another time and place.
February 3, 2013
If you enjoy well-crafted writing and classic tales of the unknown, then you have picked up the right book. Scott Thomas is a unique, subtle, eloquent writer of quiet, atmospheric tales of charming strangeness steeped in historical settings. Each short story was dated and placed in geographical context so that it felt like a collection of diary or old newspaper accounts of the weird tales taking place in the valley next door. There is an intimacy to his writing, while his style remains quite singular, that is not easily achievable. This book has definitely set me on a course to gather more of his tales.
July 8, 2020
Based on the book's description ("Ghostly tales of 18th and 19th century New England") and reviews such as Famous Monsters of Filmland ("In his latest collection from Dark Regions Press 'Urn & Willow' Scott continues what he does best...write atmospheric spooky stories filled with subtle terror, restless spirits and haunting imagery that will stay with you long after you put down the book. 'Urn & Willow' is filled with stories from 18th and 19th century New England, being a native New Englander the book resonates with me especially. His descriptive prose perfectly grasps the feel of old New England and it's inhabitants... alive or dead."), I was hoping for a modest successor to Irving, Hawthorne, or even an American M.R. James. But, alas, I gave up a little over halfway through the book, after the tale from which the book drew its title. Unfortunately, I find palatable modern horror fiction--even when set in 18th and 19th century New England--to be the exception, rather than the rule.
January 15, 2013
It would not surprise me to learn that Thomas was influenced by both Hawthorne and Poe. Well crafted, most of these stories are fascinating. The opening tale, Mr. Woodbridge's Visit, stood out, as did The Company of Others, towards the end. A fine read.
June 7, 2016
"...horror for the sublime palate written by a master linguist whose evocative, elegant imagery establishes him as the current master of Victorian dark literature." (from a review on the back of the book.)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews