The Occult Detective Megapack: 29 Classic Stories

by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Seabury Quinn, Robert E. Howard

Occult detectives—sometimes called psychic investigators—have been in vogue since the middle of the 19th century. This collection goes back to the roots of the occult detective story. The earliest story in this collection—Fitz-James O'Brien's "The Pot of Tulips"—originally appeared in 1855. Rare stories by Mary Fortune and Bayard Taylor, famous tales from the end of the 19th century by E. and H. Heron, plus 20th Century stories by Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Manly Wade Wellman, Seabury Quinn, and many more round out the book...29 classic tales in all!

Included are:
THE POT OF TULIPS, by Fitz-James O'Brien
WHAT WAS IT? by Fitz-James O'Brien
THE HAUNTED SHANTY, by Bayard Taylor
Dr. Martin Hesselius in "GREEN TEA," by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
MR JUSTICE HARBOTTLE, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
THE UNINHABITED HOUSE, by Mrs. J. H. Riddell
THE PHANTOM HEARSE, by Mary Fortune
AYLMER VANCE AND THE VAMPIRE, by Alice and Claude Askew
THE DOOR INTO INFINITY, by Edmond Hamilton
Carnacki in "THE GATEWAY OF THE MONSTER," by William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki in "THE HOUSE AMONG THE LAURELS," by William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki in "THE WHISTLING ROOM," by William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki in "THE HORSE OF THE INVISIBLE," by William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki in "THE SEARCHER OF THE END HOUSE," by William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki in "THE THING INVISIBLE," by William Hope Hodgson
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SADDLER'S CROFT," by E. and H. Heron
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF BAELBROW," by E. and H. Heron
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF YAND MANOR HOUSE," by E. and H. Heron
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF KONNOR OLD HOUSE," by E. and H. Heron
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF THE SPANIARDS, HAMMERSMITH," by E. and H. Heron
Flaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SEVENS HALL," by E. and H. Heron
Steve Harrison in "FANGS OF GOLD," by Robert E. Howard
Steve Harrison in "THE TOMB'S SECRET," by Robert E. Howard
Steve Harrison in "NAMES IN THE BLACK BOOK," by Robert E. Howard
Steve Harrison in "GRAVEYARD RATS," by Robert E. Howard
THE HALF-HAUNTED, by Manly Wade Wellman
Jules de Grandin in "THE JEST OF WARBURG TANTAVUL," by Seabury Quinn
Jules de Grandin in "PLEDGED TO THE DEAD," by Seabury Quinn
Jules de Grandin in "INCENSE OF ABOMINATION," by Seabury Quinn

And don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more great entries in this great series, covering mysteries, ghost stories, westerns, science fiction, historical, and much, much more!

Genres: Horror, Occult Detective, Fiction, Anthologies, Occult, Fantasy

791 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2013

About the author

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M.R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla and The House by the Churchyard.

Reviews

[Winry Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology took me roughly two months of reading during work-pauses, and what a road it was. There's a wide variety of stories, some I've enjoyed more, some less, but overall the selection is a decent, enjoyable collection of "occult detective" stories.

Why the quotation marks? Well, let me explain: not every "occult detective" is an occult detective. The definition I gravitate to is "a detective, either by profession or by circumstances, with working knowledge of the occult/supernatural, that they use in the line of the work", whereas this anthology favoured the species of "a detective, either by profession or by circumstances, who happens to investigate thing that may, or may not, have occult/supernatural origin". Both definitions are correct, but I must admit that I expected more of the first kind. But frankly, given the limitation of the choice material (all stories are in public domain, otherwise this collection could not be offered for the price it is offered), one needs to be creative. So, A+++ for creativity.

As for editing, I did not notice as much typos as in other e-books I've read, mind you, but at times they appeared. Also, just as a side note, when authors attempts to capture an accent, it usually borders on barely readable for me.


Well then, without further adieu, let us look at those starring detectives, shall we?
(warning: possible mild spoilers ahead)

First the unnamed investigators: The Pot of Tulips is a solid starting piece revolving around some hidden treasure in a haunted house. What was it? is, for me, an unsatisfying yarn about invisible creature, without much of an explanation. In the end, they let it starve to death and I was left thinking the titular question. The Haunted Shanty has rather interesting description of haunting, more of an astral projection than true supernatural occurrence. The Phantom Hearse was, for me, the weakest piece in this anthology. Thus I won't dwell on it.

The Uninhabited House was quite a surprise. First, I certainly did not expect a whole novella in there, second I've enjoyed it immensely. I admit firsthand that this story might seem lengthy at times, but I have a weakness for such old-fashioned style of narrative. We got an intriguing story about supposedly haunted house that is impossible to be rented as "No person can live in it [...] and keep his, her, or its health. Whether it is the river, or the drains, or the late owner, or the devil, I have no idea.". All the characters were greatly described, not likeable, but they felt very real with all those little flaws.

Dr. Martin Hesselius by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a somewhat weak character in comparison with the rest of the investigators that accompanies him in this anthology. I first read those stories looong time ago, so it was interesting to re-read in original English. But still, he has such a weak presence, that he is barely present in the second story of his: Although the haunting is chilly and grotesque in both instances he "investigates", he's rather forgettable character.

Aylmer Vance by husband-wife author team Claude Askew and Alice Askew was unknown to me, which I consider a pity. He and his... sidekick/biographer have distinctively Homes-Watson feeling to them, but what can you do, that is a common theme with practically any given partners in investigation. But I'm certainly interested in getting to read stories they are starring in.

Inspector Pierce Campbell from The Door into Infinity is a frigging precursor of James Bond! There is simply no other way to describe it, from his heel-blade, through the time-piece bomb, to the mysterious cult invoking cthulthu-like beings he investigates. And as that I've quite unabashedly enjoyed this pulp ride of a story.

Thomas Carnacki by William Hope Hodgson and Flaxman Low by H Hesketh Prichard are great, they are the definition of occult detectives for me.
But it must be said, they are kind of... interchangeable. Which is a pity, as they would certainly profit from some further development in the department of personalities. As it stands now, they are merely a Homesian-esque stand-in for supernatural investigations. But the stories are enjoyable, both authors certainly knew how to build a creepy atmosphere and have had a lot of intriguing ideas plot-wise.

Steve Harrison by Robert E Howard. Have you ever wondered how would Conan the Barbarian worked in our society had he decided to become a detective? Well, look no further! Steve Harrison's main character trait is his... muscle-bulk, I'd say. I was expecting his clothes to rip clean off him, so that he would run around in just his loincloth. It did not happened, more the pity. Oh, and he prefers to works solo, to the point of bossing his superiors around. Those stories are pulpy, terribly pulpy, wilt damsels in distress, and poisonous snakes in skylights, and obscure cults, and sooo much yellow peril. Not exactly my thing, nothing really supernatural going on, but the last story - Graveyard Rats - stands above the rest, even though I've seen the plot-twist miles ahead. (And for some reason, Steve Harrison is not called Steve Harrison, but "Brock Rollins" in The Tomb's Secret, but from the setting and the personality, it's very clearly him. I really wonder how it happened.)

Judge Keith Pursuivant from The Half-Haunted is another interesting character I'd like to see more. The story was a decent haunted house investigation/purging. And why is it always Hessian soldiers who loses their head?

Jules de Grandin by Seabury Quinn is the biggest surprise for me, 'cause apparently there's whole series of like 90 stories starring him and his "Watson" - Dr. Trowbridge. De Grandin is a French physician, former member of the Sûreté and you as a reader simply cannot avoid the comparison to Hercule Poirot. But the stories are enjoyable, and the MC has more personality than just being a French, there's hints of events in his past that pique your interest. But I admit, I'm kind of afraid that the stories would soon became repetitive, running along the same formula, but we shall see.


Overall, 4 stars out of 5, due to the range of quality of stories.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, though not great, collection of ghost/mystery/horror stories. It starts with “The Pot of Tulips” by Fitz James O'Brien and concludes with “Incense of Abomination” by Seabury Quinn. My personal favorite is “What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien.

A summary of some of the stories:

“What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien – I was introduced to this story in another Megapack volume of short stories, and then listened to a very good LibriVox recording of it. O’Brien was an excellent writer whose career – and life – was cut short by the Civil War. The landlady of a boarding house decides to take over a supposedly haunted residence. All but two of her boarders go along with her, treating the whole thing like a lark:

“Of course we had no sooner established ourselves at No. —— than we began to expect ghosts. We absolutely awaited their advent with eagerness. Our dinner conversation was supernatural. One of the boarders, who had purchased Mrs. Crowe’s Night Side of Nature for his own private delectation, was regarded as a public enemy by the entire household for not having bought twenty copies. The man led a life of supreme wretchedness while he was reading this volume. A system of espionage was established, of which he was the victim. If he incautiously laid the book down for an instant and left the room, it was immediately seized and read aloud in secret places to a select few. I found myself a person of immense importance, it having leaked out that I was tolerably well versed in the history of supernaturalism, and had once written a story the foundation of which was a ghost. If a table or a wainscot panel happened to warp when we were assembled in the large drawing-room, there was an instant silence, and everyone was prepared for an immediate clanking of chains and a spectral form.”

Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your point of view – nothing happens and the new residents begin to suspect the stories of a ghost were pure hokum – or at least until one night when the narrator has a strange and terrifying encounter.

One of the first uses of invisibility in fiction.

“Green Tea” by J Sheridan Le Fanu – A decidedly creepy story about a vicar who is haunted by an increasingly sinister and terrifying black monkey.

“It is a small monkey, perfectly black. It had only one peculiarity— a character of malignity— unfathomable malignity. During the first year it looked sullen and sick. But this character of intense malice and vigilance was always underlying that surly languor. During all that time it acted as if on a plan of giving me as little trouble as was consistent with watching me. Its eyes were never off me. I have never lost sight of it, except in my sleep, light or dark, day or night, since it came here, excepting when it withdraws for some weeks at a time, unaccountably.

“In total dark it is visible as in daylight. I do not mean merely its eyes. It is all visible distinctly in a halo that resembles a glow of red embers, and which accompanies it in all its movements.”

Jennings cannot escape the thing, which is slowly, but surely destroying his life and his sanity. I wonder if, like “The Turn of the Screw,” the case can be interpreted as a true haunting or simply a person going mad. All in all, a chilling story.

“Aylmer Vance and the Vampire” by Alice and Claude Askew – An interesting, but not perfect, tale of a family curse, vampirism, and possibly ghosts. A young man comes to Aylmer Vance for help – his health is failing and his wife is convinced her family curse is to blame. Paul Davenant married Jessica MacThane despite the fact that whenever a MacThane marries outside their family, their spouse dies young from what appears to be a wasting disease. Of course, things aren’t quite that simple.

The “Carnacki the Ghost Finder” series by William Hope Hodgson – an interesting, though not scary (at least to me) series. The six stories in this collection are in the public domain. There are three other stories that were publish many years later that are not included here, probably for copyright reasons. Carnacki is a sensible, level-headed, very proper English ghost hunter, whose stories do not always involve “real” ghosts. Sometimes there’s a living person pretending to be a ghost for some nefarious reason. The stories are well written and enjoyable.

The “Flaxman Low” series by E. and H. Heron (Kate and Hesketh Prichard, mother and son) – this ghost hunter series predates W H Hodgson’s, but Carnacki and Flaxman are rather similar. Flaxman Low is called out to investigate strange, unearthly happenings, usually at mansions or ancient family homes. The stories are well written, but very similar to Carnacki’s adventures. You could change out the names of the characters and no one would know the difference. That doesn’t say much for the characters’ personalities.

The “Steve Harrison” series by Robert E. Howard – excellent stories with a mixture of action, adventure, and horror. Steve Harrison is intelligent, brave, resourceful, and quick on his feet. Imagine a 20th century Conan working as a detective. While I was reading “Fangs of Gold,” I kept thinking of “The Ghost Breakers” with Bob Hope and “The Zombie” episode of “Kolchak” The Night Stalker.” I am really surprised that these colorful, fun stories aren’t better known.

The one “clunker” for me was “The Uninhabited House” by J. H. Riddell, which I found tedious, overlong, and not scary in the least. It was a relief when it was over with.

[Jeff Waltersdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of public-domain stories of investigators of ghosts and other supernatural events. There are a number of one-off stories of weirdness, and a sampling of several author's series of stories, including William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost Finder (a personal favorite), E and H Heron's Flaxman Low, Robert E Howard's two-fisted private investigator Steve Harrison, and Seabury Quinn's erudite Jules de Grandin.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

These megapack collections are quite fun, and you can't beat the price at .99 for the ebook! If one broke down the price per word, it would have to be tiny fractions of a cent per word. Quite a value in this day of ebooks being overpriced for the most part, considering they are digital media. This collection, like most others, was hit and miss for me. Highlights were the Carnacki stories, which I had never read by the original author, and a set of tales from Robert E. Howard. There were a few dogs in the set, which of course, I won't call out because each reader brings their own tastes, and don't need me coloring their judgements. Suffice to say I highly recommend this megapack, and honestly, have not been disappointed with any one I have read.

[Veiltender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked many of these stories. I think the Jules de Grandin stories were my favorite—there was a very touching vampire story. I also really appreciated the Carnacki stories. I see why they are held up as exemplars of the genre. The Steve Harrison stories were, unfortunately, replete with racism, which can kind of ignore in Conan, but which was in full display in the American setting of the stories.

Still, a strong showing of a genre I was only peripherally aware of, but find (unsurprisingly) that I enjoy quite a bit.

[Trish Graboske · Rating 3 out of 5]

These megapacks can have whole novels included: in this case, The Uninhabited House (sadly not a favorite). I had read about one-third of the stories before, but I was happy to re-read most of them. I especially liked about one-third of the book, including the Edmond Hamilton story, and some of the William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki) stories. Some of the E. and H. Heron (Flaxman Low) and Seabury Quinn (Jules Le Grandin) stories were favorites, too. The Manly Wade Wellman (Judge Pursuivant) story was worth re-reading.

[Valentin Per · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heady brew of occult detective fiction

This collection embodies some of the best and the brightest in occult detective fiction such as Carnacki the Ghost Finder, Flaxman Low, and Jules de Grandin. The only inclusion I disagreed with was Howard's Steve Harrison who is not really an occult detective at all and whose stories, written in the 1920s, reek of racism. Otherwise, it was an immensely enjoyable ride.

[Phil]

Old Stories, but worth the money

Old Stories, but worth the money...very little money indeed. Nothing too frightening here, although in 1920 these stories would be more than scandalous!

[Cal Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare yourself

These stories are 100 years old and older. Expect outdated ideals, racism, and older style writing. Some of these were difficult pills to swallow, but I made my way through.

[Gidget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Collection

Want to discover the gothic horror genre? These are some of the FIRST and best stories, inspiring many of the well known classics.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

great classcs ---as they appeared in pulps

[Richard Larmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good value; considering the amount of material contained. As in any anthology, there are very good, good and not so good stories contained in it.

[Mike]

More occult than detective, at least as far as I read, and a poor job of proofreading after scanning it in.

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorites show up in this series. This book especially.

Side note: the formatting is great on these books for such an affordable price.

Thank you Wildside Press!

[Derek Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are several good stories in here, but "occult detective" as a catchall connection is just silly. Most have nothing to do with the work of a "detective" in any commonly accepted form, they're ghost tales whose mechanism one of the characters has figured out along the way by thinking logically (or by accident). A couple of Robert E. Howard's Steve Harrison tales, though fine, are detective stories but hardly occult. And some of the "detectives," such as Flaxman Low (horrendous name) by E. and H. Heron, are just annoying.
Looking back at the collection, I dropped it a star. The better stories here, I'm sure, can be found nestled in other collections that don't manufacture a spurious connection.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a mixed bag, but several good stories.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some gripping stuff.... particularly enjoyed the old favourites - Carnacki, Flaxman Low, and Aylmer Vance - and was delighted to meet Jules Grandin