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Revelations in Black
Though sometimes overshadowed by his contemporaries like H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard, Carl Jacobi (1908-1997) was one of the finest American writers of pulp horror tales of the first half of the 20th century. Revelations in Black, originally published by the legendary Arkham House as a limited edition in 1947 and long out of print, contains 21 of his best stories, originally published in pulp magazines like Weird Tales. As a bonus, this new edition features an additional seldom-seen Jacobi tale, "Rails of the Yellow Skull", and a new introduction by Luigi Musolino.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
14 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Carl Jacobi
144 books17 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Carl Richard Jacobi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1904 and lived there throughout his life. He attended the University of Minnesota from 1927 to 1930 where he began his writing career in campus magazines.
His first stories were published while he was at the University. The last of these, "Moss Island", was a graduate's contribution to The Quest of Central High School, and "Mive" in the University of Minnesota's The Minnesota Quarterly. Both stories were later sold to Amazing Stories and Weird Tales respectively and marked his debut in professional magazines. "Mive" brought him payment of 25 dollars.
He joined the editorial staff of The Minnesota Quarterly, and after graduation in 1931, he became a news reporter for the Minneapolis Star, as well as a frequent reviewer of books and plays. He also served on the staff of the Minnesota Ski-U-Mah, a scholastic publication.
After years with the Minneapolis Star, he was the editor for two years of Midwest Media, an advertising and radio trade journal. Later, he devoted himself full-time to writing. He owned his own private retreat, a cabin at Minnewashta in the Carver country outlands of Minneapolis. His intimate familiarity with the terrain and environment there provided the setting for many of his most distinguished stories. Jacobi was a lifelong bachelor.
He wrote scores of tales for all the best known magazines of fantasy and science fiction and was represented in numerous anthologies of imaginative fiction published in the United States, England and New Zealand. His stories were translated into French, Swedish, Danish and Dutch. Many of his tales were published in anthologies edited by Derleth, and Arkham House published his first three short story collections. Stories also appeared in such magazines as Short Stories, Railroad Magazine, The Toronto Star, Wonder Stories, MacLean's magazine, Ghost Stories, Strange Stories, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, Complete Stories, Top-Notch and others. Though best known for his macabre fiction, Jacobi also wrote science fiction, weird-menace yarns and adventure stories.
From Wikipedia
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Carl Richard Jacobi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1904 and lived there throughout his life. He attended the University of Minnesota from 1927 to 1930 where he began his writing career in campus magazines.
His first stories were published while he was at the University. The last of these, "Moss Island", was a graduate's contribution to The Quest of Central High School, and "Mive" in the University of Minnesota's The Minnesota Quarterly. Both stories were later sold to Amazing Stories and Weird Tales respectively and marked his debut in professional magazines. "Mive" brought him payment of 25 dollars.
He joined the editorial staff of The Minnesota Quarterly, and after graduation in 1931, he became a news reporter for the Minneapolis Star, as well as a frequent reviewer of books and plays. He also served on the staff of the Minnesota Ski-U-Mah, a scholastic publication.
After years with the Minneapolis Star, he was the editor for two years of Midwest Media, an advertising and radio trade journal. Later, he devoted himself full-time to writing. He owned his own private retreat, a cabin at Minnewashta in the Carver country outlands of Minneapolis. His intimate familiarity with the terrain and environment there provided the setting for many of his most distinguished stories. Jacobi was a lifelong bachelor.
He wrote scores of tales for all the best known magazines of fantasy and science fiction and was represented in numerous anthologies of imaginative fiction published in the United States, England and New Zealand. His stories were translated into French, Swedish, Danish and Dutch. Many of his tales were published in anthologies edited by Derleth, and Arkham House published his first three short story collections. Stories also appeared in such magazines as Short Stories, Railroad Magazine, The Toronto Star, Wonder Stories, MacLean's magazine, Ghost Stories, Strange Stories, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, Complete Stories, Top-Notch and others. Though best known for his macabre fiction, Jacobi also wrote science fiction, weird-menace yarns and adventure stories.
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 6, 2020
For those who value a well-told story and a straightforward prose style, Carl Jacobi may just be the most satisfying writer of the weird you have not heard of before.
Jacobi, far from the best known of the Weird Tales writers, was one of the last to survive; he almost outlived his century, dying in August 1997.
Although he wrote of adventures in other countries and other psychic realms, he never strayed far from his native Minneapolis. Having received an English degree from the U. of M., he soon became a journalist for the Minneapolis Star. Later, when his five year attempt to become a full-time writer failed, he first wrote copy for a Minneapolis radio station and subsequently joined the Honeywell Corporation, where he worked as the night shift electronics inspector for many years.
Jacobi published short stories in the pulps and popular magazines in a wide range of genres, from science fiction to pure adventure, but it is for his tales of the macabre that he is best known. He had a particular talent for unusual plot ideas and evocative descriptions, but these charms of novelty and mood often dissipate, leaving his stories, in their endings, slightly worse than when they begun. Yet, all things considered, Jacobi was a fine craftsman, and his no-nonsense, efficient, hard-driving prose make the reading of each tale a pleasure.
Revelations in Black (1945) is a collection of short pieces written at the height of Jacobi's powers and originally published in Weird Tales and Startling Stories. All the stories are worth a read, because of the strength of Jacobi's narrative drive, but there are a few standouts. The title story begins with a strange book discovered in an antique shop, and moves on to create a gothic garden worthy of “Rappacini's Daughter.” ”The Satanic Piano,” one of his high-concept stories, the tale of a mad scientist who wishes to create a player piano capable of artistic composition, is exciting and ends in a satisfying conclusion. Then there are the atmospheric tales--”Mive,” “Moss Island,” and “The Digging at Pistol Key—with expertly evoked settings which all possess a genuine strangeness. There are other tales I like too—such as the science fiction adventures “Canal” and “Cosmic Teletype.” But, through them all, Jacobi's narrative force is so compelling that even the slightest, most conventional tales--such as “Phantom Brass” and “A Pair of Swords”--are entertaining.
If you wish to experience the typical “weird tale” as practiced, not by its masters, but by an accomplished journeyman (albeit a “journeyman” who seldom strayed far from his hometown), you could do no better than to read the works of Carl Jacobi.
February 9, 2025
Carl Jacobi wrote a lot of fine short horror tales in a somewhat quiet career that spanned over six decades, the late 1920s through the late 1980s. He gets overlooked, I believe, because he didn't produce any novels, and because so much attention gets paid to Lovecraft, Howard, Smith, and Quinn that's there's not much leftover for the rest of the Weird Tales stable. My Panther edition of this, his first collection, only contains ten of the stories from the twenty-one in the 1947 Arkham House original, five of which were originally printed in Weird Tales, the other five coming from issues of Ghost Stories, Startling Stories, Thrilling Mystery Stories, Strange Stories, and Railroad Stories. (Wow, there sure were a lot of pulp titles!) Canal is a good straight science fiction story, and the title story is an interesting variation on the vampire tale, just when you thought it had all been done before. Most of the stories are very British in tone and setting, though Jacobi reportedly never strayed far from his Minneapolis home. My favorite in this collection is The Satanic Piano, a very interesting story that was also filmed and became one of my favorite Tales from the Darkside episodes.
May 15, 2017
This collection of horror and science fiction/horror tales reminded me of MR James and Robert Aickman, though I actually preferred Jacobi's tales. Revelations in Black is engaging for its duration, with only one very short exception (A Pair of Swords is a trifle).
Carl Jacobi is very good at coming up with an engaging premise---I was interested in each tale in a matter of sentences---and often these set ups involve weirdly affected objects, such as a cane, book, kite, piano, etc. The prose is smoother than many of his pulp contemporaries and the atmosphere is always rich.
What keeps Jacobi's tales from greatness tends to be his plotting, which often relies upon characters compelled to do unlikely things, and his resolutions, which are usually blunt and far less creative than the initial weird set ups (this criticism I feel holds true with MR James as well). But every tale (except for the aforementioned trifle) is engaging and atmospheric, and whenever Jacobi dabbles in pseudo-scientific "science fiction" (A Study in Darkness, Moss Island, Cosmic Teletype, etc.) the logic he employs is really entertaining and the plotting is far less predictable.
Additionally, I should point out that there is one real stunner in this collection-- a story called, The Satanic Piano. This one is longer than most of Jacobi's stories and inventive throughout it's duration; it's the zenith achievement in the book---a tale that ranks with the works of weird fiction masters like Clark Ashton Smith, HP Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Donald Wandrei, and Algernon Blackwood.
Overall, Revelations in Black is a very enjoyable collection that contains a lot of memorable images.
Carl Jacobi is very good at coming up with an engaging premise---I was interested in each tale in a matter of sentences---and often these set ups involve weirdly affected objects, such as a cane, book, kite, piano, etc. The prose is smoother than many of his pulp contemporaries and the atmosphere is always rich.
What keeps Jacobi's tales from greatness tends to be his plotting, which often relies upon characters compelled to do unlikely things, and his resolutions, which are usually blunt and far less creative than the initial weird set ups (this criticism I feel holds true with MR James as well). But every tale (except for the aforementioned trifle) is engaging and atmospheric, and whenever Jacobi dabbles in pseudo-scientific "science fiction" (A Study in Darkness, Moss Island, Cosmic Teletype, etc.) the logic he employs is really entertaining and the plotting is far less predictable.
Additionally, I should point out that there is one real stunner in this collection-- a story called, The Satanic Piano. This one is longer than most of Jacobi's stories and inventive throughout it's duration; it's the zenith achievement in the book---a tale that ranks with the works of weird fiction masters like Clark Ashton Smith, HP Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Donald Wandrei, and Algernon Blackwood.
Overall, Revelations in Black is a very enjoyable collection that contains a lot of memorable images.
March 22, 2017
Jacobi isn't too well-known today, but he was one of the lesser-lights from Weird Tales magazine. And although I like to read almost anything published in "The Unique Magazine," there's only a handful of really good stories here I thought. It's not that they're bad, but too often the plots are too predictable and the themes are not overly original.
That said, "Carnaby's Fish," "The Tomb from Beyond," "Mive" and "The Face in the Wind" were all great stories, original and atmospheric, some even classics of weird fiction. Stories like "The Satanic Piano," "Cosmic Teletype" and the really strange "A Study in Darkness" venture into mad scientist territory, some of which can feel pretty dated. "Revelations in Black," "Phantom Brass," "The Cane," "The Coach on the Ring" and "Sagasta's Last" among others are more-or-less weird ghost stories. And there's some stories like "The Kite" and "The Digging at Pistol Key" about exotic, foreign horror; ya know -- voodoo, forbidden idols and the like. I'm not a big sci-fi fan (sue me) but the sci-fi stories here were often consistently good; "Canal," "The Tomb from Beyond" and "Moss Island."
Almost everything here is good pulpy fun if you're in the mood for something besides H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. But don't expect too many masterworks of weird fiction.
There are 11 stories that appeared in Weird Tales, they are marked (WT).
Revelations in Black (1933) (WT) - One of the longest stories in the book, this is a decent, but fairly predictable weird vampire tale. Jacobi was well-known for this story back in the 30's, but I found it to be fairly standard Weird Tales fare. A man finds three strange books written by a man who went insane, and becomes obsessed with a place in reality that matches the man's strange ravings.
Phantom Brass (1934) - Another story where the ending isn't exactly difficult to predict, but I did like the setting of it, a lonely train station. A signalman at a lonely station starts to receive strange messages from a fellow further down the line.
The Cane (1934) (WT) - This story is a bit better than the average here I'd say. It reads like a Victorian era British ghost tale. A man buys a cane from an auction and finds himself thrown into violent rages by it at times.
The Coach on the Ring (1931) - This is another of the better stories in the collection, primarily because I couldn't see where it was going at first. I loved the atmosphere too, as stereotypical as it was. A traveler in a small inn is told a horrifying tale of his ancestors as a storm rages outside.
The Kite (1937) - Another decent story, not overly memorable but a bit more so than some others. It reminds me of the "exotic," "foreign" horror stories of Henry S. Whitehead. A doctor tries to treat a woman who's fate seems to be connected with a supernatural kite.
Canal (1944) - This is by far one of the best stories in the book, I'm not typically a big sci-fi reader but this story is full of weird, imaginative touches, and building suspense. A man murders to get a map to an feared, forbidden section of the Martian landscape to steal a rare mineral, but finds himself pursued and encountering dangers on every side.
The Satanic Piano (1934) (WT) - An interesting, very quirky mad scientist tale with supernatural themes. VERY pulpy and entertaining. A composer meets a scientist who develops a machine which translates his musical thoughts directly into music, but the scientist has sinister plans in mind.
The Last Drive (1933) (WT) - I recall reading this one several years ago. It's a fun, pulpy story, nice set-up and an ending straight out of "Tales From the Crypt." A man transporting a corpse gets snowbound on the road.
The Spectral Pistol (1941) (WT) - I read this one a few years ago. According to what I thought then it was a "decent little weird tale, but rather predictable in the end." A solitary young book collector meets a gun collector and starts to suspect that a werewolf is roaming his gloomy, isolated estate.
Sagasta's Last (1939) - Interesting theme in this one, it reminded me a bit of M. R. James' "A View From a Hill." A man acquires a mysterious, sinister telescope while visiting the recently-widowed husband of his late sister.
The Tomb from Beyond (1932) - If this isn't the best story in the collection, it's easily one of the best. I love the setting and it's got an exciting, scary ending. But more than that it was far less predictable than many others here. A man travels to a remote wilderness to see to the sale of some timberland from a very strange man who has rebuilt an ancient temple, piece-by-piece, on the spot.
The Digging at Pistol Key (1947) (WT) - Another "exotic" horror tale a bit like "The Kite" full of voodoo, foreign lands, etc. This one isn't necessarily predictable, but it needed a bit more subtlety. In Trinidad an Englishman murders his houseboy in a rage, and finds himself both haunted, and fearing treasure-seekers may dig up the body from the yard.
Moss Island (1930) - A pretty good sci-fi/adventure tale. This is a simple story frankly, but it's got a great, potent weird element and an original idea. A scientist exploring a forsaken island covered in moss comes across a chemical that makes things grow inordinately fast.
Carnaby's Fish (1945) (WT) - This was another re-read for me, I think it is the best weird tale by Jacobi I've read. It's scary, weird and full of surprises. A real estate man struggles with renting out a house by a lake because a previous owner died mysteriously and people seem to think the lake is haunted.
The King and the Knave (1938) (WT) - Another pulpy weird tale, nothing too special. A man enacts revenge on someone who has had an affair with his wife, with a sinister deck of cards.
Cosmic Teletype (1938) - Another sci-fi story, it feels a bit dated but has a certain charm to it. It appeared in the sci-fi mag "Thrilling Wonder Stories." A scientist makes contact with two warring planets, and soon regrets he ever did.
A Pair of Swords (1933) (WT) - A very short, minor tale. Really just a short, quirky ghost story. A man touring a gallery sees a reenactment of a past tragedy.
A Study in Darkness (1939) - One of the weirdest, I didn't think it made a lot of sense, but it's still pulpy fun and reminded me of Hodgson's Carnacki tales. A scientist finds his house plagued by a giant rat of supernatural proportions.
Mive (1928) (WT) - I liked this one a lot, it's a bit different than the others, more atmosphere-focused. It's a short story, perhaps minor by comparison with some others but one of my favorites here. A man walking through a forbidden swamp comes across the horrific reason the place is seemingly lifeless.
Writing on the Wall (1944) - A decent sci-fi tale, I thought it was pretty humorous at times, at least compared with other stories here. A professor is convinced that he can use the doodlings of various people to decipher mankind's origins.
The Face in the Wind (1936) (WT) - This is a great story, in the first order of what Weird Tales delivered at it's best. It's one of the longer stories, great setting, it almost has a flair of M. R. James as a curse from the past is released after a bit of architectural restoration is performed. The owner of a large estate is warned by a young artist friend not to change an ancient wall beside a swamp, believing it will release something.
That said, "Carnaby's Fish," "The Tomb from Beyond," "Mive" and "The Face in the Wind" were all great stories, original and atmospheric, some even classics of weird fiction. Stories like "The Satanic Piano," "Cosmic Teletype" and the really strange "A Study in Darkness" venture into mad scientist territory, some of which can feel pretty dated. "Revelations in Black," "Phantom Brass," "The Cane," "The Coach on the Ring" and "Sagasta's Last" among others are more-or-less weird ghost stories. And there's some stories like "The Kite" and "The Digging at Pistol Key" about exotic, foreign horror; ya know -- voodoo, forbidden idols and the like. I'm not a big sci-fi fan (sue me) but the sci-fi stories here were often consistently good; "Canal," "The Tomb from Beyond" and "Moss Island."
Almost everything here is good pulpy fun if you're in the mood for something besides H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. But don't expect too many masterworks of weird fiction.
There are 11 stories that appeared in Weird Tales, they are marked (WT).
Revelations in Black (1933) (WT) - One of the longest stories in the book, this is a decent, but fairly predictable weird vampire tale. Jacobi was well-known for this story back in the 30's, but I found it to be fairly standard Weird Tales fare. A man finds three strange books written by a man who went insane, and becomes obsessed with a place in reality that matches the man's strange ravings.
Phantom Brass (1934) - Another story where the ending isn't exactly difficult to predict, but I did like the setting of it, a lonely train station. A signalman at a lonely station starts to receive strange messages from a fellow further down the line.
The Cane (1934) (WT) - This story is a bit better than the average here I'd say. It reads like a Victorian era British ghost tale. A man buys a cane from an auction and finds himself thrown into violent rages by it at times.
The Coach on the Ring (1931) - This is another of the better stories in the collection, primarily because I couldn't see where it was going at first. I loved the atmosphere too, as stereotypical as it was. A traveler in a small inn is told a horrifying tale of his ancestors as a storm rages outside.
The Kite (1937) - Another decent story, not overly memorable but a bit more so than some others. It reminds me of the "exotic," "foreign" horror stories of Henry S. Whitehead. A doctor tries to treat a woman who's fate seems to be connected with a supernatural kite.
Canal (1944) - This is by far one of the best stories in the book, I'm not typically a big sci-fi reader but this story is full of weird, imaginative touches, and building suspense. A man murders to get a map to an feared, forbidden section of the Martian landscape to steal a rare mineral, but finds himself pursued and encountering dangers on every side.
The Satanic Piano (1934) (WT) - An interesting, very quirky mad scientist tale with supernatural themes. VERY pulpy and entertaining. A composer meets a scientist who develops a machine which translates his musical thoughts directly into music, but the scientist has sinister plans in mind.
The Last Drive (1933) (WT) - I recall reading this one several years ago. It's a fun, pulpy story, nice set-up and an ending straight out of "Tales From the Crypt." A man transporting a corpse gets snowbound on the road.
The Spectral Pistol (1941) (WT) - I read this one a few years ago. According to what I thought then it was a "decent little weird tale, but rather predictable in the end." A solitary young book collector meets a gun collector and starts to suspect that a werewolf is roaming his gloomy, isolated estate.
Sagasta's Last (1939) - Interesting theme in this one, it reminded me a bit of M. R. James' "A View From a Hill." A man acquires a mysterious, sinister telescope while visiting the recently-widowed husband of his late sister.
The Tomb from Beyond (1932) - If this isn't the best story in the collection, it's easily one of the best. I love the setting and it's got an exciting, scary ending. But more than that it was far less predictable than many others here. A man travels to a remote wilderness to see to the sale of some timberland from a very strange man who has rebuilt an ancient temple, piece-by-piece, on the spot.
The Digging at Pistol Key (1947) (WT) - Another "exotic" horror tale a bit like "The Kite" full of voodoo, foreign lands, etc. This one isn't necessarily predictable, but it needed a bit more subtlety. In Trinidad an Englishman murders his houseboy in a rage, and finds himself both haunted, and fearing treasure-seekers may dig up the body from the yard.
Moss Island (1930) - A pretty good sci-fi/adventure tale. This is a simple story frankly, but it's got a great, potent weird element and an original idea. A scientist exploring a forsaken island covered in moss comes across a chemical that makes things grow inordinately fast.
Carnaby's Fish (1945) (WT) - This was another re-read for me, I think it is the best weird tale by Jacobi I've read. It's scary, weird and full of surprises. A real estate man struggles with renting out a house by a lake because a previous owner died mysteriously and people seem to think the lake is haunted.
The King and the Knave (1938) (WT) - Another pulpy weird tale, nothing too special. A man enacts revenge on someone who has had an affair with his wife, with a sinister deck of cards.
Cosmic Teletype (1938) - Another sci-fi story, it feels a bit dated but has a certain charm to it. It appeared in the sci-fi mag "Thrilling Wonder Stories." A scientist makes contact with two warring planets, and soon regrets he ever did.
A Pair of Swords (1933) (WT) - A very short, minor tale. Really just a short, quirky ghost story. A man touring a gallery sees a reenactment of a past tragedy.
A Study in Darkness (1939) - One of the weirdest, I didn't think it made a lot of sense, but it's still pulpy fun and reminded me of Hodgson's Carnacki tales. A scientist finds his house plagued by a giant rat of supernatural proportions.
Mive (1928) (WT) - I liked this one a lot, it's a bit different than the others, more atmosphere-focused. It's a short story, perhaps minor by comparison with some others but one of my favorites here. A man walking through a forbidden swamp comes across the horrific reason the place is seemingly lifeless.
Writing on the Wall (1944) - A decent sci-fi tale, I thought it was pretty humorous at times, at least compared with other stories here. A professor is convinced that he can use the doodlings of various people to decipher mankind's origins.
The Face in the Wind (1936) (WT) - This is a great story, in the first order of what Weird Tales delivered at it's best. It's one of the longer stories, great setting, it almost has a flair of M. R. James as a curse from the past is released after a bit of architectural restoration is performed. The owner of a large estate is warned by a young artist friend not to change an ancient wall beside a swamp, believing it will release something.
Want to read
November 9, 2025PLACEHILDER REVIEW
"The Coach On The Ring" (aka "The Haunted Ring") - during a storm, an American traveler shelters at a remote roadside inn in Prussia, and becomes interested in his only fellow lodger, a man dressed in the outdated costume of 200 years ago. And the man seems intensely interested by a piece of jewelry, a ring, that has been passed down through the traveler's family. And as it turns out, there is a story behind it, a story of wanton cruelty and damnation. A nice little atmospheric piece of Gothic pastiche - no surprises, but well done all the same.
"The Coach On The Ring" (aka "The Haunted Ring") - during a storm, an American traveler shelters at a remote roadside inn in Prussia, and becomes interested in his only fellow lodger, a man dressed in the outdated costume of 200 years ago. And the man seems intensely interested by a piece of jewelry, a ring, that has been passed down through the traveler's family. And as it turns out, there is a story behind it, a story of wanton cruelty and damnation. A nice little atmospheric piece of Gothic pastiche - no surprises, but well done all the same.
November 25, 2025
Revelations in Black by Carl Jacobi. Valancourt Books 2024. Originally published by Arkham House in 1947. Introduction by Luigi Musolino.
“Revelations in Black”
The titular story in the collection. The danger of books and imagination. They can lead you to dark places that threaten your soul. An interesting addition to vampire lore. Originally published in Weird Tales in April 1933.
“Phantom Brass”
A supernatural railroad story involving spiritualism. Originally published in the August 1934 issue of Railroad Stories.
“The Cane”
Revenge delivered through a cursed cane, a gift to a wealthy Englishman from a Dayak witch doctor. Originally published in the April 1934 issue of Weird Tales.
“The Coach on the Ring”
A good, old European ghost story. It concerns a coach pulled by six horses, fashioned on the cameo of a ring. Originally published as “The Haunted Ring” in the January 1932 issue of Ghost Stories.
“The Kite”
A black magic Tibetan curse story set in Borneo. Like a voodoo curse, but in Asia. Originally published in the June 1937 issue of Thrilling Mystery.
“Canal”
A sci-fi story! I didn’t know Jacobi also wrote sci-fi. This one is a pretty good mystery/Martian caper, involving an ancient Martian canal and a supposed valuable lode. Unfortunately, it ends rather abruptly and unsatisfyingly. Originally published in the Spring 1944 issue of Startling Stories.
“The Satanic Piano”
Kind of a mad scientist story, but including black magic, mesmerism, and telepathy. A piano that can register, play, and record the musical thoughts of a composer could be even better if it could compose music on its own. Originally published in the May 1934 issue of Weird Tales. Adapted in an episode of Tales From the Darkside starring a very young Lisa Bonet.
“The Last Drive”
A creepy short story about a delivery driver whose cargo is a casket and a dead man. Originally published in the June 1933 issue of Weird Tales.
“The Spectral Pistol”
An atmospheric werewolf tale set in England. Originally published as “The Phantom Pistol” in the May 1941 issue of Weird Tales.
“Sagasta’s Last”
The mystery of a sister’s death becomes revealed through spectral images viewed through a telescope. Originally published in the August 1939 issue of Strange Stories.
“The Tomb From Beyond”
An excellent, Lovecraft-like tale of a lost civilization, sea monsters, and strange artifacts. There is a nod to a science-like explanation for the weirdness, but it’s minimal—an interdimensional portal rather than aliens. The beginning of the story has hints of Dracula with the set up. Originally published in the November 1933 issue of Wonder Stories.
“The Digging at Pistol Key”
A story set in Trinidad and involving an Obeah curse. This one had a satisfying ending. Originally published in the July 1947 issue of Weird Tales.
“Moss Island”
A strange story set on an uninhabited New England island. The vegetation is unusual as is the narrator’s discovery. Originally published in the Winter 1932 issue of Amazing Stories Quarterly.
“Carnaby’s Fish”
Something ominous is out on Phillip’s Lake. Be careful, it just might lure you to the shoreline. An excellent weird tale. Originally published in the July 1945 issue of Weird Tales.
“The King and the Knave”
A tale of revenge using a cursed item. Originally published as “The Devil Deals” in the April 1938 issue of Weird Tales.
“Cosmic Teletype”
A second sci-fi tale. An inventor makes a machine capable of receiving and sending messages to distant planets. He receives an unsettling message. Originally published in the October 1938 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories.
“A Pair of Swords”
A museum tour of historical weapons comes alive for a visitor but not from the docent’s lecture. Originally published in the August 1933 issue of Weird Tales.
“A Study in Darkness”
A rat idol and a strange color theory. The color theory part doesn’t quite work, but I like the rat idol. Originally published as “Spawn of Blackness” in the October 1939 issue of Strange Stories.
“Mive”
An ominous marsh hides dangerous fauna. Creepy goodness in a very short story. First published in the Fall 1928 issue of the Minnesota Quarterly and then reprinted in the January 1932 issue of Weird Tales.
“Writing on the Wall”
The third and last sci-fi story. Somewhat similar to the “Cosmic Teletype,” except that in this case messages from a distant planet are being received via the subconscious in doodlings that are then enhanced by a psychologist who has invented a thought amplifier machine. The ending paragraph is quite cynical. Originally published as “The Cosmic Doodler” in the Fall 1944 issue of Startling Stories.
“The Face in the Wind”
An excellent weird tale set in England. The marsh outside the gates of Royalton Manor holds a menace that is stalking human prey. I like the consistency of Jacobi using Marshland as a haven of evil. Originally published in the April 1936 issue of Weird Tales.
“Rails of the Yellow Skull”
A bonus to this edition. “Rails of the Yellow Skull” is a Weird Menace story. The Yellow Skull has announced his intentions to kill both the president of the railroad company and detective Frank North, but not if North can get to the bottom of the mystery first. Wraps up much too tidily. Originally published in Shudder Stories #4 in March 1986.
This collection shows Jacobi’s range as a pulp writer. Mostly the weird tale/horror story, but some science fiction, too. But even his weird stories range from ghost stories/occult detectives to black magic tales to vampires, werewolves, and other strange monsters. No recurring characters, though. He’s been called the master of the weird tale, and it’s too bad he gets so little attention.
This collection is good, but I liked some stories more than others. My favorite was “The Tomb From Beyond.” It’s much better than the titular story. Ironically, it was published in Gernsback’s Wonder Stories, despite having only a superficial sci-fi element. “The Tomb From Beyond” is very much in the vein of H. P. Lovecraft, although Jacobi stays away from explicit Cthulhu mythos references. Other standouts include “The Coach on the Ring,” “The Satanic Piano,” “The Spectral Pistol,” “The Digging at Pistol Key,” “Carnaby’s Fish,” “Mive,” and “The Face in the Wind.”
“Revelations in Black”
The titular story in the collection. The danger of books and imagination. They can lead you to dark places that threaten your soul. An interesting addition to vampire lore. Originally published in Weird Tales in April 1933.
“Phantom Brass”
A supernatural railroad story involving spiritualism. Originally published in the August 1934 issue of Railroad Stories.
“The Cane”
Revenge delivered through a cursed cane, a gift to a wealthy Englishman from a Dayak witch doctor. Originally published in the April 1934 issue of Weird Tales.
“The Coach on the Ring”
A good, old European ghost story. It concerns a coach pulled by six horses, fashioned on the cameo of a ring. Originally published as “The Haunted Ring” in the January 1932 issue of Ghost Stories.
“The Kite”
A black magic Tibetan curse story set in Borneo. Like a voodoo curse, but in Asia. Originally published in the June 1937 issue of Thrilling Mystery.
“Canal”
A sci-fi story! I didn’t know Jacobi also wrote sci-fi. This one is a pretty good mystery/Martian caper, involving an ancient Martian canal and a supposed valuable lode. Unfortunately, it ends rather abruptly and unsatisfyingly. Originally published in the Spring 1944 issue of Startling Stories.
“The Satanic Piano”
Kind of a mad scientist story, but including black magic, mesmerism, and telepathy. A piano that can register, play, and record the musical thoughts of a composer could be even better if it could compose music on its own. Originally published in the May 1934 issue of Weird Tales. Adapted in an episode of Tales From the Darkside starring a very young Lisa Bonet.
“The Last Drive”
A creepy short story about a delivery driver whose cargo is a casket and a dead man. Originally published in the June 1933 issue of Weird Tales.
“The Spectral Pistol”
An atmospheric werewolf tale set in England. Originally published as “The Phantom Pistol” in the May 1941 issue of Weird Tales.
“Sagasta’s Last”
The mystery of a sister’s death becomes revealed through spectral images viewed through a telescope. Originally published in the August 1939 issue of Strange Stories.
“The Tomb From Beyond”
An excellent, Lovecraft-like tale of a lost civilization, sea monsters, and strange artifacts. There is a nod to a science-like explanation for the weirdness, but it’s minimal—an interdimensional portal rather than aliens. The beginning of the story has hints of Dracula with the set up. Originally published in the November 1933 issue of Wonder Stories.
“The Digging at Pistol Key”
A story set in Trinidad and involving an Obeah curse. This one had a satisfying ending. Originally published in the July 1947 issue of Weird Tales.
“Moss Island”
A strange story set on an uninhabited New England island. The vegetation is unusual as is the narrator’s discovery. Originally published in the Winter 1932 issue of Amazing Stories Quarterly.
“Carnaby’s Fish”
Something ominous is out on Phillip’s Lake. Be careful, it just might lure you to the shoreline. An excellent weird tale. Originally published in the July 1945 issue of Weird Tales.
“The King and the Knave”
A tale of revenge using a cursed item. Originally published as “The Devil Deals” in the April 1938 issue of Weird Tales.
“Cosmic Teletype”
A second sci-fi tale. An inventor makes a machine capable of receiving and sending messages to distant planets. He receives an unsettling message. Originally published in the October 1938 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories.
“A Pair of Swords”
A museum tour of historical weapons comes alive for a visitor but not from the docent’s lecture. Originally published in the August 1933 issue of Weird Tales.
“A Study in Darkness”
A rat idol and a strange color theory. The color theory part doesn’t quite work, but I like the rat idol. Originally published as “Spawn of Blackness” in the October 1939 issue of Strange Stories.
“Mive”
An ominous marsh hides dangerous fauna. Creepy goodness in a very short story. First published in the Fall 1928 issue of the Minnesota Quarterly and then reprinted in the January 1932 issue of Weird Tales.
“Writing on the Wall”
The third and last sci-fi story. Somewhat similar to the “Cosmic Teletype,” except that in this case messages from a distant planet are being received via the subconscious in doodlings that are then enhanced by a psychologist who has invented a thought amplifier machine. The ending paragraph is quite cynical. Originally published as “The Cosmic Doodler” in the Fall 1944 issue of Startling Stories.
“The Face in the Wind”
An excellent weird tale set in England. The marsh outside the gates of Royalton Manor holds a menace that is stalking human prey. I like the consistency of Jacobi using Marshland as a haven of evil. Originally published in the April 1936 issue of Weird Tales.
“Rails of the Yellow Skull”
A bonus to this edition. “Rails of the Yellow Skull” is a Weird Menace story. The Yellow Skull has announced his intentions to kill both the president of the railroad company and detective Frank North, but not if North can get to the bottom of the mystery first. Wraps up much too tidily. Originally published in Shudder Stories #4 in March 1986.
This collection shows Jacobi’s range as a pulp writer. Mostly the weird tale/horror story, but some science fiction, too. But even his weird stories range from ghost stories/occult detectives to black magic tales to vampires, werewolves, and other strange monsters. No recurring characters, though. He’s been called the master of the weird tale, and it’s too bad he gets so little attention.
This collection is good, but I liked some stories more than others. My favorite was “The Tomb From Beyond.” It’s much better than the titular story. Ironically, it was published in Gernsback’s Wonder Stories, despite having only a superficial sci-fi element. “The Tomb From Beyond” is very much in the vein of H. P. Lovecraft, although Jacobi stays away from explicit Cthulhu mythos references. Other standouts include “The Coach on the Ring,” “The Satanic Piano,” “The Spectral Pistol,” “The Digging at Pistol Key,” “Carnaby’s Fish,” “Mive,” and “The Face in the Wind.”
May 18, 2017
Jacobi wrote two of my favorite 'weird tales' - 'The Aquarium' and 'The Unpleasantness at Carver House' (included in his later 'Disclosures in Scarlet'), so I had high hopes for this collection. Unfortunately I found it rather disappointing. He is excellent at setting the mood, but I felt most of the tales failed to deliver. This is in part due to the brevity of the stories - they were often over before they had really gathered steam. There are plenty of inventive ideas to fuel these yarns, but unfortunately they often fall flat.
May 27, 2014
The title story is so mediocre that I'm tempted to stop there. But another reviewer recommends "The Satanic Piano," and compares it to Arthur Machen's work, so maybe I'll sample that one before giving up.
July 12, 2022
This compact collection contains ten tales. They are~
1. Revelations in Black
2. Phantom Brass
3. The Cane
4. The Coach on the Ring
5. The Kite
6. Canal
7. The Satanic Piano
8. The Last Drive
9. The Spectral Pistol
10. Sagasta's Last.
Aficionados of 'old school' horror would undoubtedly enjoy this book.
Yes, some of the stories, including the titular one, appear overwritten and overhyped. But all-in-all this is a solid collection, with shock and awe rounding off the tales.
1. Revelations in Black
2. Phantom Brass
3. The Cane
4. The Coach on the Ring
5. The Kite
6. Canal
7. The Satanic Piano
8. The Last Drive
9. The Spectral Pistol
10. Sagasta's Last.
Aficionados of 'old school' horror would undoubtedly enjoy this book.
Yes, some of the stories, including the titular one, appear overwritten and overhyped. But all-in-all this is a solid collection, with shock and awe rounding off the tales.
March 9, 2021
My hot take is that Lovecraft was always the worst of the Lovecraftian authors. Jacobi is twice as good, twice as concise, and only half as racist. The stories are admittedly straightforward with shock endings, but they're tight and atmospheric as can be. Comically awful cover art is always a perk!
January 2, 2026
And so, I have just come to the end of another lot of nine volumes from the remarkable publisher known as Valancourt Books. And what an ennead they were! In chronological order: Forrest Reid's "The Spring Song" (1916), which conflates dognapping, a haunting, and a teenage detective in the Irish countryside; Stephen Gilbert's "The Landslide" (1943), in which the titular event unearths a living dragon and a sea serpent; Robert M. Coates' "Wisteria Cottage" (1948), a psychological horror tale about a very disturbed young man; Nathaniel Benchley's "The Visitors" (1965), a chilling haunted-house novel leavened with a pleasing dollop of humor; Arch Oboler's "House on Fire" (1969), which tells of two very strange children who are in touch with their evil, deceased grandmother; Rohan O'Grady's "Bleak November" (1970), another haunted-house novel that is ultimately revealed to be something else entirely; David Case's "The Third Grave" (1981), a modern-day horror tale with a pulp soul, and centered around Egyptology; Robert Bloch's "The Opener of the Way" (1945), the first collection of stories from the beloved master; and now, finally, another collection of remarkable horror wringers, namely Carl Jacobi's "Revelations in Black" (1947). And it was actually kind of serendipitous that I happened to read those last two volumes back to back as they do share some surprising similarities, as a brief look at the Jacobi collection's publishing history will reveal.
As had Bloch's introduction to the public in hardcover form, Jacobi's first collection was also released by the great great publisher Arkham House, which had been started by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei in 1939 to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of H. P. Lovecraft. As had "The Opener of the Way," "Revelations in Black" also contained 21 stories, featured beautiful cover art by Ronald Clyne, and sold for...$3. Jacobi's book would then go OOPs (out of prints) for 27 years, till the British firm Neville Spearman revived it in hardcover in 1974...the same year Bloch's collection saw its own second edition, courtesy of the same house! Three years later, as a further coincidence, both collections saw the UK publisher Panther release them in paperback format, with both volumes being broken up into two smaller books; in Jacobi's case, the two paperbacks were called "Revelations in Black" and "The Tomb From Beyond." A paperback from the U.S. publisher Jove would follow in 1979, thankfully containing all 21 stories, and then Jacobi's famed collection would go OOPs again for 45 years, till Valancourt finally reissued it in 2024 in a handsome new edition. This latest incarnation of the book not only contains all 21 stories that had appeared in the Arkham House original but also a new and highly informative introduction by Luigi Musolino. For all fans of horror, fantasy and sci-fi who had heard of this collection for decades but had despaired of ever obtaining a reasonably priced copy--as had I--this Valancourt offering should come as a blessing.
Again similar to Bloch's collection, the majority of the stories here first appeared in the classic pulp magazine "Weird Tales," with the other tales having first been published in the rival pulps "Railroad Stories," "Ghost Stories," "Startling Stories," "Thrilling Mystery," "Strange Stories," "Wonder Stories," and "Amazing Stories Quarterly"; the 21 tales date from 1932 to 1947 and thus give readers new to Jacobi (yes, that was me) a nice overview introduction to the author's heyday period.
Before giving you a brief look at the 21 wonders to be encountered herein, a quick word on their creator himself. Carl Jacobi was born in Minneapolis in 1908 and was already writing stories when he was in high school. He later became a journalist, but is today best remembered for the 130 or so stories that he wrote in many fields; to quote Musolino, "horror and science fiction to adventure and detective stories, thriller, and mystery." His career lasted from the 1930s all the way to the '90s, and he counted as friends and/or admirers such fellow luminaries as Lovecraft, Derleth, Wandrei, Hugh B. Cave and Clifford D. Simak. Jacobi passed away in 1997 at the age of 89. But his stories live on today, and have been gathered into five collections over the decades; stories that showcase the author's unfailing ability to engender a disquieting atmosphere, as well as Jacobi'’s in-depth research as regards exotic locales. Those traits are on ample display in this, his first book.
The 21 stories in "Revelations in Black" can be divided into five rough categories. Thus, two of the stories can be placed into the category of Curses; that is to say, tales involving individuals who have been put under some kind of curse by someone versed in the dark arts. And so, in "The Coach on the Ring," a man stops at an inn somewhere in East Prussia, on a stormy night, and hears the story of the curse placed upon the village's ruler some 200 years earlier. But why is the teller of this story dressed in the outdated raiment of the 18th century? "The Digging at Pistol Key," meanwhile, introduces us to Jason Cunard, a mean-spirited sugar plantation owner in Trinidad who not only gets his laundress in trouble with the law, but later accidentally kills her son. And since that laundress just happens to be a voodoo-practicing obeah woman, you can well imagine the rough time that Cunard has in store, in a tale that spotlights a hunt for the buried treasure of French pirate L'Ollonais as well as Jacobi's meticulous descriptions of Port-of-Spain.
In the category of the Supernatural we have five quite chilling stories. In "The Phantom Brass," a young telegraph operator on a rustic railroad line narrowly averts an oncoming disaster...despite having been killed in that same disaster a short time earlier! Jacobi's knowledge of both trains and telegraphy is amply displayed in this brief but winning story. In the even shorter tale entitled "The Last Drive," a man driving a truck containing the coffined remains of a famous race-car driver is forced to spend the night on a mountain road during a blizzard. But who's that taking control of his truck now, in a story that anticipates something out of a 1950s EC comic? "Sagasta's Last" gives the reader a story about a very special kind of telescope, the lenses of which were made using sands taken from the vicinity of a group of devil worshipers in Kurdistan. With this instrument, a man staying at his brother-in-law's home, following the murder of his sister, is able to see that the bank of fog that has been lying for days near the house is actually composed of...clutching hands, of all things! In "The King and the Knave," a world-famous gambler, Basil Sargent, is forced to play a game of whist with his ex-mistress and the woman's cuckolded husband...with a deck of cards unlike anything our gambler has ever seen before. This peculiar deck of cards, with suits of snakes, harpies, spiders and moonflowers, will result in some pretty harrowing events for Sargent. Or will they? And in "A Pair of Swords," a man visiting a French museum seems to see the figures of two 18th century noblemen engaged in a duel with you-know-what! Jacobi's researched knowledge regarding historical weapons is clearly evinced in this short tale.
Speaking of the research that the author went through in order to add verisimilitude to his stories, Musolino tells us in his intro that Jacobi would often contact military officials stationed in remote areas of the world in order to gather tidbits of color for his tales. His meticulous homework paid off in a big way in the four stories here that are either based in or have some connection to Indonesia. And so, in "The Cane," a man working in northern Borneo is gifted a magical piece of wood by a Dyak witch doctor; a piece of wood that the man later has made into the titular object. After his eventual passing, the cane is purchased by the mild-mannered, London gentleman James Grenning, who is soon compelled to commit unspeakable acts of violence with it, in this rather terrific story. "The Kite" is wholly set in northern Borneo, where the wife of Edward Corlin--a man who operates a rest home in the jungle wilderness--lies dying. Corlin has a history of abusing the Dyak natives, and now a kite of unusual design has been tied to a tree by those natives near Corlin's house...every rise and dip of which seems to have a direct effect on Mrs. Corlin's health! A rather grisly finish is the capper to this atmospheric tale. In "The Tomb From Beyond," a man discovers a sunken city in the ocean off the coast of--you guessed it!--northern Borneo, and laboriously transports one part of the city, a mausoleum, back to the States. But little does he know that something still resides in that ancient crypt, leading to a rather Lovecraftian finale, with the sea serpent/spider monstrosity attempting to drag our unfortunate explorer through an interdimensional gate! It is a tremendous story that all fans of H. P. Lovecraft will surely appreciate. And in our final tale involving the Indonesian archipelago, "A Study in Darkness," a man purchases a wooden carving of a rat while visiting the Celebes, only to have the darn thing turn into an actual, murderous, fiendishly clever rat when back in the U.S. An implement of superscience that the man manages to create almost puts this wringer of a story into the realm of sci-fi.
And speaking of which, Science Fiction is indeed the next category to be looked at, a genre in which Jacobi here proves himself surprisingly adept. In the sensational story entitled "Canal," a petty criminal named Kramer enters the verboten zone of the miles-long Canal Grand on Mars, hoping to find a deposit of retnite, an ultrascarce mental stimulant. He is pursued down the length of this trench by an agent of the law who somehow manages to elude Kramer's many death traps, while Kramer himself barely succeeds in fighting off the many ingenious snares left behind by the ancient Martians. This story would surely make for a tremendous Hollywood blockbuster, and its finale should linger long in the reader's memory. My favorite image in this story: Kramer smoking a cheroot...with his space helmet on and shut! My only beef here: Jacobi mistakenly using the word "shuttlecock" instead of "shuttle"; a common error among writers, I've noticed. "The Satanic Piano," meanwhile, is narrated to us by a London-based pianist and composer, who is shown the latest invention of an oddball named Wilson Farber. It is a miniature piano that can actually receive the brain waves of a person looking at it, and transform those brain waves into music! Our narrator borrows the revolutionary device and finds it of great value in his work, but when Farber kidnaps our narrator's fiancée for reasons of his own, things turn rather serious very quickly. An ending that seemingly anticipates the great sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet" (1956) is very cleverly handled. Oh...and bonus points for the wonderful sentence "Outside the fog like some toothless centenarian peered in at the glowing electroliers and drooled mist and greenish drizzle on the windowpanes"! In "Moss Island," a young geologist explores the uninhabited island of the title, just off the New Brunswick coast; an island covered by dozens of species of you-know-what. But when the scientist experiments with a solution that is theoretically supposed to make moss plants grow at a tremendous rate, major-league trouble arises, in this nicely atmospheric wonder. My thanks to Mr. Jacobi for here turning me on to the word "vug," although I'm not sure when or if I'll ever have a chance to use it! "Cosmic Teletype" introduces us to a young inventor named Joseph Rane, whose latest gizmo allows him to communicate with two planets--Uranus and Lirius--that are at war with each other. Rane decides to give the more sympathetic people of Lirius some helpful suggestions, only realizing too late that he has been played for a sucker, and has endangered all of planet Earth. A surprisingly downbeat ending is the icing on the cake here. "Mive," which I have decided after some reflection can be deemed a science fiction story, was Jacobi's first sale to "Weird Tales," in 1932, after the University of Minnesota's "Minnesota Quarterly" published it four years earlier. In "Mive," a hiker walking through the swampland of the title discovers a 15"-wide black butterfly, whose mere touch causes him to have a rather hallucinogenic experience. The story apparently garnered many words of praise, not only from Lovecraft but also from Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. And bonus points here for turning me on to the word "paludinous"! "The Writing on the Wall," it strikes me, is thematically similar to "Cosmic Teletype." In this one, a psychology professor named Bickering realizes that the doodles of a select group of participants have allowed him to tap into a kind of collective unconsciousness. Utilizing Bickering's brain-stimulator device, the subjects begin doodling drawings of an alien world...the world from which humankind arose! But now, the aliens on that planet have become aware of the professor's activities...and they are not very friendly! This story, which was released in 1944, ends with our scientist gloomily reflecting "...man has been spared annihilation from without, but now he's left to fight and kill himself off by wars of his own making...."
Our fifth and final category of stories in this wonderful collection might be termed Monsters of Legend. The title piece, "Revelations in Black," is narrated to us by a man who comes into possession of a trilogy of small books apparently written by a madman. Strangely lured to a distant part of the city later on, our narrator finds a gloomy old house and fountain, precisely as described in the madman's diary! And by that fountain sits a sad woman with an enormous hound. But why does a photograph of the woman fail to print, and why does our narrator awake in the morning with blood seeping out of his neck? Yes, in case you haven't guessed, this is one of the finest and most atmospherically penned vampire stories you could ever hope to read, and its position at the very front of the collection jump-starts the horror fest in a big way. A choice bit of vocabulary in this one: "hyalescent"! In "The Spectral Pistol," a legendary monster of a very different variety is encountered. Here, a bibliophile named McKay goes to the country to visit a new friend, Hugh Trevellan, an expert on ancient guns and pistols. But it is a bad time in the district, what with some type of wild animal carrying off and killing children! And before long, McKay comes to realize just what manner of creature is responsible...a werewolf! Jacobi's taut tale is a little too dependent on mystical coincidence for my taste but yet gets the job done admirably, and again displays the author's knowledge of ancient armaments, as had "A Pair of Swords." Still another legendary creature is to be encountered in "Carnaby's Fish," in which a middle-aged real estate agent, Carnaby, goes fishing on the lake near one of his properties and catches a rather unusual specimen. The hooked catch has the tail section of a large fish but the head and torso of a beautiful blonde woman! Yes, Carnaby has captured nothing less than a lorelei, whose singing calls to him and compels him to flee in fright. But our Realtor's next meeting with the lovely fishwoman will prove to be far more horrific. Another terrific story, this, only marred by Jacobi telling us that Carnaby stayed away from that lake for six months, from July to May; shouldn't that be 10 months? Finally, in "The Face in the Wind," a middle-aged bachelor tears down part of the wall surrounding his ancestral property, not realizing that one of his forebears had placed a mystical protection in it. And this act allows the entrance of some malignant creatures from a nearby marsh...three harpies of legend, no less! And those harpies really are some nasty propositions, whose merest touch will cause the flesh to rot off their unfortunate victims. This tremendous story is the final tale in Jacobi's collection, and brings the curtain down in grand fashion.
But wait...this Valancourt release is not quite done yet! As a bonus of sorts to make this particular edition even more special, one extra story from Carl Jacobi has been included at the tail end; his late-career doozy entitled "Rails of the Yellow Skull," which first appeared in the fanzine "Shudder Stories" in March 1986. Here, a railroad detective named Frank North does his darnedest to capture the mask-wearing villain known as--you guessed it--the Yellow Skull, who has stopped a train in the snowbound Colorado wilderness and is intent on killing the railroad's president and kidnapping North's wife. It is a remarkably fast-moving tale, and pulpy in the extreme; readers will surely be surprised to learn that it wasn't penned in the mid-1930s, but rather a good half century later. A wonderful tribute to the pulp magazines that Jacobi knew all too well!
All in all, then, this is a fairly wonderful collection, and if some of the stories in it are more successful than others, that is only to be expected, I'd say. I now find myself hoping to be able to catch up with more of Carl Jacobi's work, and if Valancourt could find a way to resurrect two of the author's similarly titled collections, namely "Portraits in Moonlight" (1964) and "Disclosures in Scarlet" (1972), this reader would be ever so grateful....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of well-written horror, sci-fi and fantasy literature....)
As had Bloch's introduction to the public in hardcover form, Jacobi's first collection was also released by the great great publisher Arkham House, which had been started by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei in 1939 to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of H. P. Lovecraft. As had "The Opener of the Way," "Revelations in Black" also contained 21 stories, featured beautiful cover art by Ronald Clyne, and sold for...$3. Jacobi's book would then go OOPs (out of prints) for 27 years, till the British firm Neville Spearman revived it in hardcover in 1974...the same year Bloch's collection saw its own second edition, courtesy of the same house! Three years later, as a further coincidence, both collections saw the UK publisher Panther release them in paperback format, with both volumes being broken up into two smaller books; in Jacobi's case, the two paperbacks were called "Revelations in Black" and "The Tomb From Beyond." A paperback from the U.S. publisher Jove would follow in 1979, thankfully containing all 21 stories, and then Jacobi's famed collection would go OOPs again for 45 years, till Valancourt finally reissued it in 2024 in a handsome new edition. This latest incarnation of the book not only contains all 21 stories that had appeared in the Arkham House original but also a new and highly informative introduction by Luigi Musolino. For all fans of horror, fantasy and sci-fi who had heard of this collection for decades but had despaired of ever obtaining a reasonably priced copy--as had I--this Valancourt offering should come as a blessing.
Again similar to Bloch's collection, the majority of the stories here first appeared in the classic pulp magazine "Weird Tales," with the other tales having first been published in the rival pulps "Railroad Stories," "Ghost Stories," "Startling Stories," "Thrilling Mystery," "Strange Stories," "Wonder Stories," and "Amazing Stories Quarterly"; the 21 tales date from 1932 to 1947 and thus give readers new to Jacobi (yes, that was me) a nice overview introduction to the author's heyday period.
Before giving you a brief look at the 21 wonders to be encountered herein, a quick word on their creator himself. Carl Jacobi was born in Minneapolis in 1908 and was already writing stories when he was in high school. He later became a journalist, but is today best remembered for the 130 or so stories that he wrote in many fields; to quote Musolino, "horror and science fiction to adventure and detective stories, thriller, and mystery." His career lasted from the 1930s all the way to the '90s, and he counted as friends and/or admirers such fellow luminaries as Lovecraft, Derleth, Wandrei, Hugh B. Cave and Clifford D. Simak. Jacobi passed away in 1997 at the age of 89. But his stories live on today, and have been gathered into five collections over the decades; stories that showcase the author's unfailing ability to engender a disquieting atmosphere, as well as Jacobi'’s in-depth research as regards exotic locales. Those traits are on ample display in this, his first book.
The 21 stories in "Revelations in Black" can be divided into five rough categories. Thus, two of the stories can be placed into the category of Curses; that is to say, tales involving individuals who have been put under some kind of curse by someone versed in the dark arts. And so, in "The Coach on the Ring," a man stops at an inn somewhere in East Prussia, on a stormy night, and hears the story of the curse placed upon the village's ruler some 200 years earlier. But why is the teller of this story dressed in the outdated raiment of the 18th century? "The Digging at Pistol Key," meanwhile, introduces us to Jason Cunard, a mean-spirited sugar plantation owner in Trinidad who not only gets his laundress in trouble with the law, but later accidentally kills her son. And since that laundress just happens to be a voodoo-practicing obeah woman, you can well imagine the rough time that Cunard has in store, in a tale that spotlights a hunt for the buried treasure of French pirate L'Ollonais as well as Jacobi's meticulous descriptions of Port-of-Spain.
In the category of the Supernatural we have five quite chilling stories. In "The Phantom Brass," a young telegraph operator on a rustic railroad line narrowly averts an oncoming disaster...despite having been killed in that same disaster a short time earlier! Jacobi's knowledge of both trains and telegraphy is amply displayed in this brief but winning story. In the even shorter tale entitled "The Last Drive," a man driving a truck containing the coffined remains of a famous race-car driver is forced to spend the night on a mountain road during a blizzard. But who's that taking control of his truck now, in a story that anticipates something out of a 1950s EC comic? "Sagasta's Last" gives the reader a story about a very special kind of telescope, the lenses of which were made using sands taken from the vicinity of a group of devil worshipers in Kurdistan. With this instrument, a man staying at his brother-in-law's home, following the murder of his sister, is able to see that the bank of fog that has been lying for days near the house is actually composed of...clutching hands, of all things! In "The King and the Knave," a world-famous gambler, Basil Sargent, is forced to play a game of whist with his ex-mistress and the woman's cuckolded husband...with a deck of cards unlike anything our gambler has ever seen before. This peculiar deck of cards, with suits of snakes, harpies, spiders and moonflowers, will result in some pretty harrowing events for Sargent. Or will they? And in "A Pair of Swords," a man visiting a French museum seems to see the figures of two 18th century noblemen engaged in a duel with you-know-what! Jacobi's researched knowledge regarding historical weapons is clearly evinced in this short tale.
Speaking of the research that the author went through in order to add verisimilitude to his stories, Musolino tells us in his intro that Jacobi would often contact military officials stationed in remote areas of the world in order to gather tidbits of color for his tales. His meticulous homework paid off in a big way in the four stories here that are either based in or have some connection to Indonesia. And so, in "The Cane," a man working in northern Borneo is gifted a magical piece of wood by a Dyak witch doctor; a piece of wood that the man later has made into the titular object. After his eventual passing, the cane is purchased by the mild-mannered, London gentleman James Grenning, who is soon compelled to commit unspeakable acts of violence with it, in this rather terrific story. "The Kite" is wholly set in northern Borneo, where the wife of Edward Corlin--a man who operates a rest home in the jungle wilderness--lies dying. Corlin has a history of abusing the Dyak natives, and now a kite of unusual design has been tied to a tree by those natives near Corlin's house...every rise and dip of which seems to have a direct effect on Mrs. Corlin's health! A rather grisly finish is the capper to this atmospheric tale. In "The Tomb From Beyond," a man discovers a sunken city in the ocean off the coast of--you guessed it!--northern Borneo, and laboriously transports one part of the city, a mausoleum, back to the States. But little does he know that something still resides in that ancient crypt, leading to a rather Lovecraftian finale, with the sea serpent/spider monstrosity attempting to drag our unfortunate explorer through an interdimensional gate! It is a tremendous story that all fans of H. P. Lovecraft will surely appreciate. And in our final tale involving the Indonesian archipelago, "A Study in Darkness," a man purchases a wooden carving of a rat while visiting the Celebes, only to have the darn thing turn into an actual, murderous, fiendishly clever rat when back in the U.S. An implement of superscience that the man manages to create almost puts this wringer of a story into the realm of sci-fi.
And speaking of which, Science Fiction is indeed the next category to be looked at, a genre in which Jacobi here proves himself surprisingly adept. In the sensational story entitled "Canal," a petty criminal named Kramer enters the verboten zone of the miles-long Canal Grand on Mars, hoping to find a deposit of retnite, an ultrascarce mental stimulant. He is pursued down the length of this trench by an agent of the law who somehow manages to elude Kramer's many death traps, while Kramer himself barely succeeds in fighting off the many ingenious snares left behind by the ancient Martians. This story would surely make for a tremendous Hollywood blockbuster, and its finale should linger long in the reader's memory. My favorite image in this story: Kramer smoking a cheroot...with his space helmet on and shut! My only beef here: Jacobi mistakenly using the word "shuttlecock" instead of "shuttle"; a common error among writers, I've noticed. "The Satanic Piano," meanwhile, is narrated to us by a London-based pianist and composer, who is shown the latest invention of an oddball named Wilson Farber. It is a miniature piano that can actually receive the brain waves of a person looking at it, and transform those brain waves into music! Our narrator borrows the revolutionary device and finds it of great value in his work, but when Farber kidnaps our narrator's fiancée for reasons of his own, things turn rather serious very quickly. An ending that seemingly anticipates the great sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet" (1956) is very cleverly handled. Oh...and bonus points for the wonderful sentence "Outside the fog like some toothless centenarian peered in at the glowing electroliers and drooled mist and greenish drizzle on the windowpanes"! In "Moss Island," a young geologist explores the uninhabited island of the title, just off the New Brunswick coast; an island covered by dozens of species of you-know-what. But when the scientist experiments with a solution that is theoretically supposed to make moss plants grow at a tremendous rate, major-league trouble arises, in this nicely atmospheric wonder. My thanks to Mr. Jacobi for here turning me on to the word "vug," although I'm not sure when or if I'll ever have a chance to use it! "Cosmic Teletype" introduces us to a young inventor named Joseph Rane, whose latest gizmo allows him to communicate with two planets--Uranus and Lirius--that are at war with each other. Rane decides to give the more sympathetic people of Lirius some helpful suggestions, only realizing too late that he has been played for a sucker, and has endangered all of planet Earth. A surprisingly downbeat ending is the icing on the cake here. "Mive," which I have decided after some reflection can be deemed a science fiction story, was Jacobi's first sale to "Weird Tales," in 1932, after the University of Minnesota's "Minnesota Quarterly" published it four years earlier. In "Mive," a hiker walking through the swampland of the title discovers a 15"-wide black butterfly, whose mere touch causes him to have a rather hallucinogenic experience. The story apparently garnered many words of praise, not only from Lovecraft but also from Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. And bonus points here for turning me on to the word "paludinous"! "The Writing on the Wall," it strikes me, is thematically similar to "Cosmic Teletype." In this one, a psychology professor named Bickering realizes that the doodles of a select group of participants have allowed him to tap into a kind of collective unconsciousness. Utilizing Bickering's brain-stimulator device, the subjects begin doodling drawings of an alien world...the world from which humankind arose! But now, the aliens on that planet have become aware of the professor's activities...and they are not very friendly! This story, which was released in 1944, ends with our scientist gloomily reflecting "...man has been spared annihilation from without, but now he's left to fight and kill himself off by wars of his own making...."
Our fifth and final category of stories in this wonderful collection might be termed Monsters of Legend. The title piece, "Revelations in Black," is narrated to us by a man who comes into possession of a trilogy of small books apparently written by a madman. Strangely lured to a distant part of the city later on, our narrator finds a gloomy old house and fountain, precisely as described in the madman's diary! And by that fountain sits a sad woman with an enormous hound. But why does a photograph of the woman fail to print, and why does our narrator awake in the morning with blood seeping out of his neck? Yes, in case you haven't guessed, this is one of the finest and most atmospherically penned vampire stories you could ever hope to read, and its position at the very front of the collection jump-starts the horror fest in a big way. A choice bit of vocabulary in this one: "hyalescent"! In "The Spectral Pistol," a legendary monster of a very different variety is encountered. Here, a bibliophile named McKay goes to the country to visit a new friend, Hugh Trevellan, an expert on ancient guns and pistols. But it is a bad time in the district, what with some type of wild animal carrying off and killing children! And before long, McKay comes to realize just what manner of creature is responsible...a werewolf! Jacobi's taut tale is a little too dependent on mystical coincidence for my taste but yet gets the job done admirably, and again displays the author's knowledge of ancient armaments, as had "A Pair of Swords." Still another legendary creature is to be encountered in "Carnaby's Fish," in which a middle-aged real estate agent, Carnaby, goes fishing on the lake near one of his properties and catches a rather unusual specimen. The hooked catch has the tail section of a large fish but the head and torso of a beautiful blonde woman! Yes, Carnaby has captured nothing less than a lorelei, whose singing calls to him and compels him to flee in fright. But our Realtor's next meeting with the lovely fishwoman will prove to be far more horrific. Another terrific story, this, only marred by Jacobi telling us that Carnaby stayed away from that lake for six months, from July to May; shouldn't that be 10 months? Finally, in "The Face in the Wind," a middle-aged bachelor tears down part of the wall surrounding his ancestral property, not realizing that one of his forebears had placed a mystical protection in it. And this act allows the entrance of some malignant creatures from a nearby marsh...three harpies of legend, no less! And those harpies really are some nasty propositions, whose merest touch will cause the flesh to rot off their unfortunate victims. This tremendous story is the final tale in Jacobi's collection, and brings the curtain down in grand fashion.
But wait...this Valancourt release is not quite done yet! As a bonus of sorts to make this particular edition even more special, one extra story from Carl Jacobi has been included at the tail end; his late-career doozy entitled "Rails of the Yellow Skull," which first appeared in the fanzine "Shudder Stories" in March 1986. Here, a railroad detective named Frank North does his darnedest to capture the mask-wearing villain known as--you guessed it--the Yellow Skull, who has stopped a train in the snowbound Colorado wilderness and is intent on killing the railroad's president and kidnapping North's wife. It is a remarkably fast-moving tale, and pulpy in the extreme; readers will surely be surprised to learn that it wasn't penned in the mid-1930s, but rather a good half century later. A wonderful tribute to the pulp magazines that Jacobi knew all too well!
All in all, then, this is a fairly wonderful collection, and if some of the stories in it are more successful than others, that is only to be expected, I'd say. I now find myself hoping to be able to catch up with more of Carl Jacobi's work, and if Valancourt could find a way to resurrect two of the author's similarly titled collections, namely "Portraits in Moonlight" (1964) and "Disclosures in Scarlet" (1972), this reader would be ever so grateful....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of well-written horror, sci-fi and fantasy literature....)
April 19, 2014
Some stories are good and require much pondering (e.g. 'The Cane' & 'The Coach on the Ring'), others are just bizarre ('Canal'), and many others still are far outdated.
October 30, 2014
one of the most fantastic vampire stories i have ever read.
September 17, 2024
Jacobi, Carl - Revelations In Black
Jacobi’s first Arkham House collection is a doozy. One can see how he was held in high regard by fellow writers in the “weird” sphere.
The title story is a dreamlike echo of “Carmilla”, as our narrator is drawn to a rare set of autobiographical journals, and from there toward the dark eyed pearl.
Mr Grenning somehow acquires a cursed walking stick in “The Cane”. It exerts a sinister influence over him, while the history of the previous owner quietly unfolds.
“Canal” is a change of pace, set on the somewhat colonized Mars, where a desperate thief escapes through one of the forbidden waterways, where others have entered, and disappeared.
One collects books, to the other weapons, both obsessives, yet in different fields, so they are not rivals. The common link in “The Spectral Pistol” is that their remote village is best by a ravening wolf
‘The Tombs From Beyond” dives deep into HPL territory. A Polynesian temple has been transported, block by block, to the explorer’s country lake, in hopes of a museum or tourist draw. The wealthy adventurer failed to consider that something unspeakable might accompany the tomb.
Royalton Manor has been crumbling for decades. Repairs were beyond the last of the line, so he lives with memories and rising dust. And a tenant, Classilda, charity case, a crone of foul aspect. A wall that has stood for centuries needs restoration, despite warnings to leave well enough alone. In “The Face In The Wind” the wall is, indeed, reworked and forces are unleashed. A classic supernatural story, steeped in old myths.
Three cheers to Valencourt Press for reissuing this long OP book.
Jacobi’s first Arkham House collection is a doozy. One can see how he was held in high regard by fellow writers in the “weird” sphere.
The title story is a dreamlike echo of “Carmilla”, as our narrator is drawn to a rare set of autobiographical journals, and from there toward the dark eyed pearl.
Mr Grenning somehow acquires a cursed walking stick in “The Cane”. It exerts a sinister influence over him, while the history of the previous owner quietly unfolds.
“Canal” is a change of pace, set on the somewhat colonized Mars, where a desperate thief escapes through one of the forbidden waterways, where others have entered, and disappeared.
One collects books, to the other weapons, both obsessives, yet in different fields, so they are not rivals. The common link in “The Spectral Pistol” is that their remote village is best by a ravening wolf
‘The Tombs From Beyond” dives deep into HPL territory. A Polynesian temple has been transported, block by block, to the explorer’s country lake, in hopes of a museum or tourist draw. The wealthy adventurer failed to consider that something unspeakable might accompany the tomb.
Royalton Manor has been crumbling for decades. Repairs were beyond the last of the line, so he lives with memories and rising dust. And a tenant, Classilda, charity case, a crone of foul aspect. A wall that has stood for centuries needs restoration, despite warnings to leave well enough alone. In “The Face In The Wind” the wall is, indeed, reworked and forces are unleashed. A classic supernatural story, steeped in old myths.
Three cheers to Valencourt Press for reissuing this long OP book.
June 14, 2021
*review only for the titular story.
A man finds an interesting journal in an antique store. He is told it is not for sale, as it is the journal of the brother of the shop proprietor. He died a year ago in an insane asylum. The intrigued shopper insists that he be allowed to read it overnight, if he pays.
Inside there is a garbled description of unicorns, birds, faceless boys and a strongly scented black pearl. Struck with the urge to walk at midnight, he wanders into a ruined courtyard, meets a woman wearing a thick veil and sits with her until dawn when she disappears.
The ruined courtyard has dry fountains that match the scribbled ravings of the lunatic.
dun dun dun...
But there are two more volumes.
This was okay, I loved the descriptions of the courtyard. And it interesting to hear a story set in America where the woman is Austrian searching for her lost brother after the First World War. And our hero has a photography hobby.
But he makes some wild logic leaps based on nothing.
2 stars
A man finds an interesting journal in an antique store. He is told it is not for sale, as it is the journal of the brother of the shop proprietor. He died a year ago in an insane asylum. The intrigued shopper insists that he be allowed to read it overnight, if he pays.
Inside there is a garbled description of unicorns, birds, faceless boys and a strongly scented black pearl. Struck with the urge to walk at midnight, he wanders into a ruined courtyard, meets a woman wearing a thick veil and sits with her until dawn when she disappears.
The ruined courtyard has dry fountains that match the scribbled ravings of the lunatic.
dun dun dun...
But there are two more volumes.
This was okay, I loved the descriptions of the courtyard. And it interesting to hear a story set in America where the woman is Austrian searching for her lost brother after the First World War. And our hero has a photography hobby.
But he makes some wild logic leaps based on nothing.
2 stars
September 29, 2024
As with all short story collections, the stories were hit and miss for me. The writing is, of course, keeping with the style of the times (written in 1947), but it's not so dense as to keep anyone from enjoying it. The stories all tend to have a slower start, but this collection is nice to curl up with with some tea and just take your time. There's vampires, werewolves, and curses, so it covers a lot of classic horror elements
November 5, 2019
Quintessential 'Weird Tales' style. For me, there were few highlights, but solid consistency throughout. As should be evident from their origin, many of these stories are more strange than they are frightening, although some of that could be due to an overexposure to the endlessly repeated variations in horror fiction tropes in the years since. Eerie and well-written.
February 27, 2024
a hard to find classic
With almost no reprints this story is incredibly hard to find. It’s a unique take on the vampire story. A man ensnared by three hand printed books by the victim of a brother and sister vampire duo. They are bound by the books into a crumbling old mansion. Written with the rather purple prose of the time, the story is none the less a classic.
With almost no reprints this story is incredibly hard to find. It’s a unique take on the vampire story. A man ensnared by three hand printed books by the victim of a brother and sister vampire duo. They are bound by the books into a crumbling old mansion. Written with the rather purple prose of the time, the story is none the less a classic.
September 22, 2020
An old antique store, a strange book written by a man in a lunatic asylum containing a reference to "five unicorns and a pearl". This is followed by an unbreakable compulsion. This vampire story was first published in Weird Tales in 1933; it is atmospheric and tautly written.
January 24, 2021
This was an unusual vampire tale. Very hauntingly unique. Character development excellent, pacing very smooth, and the ending classic.
Definitely recommended.
We narrated this one on our “Dweller of the Dark” channel!
Definitely recommended.
We narrated this one on our “Dweller of the Dark” channel!
January 3, 2023
Carl Jacobs. Writer of a hidden them of Horror fiction!
Perhaps one of the best, most effective Vampire stories I have ever read. It enthralled me as a 14 year old and still doesn't disappoint
Perhaps one of the best, most effective Vampire stories I have ever read. It enthralled me as a 14 year old and still doesn't disappoint
July 14, 2023
Simple weird tales of the period (1930s–'40s), tackling a variety of subjects and characters, told in stylish and readable prose; Jacobi has a tendency to overdo the ending, especially those that culminate in newspaper reports.
July 15, 2024
As a pulp fan, these stories are characteristic and classic 1930s-40s entertainments. From the exotic to the satanic, there are a good variety of thrills and chills done well here. Thanks to Valancourt for offering a hardback reprint & the unpublished story (Rails of the Yellow Skull).
September 29, 2024
Very fun collection of short stories, often strange, some a little goofy in an endearing way that only the pulps can pull off. The stories range from horror to science fiction to mystery to the unclassifiable. I'm very glad I finally got to read Jacobi.
March 3, 2021
4.5. A rare treat. Excellent ghost stories, including a few with sci fi elements.
April 27, 2022
Four stars mainly for the title story…
Want to read
December 16, 2024"The Last Drive"
January 3, 2025
I'm not sure whether these are genuinely the least surprising stories I've ever read, or Jacobi came along early enough in weird fiction that he originated the tropes.
Read
October 25, 2017Horror
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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