After Midnight: Stories of Mystery and the Macabre

by Sidney Wainwright, Archibald Jerome (Introduction)

"Anything can happen in the dark..." After Midnight is a collection of gothic short stories based on the folk legends and cautionary tales of the unknown that were collected in Britain by missing author Sidney Wainwright. All the tales are born from that inane human fascination with mystery and the macabre. From sinister unsolved murders or the exploits of slavers to the realms of the supernatural, and the mysteries of the human mind, these tales heighten the senses and take you back to those childhood fears that we are all drawn to once again when the lights go out.

The tales are presented from a rediscovered manuscript by Sidney Wainwright's friend Archibald Jerome along with his recollections of the illusive man himself, who is perhaps a deeper mystery than any of the stories. Sidney Wainwright's whereabouts and fate remain a mystery to this day.
So sit by the hearth on a dark and stormy night. Read yourself a story or two by firelight. Try to forget the sense that someone is there with you, watching, always just out of sight. I warn you, once the clock chimes midnight, there is no knowing how this tale will end.

Genres: Horror

102 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2018

About the author

Sidney Wainwright’s alter ego is an author of fiction living in the South of England in the twenty-first century. Away from his writing, he is an administrative clerk and ferroequinologist. His love of history and mystery inspired the world of the Curious Cases. He often wonders whether he created Sidney or if Sidney created him.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite not liking old timey stylistically affected subgenre of horrific storytelling, somehow I ended up reading two of those almost back to back. Well, to be fair, this one isn’t even set that far back. The gimmick here is that the author, Sidney Wainwright, an aficionado of eerie local folk legends, mysteriously disappeared and his loyal friend, Archibald Jerome, the Watson to his Sherlock if you will, had put together this collection of tales told by the inimitable Mr. Wainwright to him at various times. So the stories are strategically dated to sound like something from the early to mid. 1900s, but this deliberately designed charming technique didn’t really work for me. It made the stories too mild to be genuinely disturbing and the language too contrived to be enjoyable. The fans of the literature from that era should like this, probably, even I from time to time have read an older work of fiction that really worked for me. This one just didn’t. Something about the modern pastiches just seems so affected, with such a conceit and deliberation as to pass for something from a (presumably) quainter time. To be fair, this really is a very subjective take on the collection. I’m sure there are fans of quiet mild slightly scary British stories from way back when that’ll appreciate this book. And for some…the only challenging thing about reading it before midnight is making it to midnight without dozing off. For a Kindle freebie it was decent enough in writing and publishing quality, although read somewhat slower that it should have given the slim volume.

[Dua (in reading slump) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hidden gem, I loved everything about it.

The dynamic between the author and his solicitor reminded me of Holmes & Watson and Poirot & Hastings, yet they are both unique and interesting characters in their own right. It was fun to read their conversations and I'd definitely like to learn more about them. The whole mystery surrounding the author is intriguing as well. I wonder if we'll ever learn what happened to him.

The stories were quite engaging. The author's beautiful and descriptive prose drops you right in the middle of the setting. With each story, you find yourself in a different corner of England watching people as the events unfold in front of your eyes. Some of the stories gave me the chills, especially while reading in the middle of the night. And some were rather sad than scary. I truly enjoyed all stories but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be Mr Simms and Mr Redfellow.

Highly recommended for fans of chilling stories in the vein of Poe, Doyle, and Lovecraft.

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really beautiful collection of short stories. The author has perfectly crafted these little gems for us; which are as deep and complex, or light and simple as you wish to delve into them. A truly eerie writing style, along with a loving humanity combines beautifully here.

[SUSAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for some cozy British _subdued_ gothic horror, you have found it. You won't find ear-piercing screams or gore, but stories that may challenge older OLDER Brits to clench their teeth and mutter, "Oh dear."

I think when you see the word "Macabre" in the title it should give you a bit of a nudge in the ribs, so I was delighted with the stories inside as well as the interesting forward, because the author has been missing for some time and the works published in his absence...

[Alan Loewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A True Delight

This book is a wonderful collection of braided stories that cover numerous themes ranging from horror to whimsy. You will certainly find one or more, if not all of the stories that will catch your fancy.

The prose is perfect and the stories are reminiscent of the older pulps and tales, but still fresh and enjoyable.

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have used some better editing but very entertaining and a bit creepy. Some of the stories are better than others and some are just too vague to fully make sense, but it would be a great collection to enjoy on a dark night.

[Kate C · Rating 3 out of 5]

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