Tales of Unease

by Arthur Conan Doyle

This gripping set of tales by the master storyteller Arthur Conan Doyle is bound to thrill and unnerve you. In these twilight excursions, Doyle's vivid imagination for the strange, the grotesque and the frightening is given full rein.

We move from the mysteries of Egypt and the strange powers granted by The Ring of Thoth to the isolated ghostlands of the Arctic in The Captain of the Polestar, we encounter a monstrous creature in The Terror of Blue John Cap and the beings that live above our heads in The Brazilian Cat and The Leather Funnel; and we shudder at the thing in the next room in Lot 249.

Sit down in your uneasy chair and enjoy this unique collection of chillers.

Other Stories include:

The Lord of Château Noir
The New Catacomb
The Case of Lady Sannox
The Brown Hand
The Horror of the Heights
How It Happened
Playing with Fire
The Los Amigos Fiasco
The Nightmare Room

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, Weird Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1894

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the impressive things about this book is that its worst stories, in spite of their trivial or absurd denouements, still offer a satisfying reading experience. Conan Doyle is a master of narrative prose and draws you into the world of his stories even when their essential conception may be outdated or flawed.

Most of the inferior stories in this collection are flawed precisely because they are outdated. Although some have genuinely eerie supernatural elements, most of his stories are not really weird tales at all, but rather accounts of thrilling adventure set on the edge of the unknown. The unknown, however, has shrunk considerably since Doyle's day, and his accounts of sinister jellyfish-like aeronauts sailing through the upper atmosphere ("The Horror of the Heights"), huge hairy creatures hibernating underground in the caves of rural Derbyshire ("The Terror of Blue John Gap") or certain manifestations at proper British seances ("Playing With Fire") seem more ludicrous than terrifying. Still, they keep your interest, even if they disappoint in the end. The closest thing to a traditional ghost story is "The Captain of the Polestar," which may be influenced by Poe's "Pym," but is more directly related to Doyle's experience as a ship's doctor in the Arctic. It is an effective, atmospheric tale, but not the best of the collection.

The best stories contained here fall into two categories: mysterious tales of the Orient and "contes cruels," or "cruel tales". All of the Eastern tales are set in England, but involve objects that carry the magic of the Oriental to scholarly British locales. The two involving Egyptian artifacts ("The Ring of Toth" and "Lot 249") are extremely thrilling, and if "The Ring of Toth" sounds familiar, that is because it is the basis of all those Mummy movies made in the last eighty years. The other eastern tale ("The Brown Hand") is associated with India, and it is also very effective.

The other group of successful tales surprised--and even shocked--me a little, particular coming from a staid English gentleman like Doyle. I think they can best be considered "contes cruels" (a term coined by Villiers de l'Isle-Adam for his own stories): Poe-influenced tales that delight in depicting pain and its psychological effects, frequently verging on sadism, and usually implying criticism of those with money and power. Of these the mildest is "The Brazilian Cat". The most disturbing involve violence to women: "The Leather Funnel" and "The Case of Lady Sannox," an unforgettable tale of revenge.

All in all, I would recommend this collection. Even the second-rate stories please, and the rest are filled with thrills and delights.

[Maria Lago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me sorprendió mucho leer tantos relatos buenos, porque tenía a Doyle por un maestro de las historias detectivescas, no por un genio del terror. Pero me encantó descubrir esta faceta. Y recordemos que los libros de Worthsword suelen costar 3 euros en ferias del libro y similares... Todo bien.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.6 stars

This collection of Conan Doyle's fifteen stories of unease were truly a pleasure to read. All the stories were published between 1890 and 1921. Each and every story was good and enjoyable to read, and their ratings range from 3 to 4.5, which is subjective of course. It was my first venture into reading works by Arthur Conan Doyle, albeit late in life but never too late. I totally loved the way he writes, although it took me about three stories to grasp well.
Next to follow would be his The Lost World & Other Stories. Am looking forward to reading it soon. :)

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has been somewhat type-cast as the author of Sherlock Holmes stories (exactly the thing that he had apprehended, and had consequently decided, somewhat hastily, to do away with the "meddling fellow" for good in Reichenbach). Unfortunately, this type-casting has led to our loss, and has made us unaware of the fact that above-all, he was a wonderful story-teller who knew how to tell a gripping story. The stories in this book all testify to this effect, and should be lapped up immediately. The stories are: -

The Ring of Thoth
The Lord of Château Noir
The New Catacomb
The Case of Lady Sannox
The Brazilian Cat
The Brown Hand
The Horror of the Heights
The Terror of the Blue John Gap
The Captain of the Polestar
How It Happened
Playing with Fire
The Leather Funnel
Lot No. 249
The Los Amigos Fiasco
The Nightmare Room

Many of these are classics on their own merit, and this very-very reasonably priced edition is highly recommended to all!

[Kostas · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

It is certain that the 19th century was one of the most creative eras as many writers managed to stand out through their stories and remain, even today, quite widely read. Among them we cannot but include also and Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the most talented writers of his time that left his mark as much as to crime, mystery and historical fiction stories; and even with science fiction as also horror stories.
This collection contains fifteen stories in the Horror genre that show Doyle's vivid imagination for the strange, the bizarre, the unreal - the extraordinary.

The Ring of Thoth
The first story starts this collection with an Egyptologist who, as he will discover the secrets of an ancient mummy in the museum of Louvre, he will find himself against with a mysterious man who has passed through the millenniums seeking for the “Ring of Thoth” to send him back to his long lost love.

It is a good first story, although certainly I wouldn’t call it perfect, to start this collection with Doyle showing his ideas for immortality through supernatural elements.

The Lord of Château Noir
The second one is a more realistic story as it follows a German captain who gets assigned the mission to capture the French count of the “Black Castle”, only to find himself later against a cruel and cunning man who seeks revenge for his lost son and may well bring him and his death.

A much more satisfactory story with Doyle creating a good atmosphere and showing how the effects of a war can affect someone and force him to do the most horrible things.

The New Catacomb
The third story focuses on Kennedy who, as he will share with his friend his deepest secret, he will find himself in an adventure to discover an ancient catacomb. Only to realize later that this was, perhaps, also and his biggest mistake as it will bring face to face with a horrendous reality.

As with the previous one it is a revenge story but with Doyle here taking a, significantly, more time to build it - which is also and its weakest part - and managing only towards the end to make it interesting enough. However, when the end comes it hits hard.

The Case of Lady Sannox
The fourth story follows a famous surgeon who falls into a, scandalous, love with Lady Sannox. But when one day, as he finishes his work and prepares for his date with Lady Sannox, he receives a mysterious man who will ask him to come to see his wife, who is at the bring of death from an unknown cause, he will be faced with a horrendous truth.

Another revenge story with Doyle showing a much better handling here - to both the protagonist, and the same plot itself - and managing to make it stronger as a whole than the previous two stories.

The Brazilian Cat
The next story follows the adventures of Marshall who, after the death of his father, will find himself without any money and without any a place to stay. However, when one day his cousin, an adventurer who has returned from Brazil, invites to his home he will find himself in a strange place that will bring him face to face with his cunning plans; and with an unusual creature that may well bring him to his death.

One of the strongest and most interesting stories of this collection as Doyle manages to build through the characters a great suspense, and to also bring and a very subversive finale.

The Brown Hand
‘The Brown Hand’ has a particularly unusual history as it focuses on Hardacre who receives an unexpected invitation to meet his uncle, a celebrated Indian surgeon, only to discover later that in his house a strange man who seeks his amputated hand.

After the great ‘The Brazilian Cat’ this story, slightly, disappointing as, even though some problems in some parts with its plot, it fails to hold the interest high as much as the rest of the stories. I wouldn’t call it a bad story, but certainly a pretty weak one.

The Horror of the Heights
Continuing in a different style this story focuses on a book-note that has been discovered and tells of the air-flight adventures of Joyce-Armstrong as he reaches a height that no other man has ever reached again; and also to the discovery of some, unusual, creatures.

It's a pretty good story that shows Doyle’s talent as he manages to combine both of Sci-Fi and Horror genres and also to create some very strange creatures.

The Terror of Blue John Gap
Another story in the same style as in ‘The Horror of the Heights’ with this one focusing on Dr Hardcastle’s narrative that has been found among his belongings and recount his adventures in a Roman mine; and his encounter with an extraordinary monster.

Even though this story was written just three years before ‘The Horror of the Heights’ it proves quite stronger, as also more interesting story with Doyle managing to build wonderfully the mystery of the mine.

The Captain of the Polestar
Continuing again in a similar style this story follows the events of the Polestar ship through Dr Mcalister Ray’s journal as he travels in the Arctic seas, and finds himself against with its, unusual, captain and with a very mysterious case.

It’s a “thinly veiled” ghost story with Doyle showing his influence from his travels on a whaling ship in the Arctic seas a few years earlier. However, even though he wrote it in a fairly young age, its central idea fails to hold the interest in a high level, and so making a, relatively, neutral story in the end.

How It Happened
The smallest story of this collection, with just only three pages, follows a young man who has a big passion for cars. But, when after an accident he meets his old, and long dead friend he will be faced with a bitter truth.

Despite its small size Doyle manages to put his own touch to these few pages and bring a little, ironic story as it shows mankind’s simple, everyday mistakes.

Playing with Fire
‘Playing with Fire’ follows Markham as narrates us the events that brought him, a group who have a passion for the occult, against with an unusually extraordinary spirit.

A pretty good story with Doyle marking the beginning of the 20th century and managing to hold mystery in a strong level until the end; as also showing us his first ideas about the spiritual world that so much affected him in his later years.

The Leather Funnel
The next one follows an unnamed protagonist who meets Dacre, a collector of rare items, as he will recount to him the discovery of a mysterious ‘leather funnel’ which causes the most horrendous dreams.

It is a nice story in a mix of dreams and horror that could certainly have been developed much more and become even more gruesome if Doyle wanted it.

Lot No. 249
The best story of this collection comes in ‘Lot No. 249’ as it takes us to the University of Oxford and follows the narratives of Abercrombie Smith, a medical student, who falls onto the dark plans of a fellow student and to a gruesome mummy that kills anyone who falls in its hands.

It is an amazingly enjoyable story with Doyle building its suspense wonderfully and reaching to a small masterpiece of horror. Definitely the most powerful story of the collection; and my most favourite.

The Los Amigos Fiasco
‘The Los Amigos Fiasco’ is a small but horrendously humorous story focusing on a electric supply company who has taken to execute, through electrocution, the death penalty of a convict, only to discover later that they made a big mistake.

It's a funny story, although certainly not as scary as the previous one, but managing at least to hold the interest high.

The Nightmare Room
The last story comes with a more “cinematic” style following a wealthy man who discovers that his, beloved, wife and her lover, are trying to poison him to put him out of his misery. Only, while he will try to find a solution to this situation, they all will find themselves with against with an unusually dark man.

It is a good story for the closure of this collection, although certainly not as impressive as rest of the stories. Nevertheless it manages, too, to hold the interest till its end.

Overall, it is a good collection, even though not all of them are extremely strong, it manages to remain in a quite high level through Doyle’s writing and stand out with his, own, wonderfully atmospheric style.

[Seyma · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk 6 öykü o kadar güzeldi ki mutluluktan kitabı ısıracaktım ama ilerleyince diğer öyküler bir tık altında kaldı kötü demiyorum okumak keyifliydi ama baştakiler kadar değil.

[Yaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitapta toplamda on beş öykü vardı ve ben dört tanesini çok sevdim. İlk öykü olan “Tot’un Yüzüğü” kitaba harika bir girişti. Bir Mısır bilimci müzede araştırmasını yaparken uyuyakalıyor ve gece birden uyandığında çok şaşırtıcı olaylara tanık oluyor. Sonra müzenin gece bekçisi olayların açıklamasını yapıyor ve harika bir hikaye dinliyoruz.
“Yeni Yeraltı Mezarı” çok beğendiğim bir diğer öykü oldu. İyi planlanmış bir intikamı anlatıyordu ve sonunu hiç tahmin edemedim, çok güzeldi.
“Esmer El” sanırım favori öykümdü. Tek eli olmayan Hintli bir hayalet ve arkasında yatan gizemli hikayesini okuyoruz. Olayın çözülme kısmı da çok hoşuma gitti, hem komik hem mantıklıydı.
“249 Numaralı Parça” yine ilk öyküye benzer bir temaya sahipti. Antik Mısır gizemleri, mumyalar ve oryantalist bir hava içeren öyküler sanırım benim ilgimi çok çekiyor.
Bunlar dışında bahsetmek istediğim bir diğer şey de kitaptaki üç öykünün (Yükseklerdeki Dehşet, Blue John Mağarası Dehşeti ve Kutup Yıldızı’nın Kaptanı) tamamen Lovecraft stilinde olması. Bu öykülerden gram keyif alamadım çünkü Lovecraft’ın öykülerini de hiç sevmiyorum.
Onun dışındaki öyküler de fena değil, idare eder diyebilirim.

[Jeannie Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book.Doyle has been forgotten as a writer of fantasy and horror which he does to a very good degree in this book.
It was worth the $7 price tag and I am sure that I will read the stories again.I really can't imagine anyone being dissapointed with this work.

[Kerem Güner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tales of Unease" is a very enjoyable book. There are many stories in different themes. Even though these stories are of the gothic genre, they are not the kind of suffocating stories.
You will encounter adequate descriptions of Sherlock Holmes stories in this book. Without getting bogged down in excessive detail, you arrive at the end of the story with an understanding of everything.
Since the stories are generally not very long, you can sit down and finish a story once in a while.
If you want to read short gothic stories and want to be surprised every now and then, this is the book you are looking for.

[albionlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Ja sa netrasiem od zimy.“
(A. C. Doyle: Dobrodružstvo škvrnitej pásky)

Túto knihu som vyhrala na soirée a mám podpis jedného z jej prekladateľov! To len tak na úvod, pretože sa z toho stále neskutočne teším.

Diabolská izba je zbierka poviedok sira Arthura Conana Doyla a ľudí, ktorí tohto spisovateľa poznajú len ako autora slávneho racionálneho detektíva a majstra dedukcie Sherlocka Holmesa, určite prekvapí. Doyle v nej totiž rozpráva príbehy plné nadprirodzených udalostí, bytostí a zjavov. Zaujímavé je, že tieto historky neobjasňuje žiadnym logickým záverom prijateľným pre náš pozemský svet, ale čitateľa nechá premýšľať, nech si vyberie sám: Žila v Modrojohnskej diere skutočne príšera z praveku, alebo šlo len o výplod fantázie choromyseľného muža? Zomrel kapitán Polárky v náručí ducha svojej milej, alebo to bol len prelud? Je možné oživiť múmie a vytvoriť z nich vraždiace monštrá? Môžu mať prastaré predmety čosi ako dušu? Páči sa mi, že autor nevylučuje možnosť nadprirodzeného, že je možné, že existujú určité paranormálne úkazy, ktoré zatiaľ tento svet nedokáže spracovať. Pokiaľ máte radi mystické a miestami celkom desivé a napínavé príbehy, Diabolskú izbu vám môžem len odporučiť.

Doylov štýl však nie je pre každého (ale ukážte mi knihu, ktorá sa bude páčiť všetkým ľuďom!). Väčšina z týchto poviedok sa začína rozvláčnejším opisom udalostí, ktoré predchádzali hlavnému deju. Napätie sa buduje pomaly a väčšinou prinesie strhujúci a nečakaný, prípadne menej nečakaný, no stále pôsobivý záver. Keď som si čítala takú tretiu-štvrtú poviedku, už som tušila, ako sa skončí, Doylove myšlienkové pochody a náznaky vnímavejší čitateľ postupne celkom ľahko pochopí a prekukne.

Niektoré z autorových ideí pôsobia v súčasnosti možno komicky (príšery, ktoré žijú vo vrchných vrstvách atmosféry a napádajú lietadlá), či nereálne (niekoľko tisícročná múmia s nádherne zachovanou tvárou), no mne to nekazilo dojem z knihy. Veď ide o strašidelné poviedky plné iných, záhadnejších, mysterióznejších aj neracionálnejších myšlienok, tak čo! Občas je fajn odpútať od obyčajnej, šedej reality a nahliadnuť do hlavy viktoriánskeho človeka.

Knižka obsahuje štrnásť poviedok. Rozmýšľam nad tým, ktoré vypichnem ako moje najobľúbenejšie. S ťažkým srdcom a nerozhodnosťou si vyberiem päť: Kožený lievik, Diabolská izba, Čo sa vlastne stalo, Kapitán Polárky a Thovtov prsteň. Tieto ma zaujali najviac, úplne ma pohltili a miestami mi zastavili dych. Spoilovať ich nebudem, aby som vám neskazila zážitok :).

[Cameron Trost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frissons aplenty are guaranteed in this collection, which offers the daring reader some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most imaginative and cleverly crafted tales. From the psychological suspense of "The New Catacomb" and "The Brazilian Cat" to the supernatural terror of "The Ring of Thoth" and "The Los Amigos Fiasco", the unease promised by the title never ceases. There really is no point in me writing a lengthy review of this collection, and it would be a terrible shame to ruin any of the many twists and surprises lurking within these pages. In short, if I had to choose my favourite classic suspense/horror book, it would probably have to be this one; neck and neck with Edgar Allan Poe's "Tales of Mystery and Imagination". Enjoy the unease.

[Stig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen tales and not a single dud among them. "Tales of Unease" indeed - some of these stories are very disturbing. Brilliant.

[Mike Futcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short and readable 'chillers' from one of the great populist storytellers, Arthur Conan Doyle. Fans of the writer will find much to enjoy here, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that some of the stories have survived as little more than museum pieces. We get a great sense of Doyle's influence on horror writing from this selection – an understated part of his legacy – but little to match up with some of his greatest short pieces, not least that great elephant in the room: Sherlock Holmes.

What we have here includes two Egyptian mummy stories, 'The Ring of Thoth' and 'Lot No. 249', which were pioneers in that particular sub-genre. We have stories like 'The New Catacomb' and 'The Terror of the Blue John Gap', stellar tales which are almost blueprints for the later H. P. Lovecraft and give definitive proof, if proof were needed, of Doyle's great influence on subsequent writers. Stories like 'The Captain of the Polestar' bring to mind not only Lovecraft but our contemporary horror stories like The Terror, while the likes of 'The Case of Lady Sannox', 'The Brown Hand' and 'The Horror of the Heights' reach back in time to recall Edgar Allan Poe. Doyle's link in this chain of macabre writing is often under-appreciated, but it won't be any longer to those who read Tales of Unease.

Some of the stories can appear predictable, because of how ubiquitous this style has become, and the spiritualist-inspired ones (a fad which Doyle became very keen on in his later years) are the weakest in this 15-strong collection. Doyle can always tear a story along, but here he doesn't always pinch them off at the end, and I finished some of the tales thinking they'd been taken off the hob before they'd truly boiled. The contrast to the perfect balance of that great elephant in the room, at his Baker Street best, is marked. Nevertheless, in Tales of Unease, Conan Doyle impresses us with his ever-present atmosphere, pace and imagination, and you can't go wrong with them.

[Fuglsang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classics equal no reviews in my world. It may seem silly but I don't feel entitled to review the likes of sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I'll say though, that it's a shame for people to only ever read the stories about Sherlock Holmes - do yourselves a favour and pick up not only the great mr. Holmes but also a collection of short stories such as this one. Doyle is a brilliant story teller.

My favourite from this collection is the shortest one: "How It Happened." In a few pages, Doyle managed to knock the wind out of me when I realised that it wasn't any longer. The story is as striking as it is short. I really like it.

Generally I like Doyle's imagery and his timeless stories. Give some of his works, other than Sherlock Holmes, a chance when you get the chance - it's well worth it!


A better, edited version of this review is available on my website: Gnaslbooks

[GD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave this book five stars, but the first couple and last couple of stories fell a little flat. The others completely took me by surprise. Everyone of course knows Sherlock Holmes, and some of us know The Lost World, but not many people have read these stories. I didn't know what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect some of the badassery I came across here. While a lot of the stories are kind of predictable, they're still excellent, and a couple of times, he even comes near H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Alan Poe, particularly in the Lovecraftian-sounding "Horror of the Heights" and "Blue John Gap." This is a short book, just over 200 pages, and I was really sad when it ended, I could read these kinds of stories indefinitely.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Not all of the stories did it for me, but I particularly enjoyed The New Catacomb and The Case of Lady Sannox. They blew me away, particularly the latter, with how utterly, unexpectedly dark they were. The rest I enjoyed reading in the general way, but those two were really shockingly good. I picked this up on a whim and I'm so glad I did because it was SO entertaining and I highly recommend it for some absolutely crazy stuff and/or your standard Victorian era short story.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

By far the best story is "Lot No. 249"

[Lubna]

.

[Jo Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Conan Doyle and short gothic horror/mystery stories. This is the perfect light read for all readers who want to tick either one or both of those boxes. I say light, but what I mean is the stories are not too heavy going in terms of language and length, plus the book was a nice size to fit easily into the handbag. There was plenty to absorb and analyse for literary lovers however, and those who have studied Conan Doyle will see that he's exploring themes of modernism, science, and philosophy that were key literary topics in the 19th century.

Two small negatives, one personal and one general. There were a couple of stories that didn't work for me, but they were more to do with personal preferences. That's not to say they were bad, it's just that a modern reader has a different perspective and knowledge base compared to that of Doyle's time. Secondly, readers of this specific edition will notice several spelling errors. The first time I thought maybe that's how it was originally written, but after the third error I put it down to carelessness of the copy editor. But this wasn't a pricey edition so there's no bad feelings between Wordsworth Editions Limited and me.

Anyway, enjoy at your leisure.

[Jay Maxfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this very inexpensive book - Wordsworth Books have brought together Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories that wouldn't be considered detective fiction. That means it is an eclectic mix of supernatural, early sci-fi & Roald Dahlesque - Tales of the Unexpected. Many of the stories I have read before in various anthologies - however this is the first time I have seen them collected together. Most of the stories show the great Conan Doyle using his likeable style of prose - there are one or two stories though that are somewhat lacking (e.g. How it Happened) in originality or interest. I particularly liked the Roald Dahl type of story with an unexpected ending or revenge about them, namely The New Catacomb & The Nightmare Room. If you have only ever read Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories before and you like strange, weird and unexpected stories then I would definitely recommend reading this volume - I think most people will enjoy around half to two thirds of the stories depending upon your tastes - however the stories will reveal to you another viewpoint of Arthur Conan Doyle who wasn't all about logical deduction and he obviously enjoyed dabbling in other topics. I would give this book 8 out of 10.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure entertainment by a great storyteller, Conan Doyle's Tales of Unease are perhaps better pieces of fiction than his more famous Holmes stories. Taking the best of numerous short story writers before and since, Doyle wrote in a style that continues to echo today, especially in cinema, forming a mould for writing suspense, horror and intrigue. That's not to say every story is a classic, far from it. In fact, due to their set formula and common feeling, a lot of the stories feel too familiar and are too predictable. But they are all fun to read and a few are brilliant, atmospheric pieces that echo longer not just because of their cultural and storytelling heritage but also because of the lasting images they project.

These are stories of the unknown, the modern religion of explaning our mysterious planet through a mixture of science and fantasy. There are elements of horror, mystery, science fiction and crime stories, tracing a line from old folk tales to the horror writings of Shelley and others in the early 19th century to HG Wells and then to Poe and Lovecraft and Roald Dahl. That leads no nicely to modern cinema, especially adventure and discovery movies like Indiana Jones or horror adventure like the Mummy. It's all there, tracing the influences and the echoes is very interesting. The themes are conjoining as well; uncertainty about the origins of our existence, the supernatural, life after death, the unexplored regions of the world from the sky to the deepest caverns. When he's good, Doyle does horror as well as anyone. And his science fiction attempts are sometimes as good as a HG Well's novella.

Highlights include a typical mummy in the museum encounter, a brilliantly evocative and spooky flight into the highest regions of our heavens to unearth a mystery creature, a torture and murder story with a twist akin to Dahl's wacky tales for adults, a beast living under the Blue John caves of Derbyshire, a man who manages to bring a mummy back to life, a ghost looking for his lost hand and a cheated husband who takes delicious revenge. While at times it can all seem a little to much, while the twists can sometimes be seen a mile off, and while most of these stories follow a similar pattern, as a collection and a journey through the last few centures of genre writing, Tales of Unease are great fun and Doyle is a master of atmosphere, suspense and wicked surprises. 6

[Wendy Leveret · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been quite a while since I read anything by Conan Doyle, which, like with most people, was some of his Sherlock Holmes stories. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these short tales in this collection were, in a number of instances, just as good. I particularly enjoyed The Ring of Thoth, with its air of antique Egyptian mystery and romance, as well as The New Catacomb and The Brazilian Cat, both of which possess deliciously vicious, but poetically just endings.

The Horror of The Heights was something very different, being startlingly imaginative with its vision of a possible ascent into the high skies, where something very strange lurks, at a time when flight was in its infancy.

For fans of tales with an ancient Egyptian theme, Lot no. 249 is a real treat!

[Keresaspa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really know how Conan Doyle does it but there's just something appealing about his writing. When you boil it down he's not much more than a pulp hack and a lot of the twists in these stories are telegraphed for several pages before they happen and yet I was gripped throughout by each of these short, punchy tales of derring-do. His own spiritualist beliefs inform some of the stories and much of his speculative views on the effects of electricity or the denizens of high altitude now look ridiculous in the wake of subsequent scientific discovery but nonetheless, somehow it manages to be entertaining. Silly old nonsense in a way, but I could happily read Doyle's rhubarb from now to doomsday so if you share my penchant for the old duffer make a beeline for this collection.

[Srutirupa Acharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say that, for me, this was a perfect entrance for the non-Sherlock Holmes world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was an interesting combination - two Egyptian stories, a war story,a few thrillers and a couple of supernatural ones. Some of them would seem to be outdated or not so scary compared to today's standards. But each and every one is a classic. And some of them are quite stunning ones. We get to see the versatility of this brilliant author. Over all, I enjoyed this anthology of 15 stories. Below are my most favorite ones in this collection-
The ring of Thoth
The brazilian cat
The brown hand
How it happened
The nightmare room
Lot No. 249
The terror of the blue john gap
The New Catacomb - inspired from Poe's The cask of amontillado

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ring Of Thoth ~ ★★★
The Lord Of Château Noir ~ ★★★
The New Catacomb ~ ★★★
The Case Of Lady Sannox ~ ★★★
The Brazilian Cat ~ ★★★★
The Brown Hand ~ ★★★★
The Horror Of The Heights ~ ★★★
The Terror Of The Blue John Cap ~ ★★★
The Captain Of The Polestar ~ ★★★★
How It Happened ~ ★★★
Playing With Fire ~ ★★★
The Leather Funnel ~ ★★★
Lot No. 249 ~ ★★★★
The Los Amigos Fiasco ~ ★★★
The Nightmare Room ~ ★★★

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say that sir Arthur Conan Doyle is an accomplished writer is an understatement. But this is a volume of lesser known and oft forgotten works, dealing with terrors both natural and not. He finds his themes and style somewhere between Poe and Machen (and in one story leaning close to HPL), and I really wish ACD had written more thrills and horror. 'Twas a delightful short book of sinister plots, ghosts and nameless terrors.

[Atıl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' un -ki kendisi Sherlock Holmes karakterinin yaratıcısı ve aynı zamanda bir tıp doktorudur- kısa öykülerinden oluşan bu derleme kendini okutturuyor. Entrika ,ihanet ,intikam öyküleri de var gizem ve hayalet öyküleri de. Tabi Holmes hikayelerine göre biraz daha sönükler. Ancak dönemin Britanya kültürüne ve tarihine ve de entellektüel yaşamına da güzel bir ışık tutmakta. Sonuçta sıkılmadan okudum.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read anything by Doyle other than Sherlock Holmes, so i was pleasantly surprised by these short tales of revenge and murder.
Doyle has a way of taking small bits of his characters lives and creating a compelling story around it. While some stories seem to have a moral, others are just for fun.
With mysteries and twists, every story is both complex and very simply told.
Doyle is always a fun read, no matter if its Holmes or not.

[Catarina Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle is, as expected, a great writer. The writing is what captivated me the most, however, the stories are not, from my point of view, that great. These are your standard horror stories and there is nothing special to it. They are not unsettling or creepy in any way. I can't deny that some were indeed fun to read - one or two tales even had a Lovecraft feel to it, which was great - but sadly it isn't something I feel the need to repeat.

[Mert Köse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read many horror book. But this book scared me or made me thrilled the most compared to the others. I thrilled in the some stories of book and I was a little scared in the some stories of this book. İt is my favorite horror-thriller book. In this book, the author not only scares or excites, but also displays his inner world and creativity. That's why this is not just a fragrance book, it's a true work of art at the same time.