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Vale of the White Horse and Other Strange British Tales
A Tapestry of Strange and Ghostly Tales
England is steeped in mist and ghosts, a place of mysterious beauty where the past never sleeps. Venture back in time and join the unsuspecting inhabitants as their lives collide with the otherworldly and the menacing. Prepare to encounter the unsettling figure that moves among the rainy hedgerows, and the ghastly occupants of a gnarled spring orchard. The inexplicable lurks in the tunnels beneath an old manor house, and something deadly prowls through the gaslight and coal smoke of a London night. In the thirty stories within The Vale of the White Horse: And Other Strange British Tales Scott Thomas tours us through bleak moors and weathered stone circles, through cobblestone alleys and into the pagan shadows of an ancient land. So make yourself cozy by the fire with a cup of hot tea, for the dead bring a chill and the secretive whispers of a moonlit night.
England is steeped in mist and ghosts, a place of mysterious beauty where the past never sleeps. Venture back in time and join the unsuspecting inhabitants as their lives collide with the otherworldly and the menacing. Prepare to encounter the unsettling figure that moves among the rainy hedgerows, and the ghastly occupants of a gnarled spring orchard. The inexplicable lurks in the tunnels beneath an old manor house, and something deadly prowls through the gaslight and coal smoke of a London night. In the thirty stories within The Vale of the White Horse: And Other Strange British Tales Scott Thomas tours us through bleak moors and weathered stone circles, through cobblestone alleys and into the pagan shadows of an ancient land. So make yourself cozy by the fire with a cup of hot tea, for the dead bring a chill and the secretive whispers of a moonlit night.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2021
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Scott Thomas
28 books58 followersThis bio is for the Horror/Fantasy author, Scott Thomas. There are also several other writers with this name.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
Scott Thomas is an author of ghostly stories, often set in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England and Britain.
He is also the author of the fantasy novel FELLENGREY. His books include the collections URN AND WILLOW, QUILL & CANDLE, MIDNIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND, THE GARDEN OF GHOSTS, OVER THE DARKENING FIELDS, WESTERMEAD, SHADOWS OF FLESH, COBWEBS AND WHISPERS and two books co-written by brother Jeffrey Thomas, THE SEA OF FLESH AND ASH and PUNKTOWN: SHADES OF GREY.
Two of Scott Thomas' stories were reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #15" (St. Martin's Press) and another story was reprinted in "The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII" (DAW Books). Scott lives in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 14, 2022
Scott Thomas has been one of my favorite authors when I want to read something in the vein of classic horror. His collections like Westermead and Urn & Willow contain some of the best examples of elegant evocative spookiness since MR James and Arthur Machen, and his novella The Sea of Ash is possibly one of the most haunting reads of my life.
In 'Vale of the White Horse and Other Strange British Tales', Scott sets his stories mostly in the Britain of the 19th century (some tales may be set older). The prose here is classic Scott, painting poetic visuals with marvelous word tapestries that are intoxicating to read. I will rate this collection slightly lower than some of his previous work, since some of the tales seem a little truncated in the telling. The language continues to astound, but there is some sense of "Oh, is that it?" But there are especially towards the latter half of the book, some that truly sing. My favorite from this collection is 'The Terrible Woman'.
So while it does not exhilarate as much as some of his previous work, this is still an eminently readable and frequently enjoyable effort from one of the masters of the classic horror idiom.
In 'Vale of the White Horse and Other Strange British Tales', Scott sets his stories mostly in the Britain of the 19th century (some tales may be set older). The prose here is classic Scott, painting poetic visuals with marvelous word tapestries that are intoxicating to read. I will rate this collection slightly lower than some of his previous work, since some of the tales seem a little truncated in the telling. The language continues to astound, but there is some sense of "Oh, is that it?" But there are especially towards the latter half of the book, some that truly sing. My favorite from this collection is 'The Terrible Woman'.
So while it does not exhilarate as much as some of his previous work, this is still an eminently readable and frequently enjoyable effort from one of the masters of the classic horror idiom.
July 18, 2024
Vale of the White Horse is a collection of period stories set in England, all revolving around the supernatural and the gothic. Thomas, an American writer and self-proclaimed Anglophile, admits to being influenced by M.R. James, a personal favorite of mine, and that influence shows in his work, although a lot of these stories are much racier than anything James would have likely ever written. I was very pleased with Thoma's book overall. Some stories stood out more than others but that's pretty common, especially in collections as dense as this one - thirty stories are contained here.
Highlights include the opener, Vale of the White Horse, which gives this collection its title, and its macabre follow up Whispers in the Orchard. The Cathedral of Humberfield is one of several stories with folk horror vibes and a personal favorite. The Haunted Tobacco is another favorite, a brief and amusing story about exactly what it sounds like. Mr. Pickergill's Unusual Oak-Wood Box is one of two Jack the Ripper themed pieces in the collection (the other being Julia's Fancy) and my favorite of the two. The Apple Track is a brief but satisfying tale of revenge from beyond the grave. Finally, The Terrible Woman is the eeriest story in the collection and contains some truly unsettling spirits.
I recommend this one to fans of quiet horror, particularly of the old fashioned sort. These are the kind of tales you want to curl up with in front of a fireplace on a cold winter's night, and I mean that as the highest recommendation.
Highlights include the opener, Vale of the White Horse, which gives this collection its title, and its macabre follow up Whispers in the Orchard. The Cathedral of Humberfield is one of several stories with folk horror vibes and a personal favorite. The Haunted Tobacco is another favorite, a brief and amusing story about exactly what it sounds like. Mr. Pickergill's Unusual Oak-Wood Box is one of two Jack the Ripper themed pieces in the collection (the other being Julia's Fancy) and my favorite of the two. The Apple Track is a brief but satisfying tale of revenge from beyond the grave. Finally, The Terrible Woman is the eeriest story in the collection and contains some truly unsettling spirits.
I recommend this one to fans of quiet horror, particularly of the old fashioned sort. These are the kind of tales you want to curl up with in front of a fireplace on a cold winter's night, and I mean that as the highest recommendation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews