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Mind In Chains
In the screaming dungeons of the mind
Your rational mind is a hatch. Lift it - and look into the Pit itself. Naked, gibbering fears lurk just below the level of consciousness. Some are irrational. Some are all too realistic...
Dr Christopher Evans, a famous psychologist with a special interest on horror fiction as a means of exploring the frontiers of inner space, has assembled another collection of stories of cerebral terror. (His first anthology, Mind at Bay, is also available in Panther.) Here you will find terrifying explorations of fears ancient and modern by masters of the macabre ranging from Ambrose Bierce and M.R. James to Brian Aldiss and Theodore Sturgeon.
Read them - you have nothing to lose but your mind...
Your rational mind is a hatch. Lift it - and look into the Pit itself. Naked, gibbering fears lurk just below the level of consciousness. Some are irrational. Some are all too realistic...
Dr Christopher Evans, a famous psychologist with a special interest on horror fiction as a means of exploring the frontiers of inner space, has assembled another collection of stories of cerebral terror. (His first anthology, Mind at Bay, is also available in Panther.) Here you will find terrifying explorations of fears ancient and modern by masters of the macabre ranging from Ambrose Bierce and M.R. James to Brian Aldiss and Theodore Sturgeon.
Read them - you have nothing to lose but your mind...
- GenresHorror
223 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1970
About the author
Christopher Riche Evans
11 books7 followersDr Christopher Riche Evans (29 May 1931 – 10 October 1979) was a British psychologist, computer scientist, and author.
Born in Aberdovey, he spent his childhood in Wales and was educated at Christ College, Brecon (1941–49). He spent two years in the RAF (1950–52),and worked as a science journalist and writer until 1957 when he began a B.A. course in Psychology at University College, London, graduating with honors in 1960.
After a summer fellowship at Duke University, where he first met his future American wife, Nancy Fullmer, he took up a Research Assistant post in the Physics Laboratory, University of Reading, working on eye movements under Professor R.W. Ditchburn. Upon receiving his PhD (the title of his thesis was “Pattern Perception and the Stabilised Retinal Image”), he went to the Division of Computer Science, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington in 1964, where he remained until his death of cancer in 1979. Survived by his wife and two children Christopher Samuel Evans and Victoria Evans-Theiler.
Born in Aberdovey, he spent his childhood in Wales and was educated at Christ College, Brecon (1941–49). He spent two years in the RAF (1950–52),and worked as a science journalist and writer until 1957 when he began a B.A. course in Psychology at University College, London, graduating with honors in 1960.
After a summer fellowship at Duke University, where he first met his future American wife, Nancy Fullmer, he took up a Research Assistant post in the Physics Laboratory, University of Reading, working on eye movements under Professor R.W. Ditchburn. Upon receiving his PhD (the title of his thesis was “Pattern Perception and the Stabilised Retinal Image”), he went to the Division of Computer Science, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington in 1964, where he remained until his death of cancer in 1979. Survived by his wife and two children Christopher Samuel Evans and Victoria Evans-Theiler.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 3, 2024
Mind in chains is a lovely vintage anthology of short stories collected and chosen for reprint by psychologist Dr Christopher Evans. The title of the book should really give you the reader a subtle hint as to what to expect upon opening this collection of mind bending tales. The stories selected by Dr Evans are designed to play with the delicate brain and some certainly do yet some really don't but that's just how it felt to me personally. The stories were a bit hit and miss for me but the ones which did hit certainly did in a profound way, they stuck with me for days after, these little mind teasing gems for me were as follows.👇
1) The opening spine chiller (The cobweb) by Saki was excellent and extremely unnerving in the most complimentary way, this early 19th century atmosphere builder really set the bar for the rest of the book in my opinion.
2)(Lost hearts ) by master ghost story writer M.R. James was originally published in 1895 but remains timeless and reinforces to me that there is just something about those 18th century writers which cannot be duplicated today, they are in a league of their own and by that I mean when the reader is literally drawn into another realm when reading. I could go on and on about this masterpiece in suspense building.
3) (Where their fire is not quenched) by May Sinclair is just stomach wrenching from start to finish and I don't mean in the sense of gore, I mean inward regret and hurt. This page turner should definitely teach you that the grass isn't always greener on the other..... Well you get the idea.
4) (The dead astronaut) by J.G.Ballard is exceptional and deserves a full novel of its own even though it was written as a short, I didn't want this one to end but the inevitable happened and it did and not the way I expected, a nice surprise.
5) (No ships pass) by Lady Eleanor Smith was probably my personal favourite of the book not to take anything away from the flawless shorts I've listed here. This one just clung to me from start to finish and days thereafter. The island never really left me but I knew I had to leave the island.😉 incredible story telling by Smith.
6) (Below the shadow) by Alex Hamilton just got underneath my skin and crept in like an unwanted bad taste on the palette yet I couldn't read any faster if I tried, this uneasy portrayal of regret and lies leave you with a lingering sense of forbidding yet a satisfied feeling upon conclusion, in essence you know you've read a solid story and were in good hands throughout, take a bow Alex Hamilton phenomenal short.👌
So these were my 6 standouts out of the selected 14 perhaps I should give a mention to (The playfellow) by Lady Cynthia Asquith I did enjoy this one just not enough to include on my list. The others simply didn't do it for me not to say they are bad because it's all a matter of taste at the end of the day. If you like your brain to be worked overtime and a shiver down the spine then I'm sure this anthology will do you that service in all its a solid collection of psychological short stories which have been thankfully preserved for this collection.
1) The opening spine chiller (The cobweb) by Saki was excellent and extremely unnerving in the most complimentary way, this early 19th century atmosphere builder really set the bar for the rest of the book in my opinion.
2)(Lost hearts ) by master ghost story writer M.R. James was originally published in 1895 but remains timeless and reinforces to me that there is just something about those 18th century writers which cannot be duplicated today, they are in a league of their own and by that I mean when the reader is literally drawn into another realm when reading. I could go on and on about this masterpiece in suspense building.
3) (Where their fire is not quenched) by May Sinclair is just stomach wrenching from start to finish and I don't mean in the sense of gore, I mean inward regret and hurt. This page turner should definitely teach you that the grass isn't always greener on the other..... Well you get the idea.
4) (The dead astronaut) by J.G.Ballard is exceptional and deserves a full novel of its own even though it was written as a short, I didn't want this one to end but the inevitable happened and it did and not the way I expected, a nice surprise.
5) (No ships pass) by Lady Eleanor Smith was probably my personal favourite of the book not to take anything away from the flawless shorts I've listed here. This one just clung to me from start to finish and days thereafter. The island never really left me but I knew I had to leave the island.😉 incredible story telling by Smith.
6) (Below the shadow) by Alex Hamilton just got underneath my skin and crept in like an unwanted bad taste on the palette yet I couldn't read any faster if I tried, this uneasy portrayal of regret and lies leave you with a lingering sense of forbidding yet a satisfied feeling upon conclusion, in essence you know you've read a solid story and were in good hands throughout, take a bow Alex Hamilton phenomenal short.👌
So these were my 6 standouts out of the selected 14 perhaps I should give a mention to (The playfellow) by Lady Cynthia Asquith I did enjoy this one just not enough to include on my list. The others simply didn't do it for me not to say they are bad because it's all a matter of taste at the end of the day. If you like your brain to be worked overtime and a shiver down the spine then I'm sure this anthology will do you that service in all its a solid collection of psychological short stories which have been thankfully preserved for this collection.
February 9, 2025
Mind in chains is a lovely vintage anthology of short stories collected and chosen for reprint by psychologist Dr Christopher Evans. The title of the book should really give you the reader a subtle hint as to what to expect upon opening this collection of mind bending tales. The stories selected by Dr Evans are designed to play with the delicate brain and some certainly do yet some really don't but that's just how it felt to me personally. The stories were a bit hit and miss for me but the ones which did hit certainly did in a profound way, they stuck with me for days after, these little mind teasing gems for me were as follows.👇
1) The opening spine chiller (The cobweb) by Saki was excellent and extremely unnerving in the most complimentary way, this early 19th century atmosphere builder really set the bar for the rest of the book in my opinion.
2)(Lost hearts ) by master ghost story writer M.R. James was originally published in 1895 but remains timeless and reinforces to me that there is just something about those 18th century writers which cannot be duplicated today, they are in a league of their own and by that I mean when the reader is literally drawn into another realm when reading. I could go on and on about this masterpiece in suspense building.
3) (Where their fire is not quenched) by May Sinclair is just stomach wrenching from start to finish and I don't mean in the sense of gore, I mean inward regret and hurt. This page turner should definitely teach you that the grass isn't always greener on the other..... Well you get the idea.
4) (The dead astronaut) by J.G.Ballard is exceptional and deserves a full novel of its own even though it was written as a short, I didn't want this one to end but the inevitable happened and it did and not the way I expected, a nice surprise.
5) (No ships pass) by Lady Eleanor Smith was probably my personal favourite of the book not to take anything away from the flawless shorts I've listed here. This one just clung to me from start to finish and days thereafter. The island never really left me but I knew I had to leave the island.😉 incredible story telling by Smith.
6) (Below the shadow) by Alex Hamilton just got underneath my skin and crept in like an unwanted bad taste on the palette yet I couldn't read any faster if I tried, this uneasy portrayal of regret and lies leave you with a lingering sense of forbidding yet a satisfied feeling upon conclusion, in essence you know you've read a solid story and were in good hands throughout, take a bow Alex Hamilton phenomenal short.👌
So these were my 6 standouts out of the selected 14 perhaps I should give a mention to (The playfellow) by Lady Cynthia Asquith I did enjoy this one just not enough to include on my list. The others simply didn't do it for me not to say they are bad because it's all a matter of taste at the end of the day. If you like your brain to be worked overtime and a shiver down the spine then I'm sure this anthology will do you that service in all its a solid collection of psychological short stories which have been thankfully preserved for this collection.
1) The opening spine chiller (The cobweb) by Saki was excellent and extremely unnerving in the most complimentary way, this early 19th century atmosphere builder really set the bar for the rest of the book in my opinion.
2)(Lost hearts ) by master ghost story writer M.R. James was originally published in 1895 but remains timeless and reinforces to me that there is just something about those 18th century writers which cannot be duplicated today, they are in a league of their own and by that I mean when the reader is literally drawn into another realm when reading. I could go on and on about this masterpiece in suspense building.
3) (Where their fire is not quenched) by May Sinclair is just stomach wrenching from start to finish and I don't mean in the sense of gore, I mean inward regret and hurt. This page turner should definitely teach you that the grass isn't always greener on the other..... Well you get the idea.
4) (The dead astronaut) by J.G.Ballard is exceptional and deserves a full novel of its own even though it was written as a short, I didn't want this one to end but the inevitable happened and it did and not the way I expected, a nice surprise.
5) (No ships pass) by Lady Eleanor Smith was probably my personal favourite of the book not to take anything away from the flawless shorts I've listed here. This one just clung to me from start to finish and days thereafter. The island never really left me but I knew I had to leave the island.😉 incredible story telling by Smith.
6) (Below the shadow) by Alex Hamilton just got underneath my skin and crept in like an unwanted bad taste on the palette yet I couldn't read any faster if I tried, this uneasy portrayal of regret and lies leave you with a lingering sense of forbidding yet a satisfied feeling upon conclusion, in essence you know you've read a solid story and were in good hands throughout, take a bow Alex Hamilton phenomenal short.👌
So these were my 6 standouts out of the selected 14 perhaps I should give a mention to (The playfellow) by Lady Cynthia Asquith I did enjoy this one just not enough to include on my list. The others simply didn't do it for me not to say they are bad because it's all a matter of taste at the end of the day. If you like your brain to be worked overtime and a shiver down the spine then I'm sure this anthology will do you that service in all its a solid collection of psychological short stories which have been thankfully preserved for this collection.
July 4, 2010
I struggled with this book. I'm not sure why as, individually, each of the stories has merit, but somehow as a collection I couldn't quite get into them. I dropped a star accordingly.
The most original "story" is John Sladek's Anxietal Register B, which is the most bureaucratic, kafkaesque example of the civil servant's craft I've seen imagined, but chillingly close to some forms I've had to fill out recently.
The most original "story" is John Sladek's Anxietal Register B, which is the most bureaucratic, kafkaesque example of the civil servant's craft I've seen imagined, but chillingly close to some forms I've had to fill out recently.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews