Benighted (1927)
J.B. Priestley
Benighted, a classic ‘old dark house’ novel of psychological terror, was the second novel by J.B. Priestley, better known for his classics The Good Companions (1929), Angel Pavement (1930) and Bright Day (1946). The basis for James Whale’s 1932 film The Old Dark House, Benighted returns to print for the first time in fifty years. This edition includes the unabridged text of the first British edition, a new introduction by Orrin Grey, and a reproduction of the rare jacket art of the 1927 Heinemann edition.
The Dark Glasses (1954)
Francis King
Francis King (1923-2011) ranked The Dark Glasses (1954), the fifth of his more than forty volumes of fiction, as one of his favourite and one of the most underrated of his own works. This edition, the novel’s first-ever republication, features a new introduction by Jonathan Fryer and the original jacket art.
The Hand of Kornelius Voyt (1939)
Oliver Onions
Best known today for his ghost stories, Oliver Onions (1873-1961) was also a masterful novelist, and all his talents are on display in The Hand of Kornelius Voyt (1939), which, as Mark Valentine writes in the new introduction to this edition, “is a formidable achievement in sustaining an atmosphere of uncanny dread.” This edition, the first in nearly fifty years, reprints the unabridged text of the rare first edition and features a reproduction of the original dust jacket illustration.
The Witch and the Priest (1956)
Hilda Lewis
Hilda Lewis (1896-1974), a prolific author of historical fiction, ranked The Witch and the Priest (1956), based on the real-life case of the Witches of Belvoir, as her own favourite among her many novels. In creating this masterpiece of historical fiction, Lewis conducted extensive research on the case and on early works of witchcraft and demonology, resulting in a novel that is both compulsively readable and historically accurate. This new edition is the first in more than 40 years and includes an introduction by bestselling historian and novelist Alison Weir, and the original jacket art by Evelyn Gibbs.
Aubade (1957)
Kenneth Martin
Written when Kenneth Martin was only sixteen, Aubade (1957) remains a moving and honest portrayal of a young man's first love. Long recognized as a classic of gay fiction, returns to print in this new edition, which includes an introduction by the author discussing the experience of writing and publishing Aubade as a teenager and the reactions to its initial publication. Martin's second novel, Waiting for the Sky to Fall (1959), is also available from Valancourt Books.
Nothing but the Night (1968)
John Blackburn
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was unrivalled at blending the genres of mystery, horror, and science fiction into chilling, page-turning thrillers, and Nothing but the Night (1968) is one of his best and most frightening. This new edition, the first in over forty years, includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.
The Feast of the Wolf (1971)
Thomas Blackburn
The only novel by noted poet Thomas Blackburn (1916-1977), The Feast of the Wolf (1971) is a strange and unique take on the vampire myth. This edition, the first since the book's original publication, includes a new foreword by the author's daughter, Julia Blackburn, herself an acclaimed writer, who explains how the novel reflects in part her father's own struggles with mental illness and substance abuse.
Man Without a Shadow (1963)
Colin Wilson
First published in 1963, Man Without a Shadow explores Wilson's philosophy in the form of a black magic thriller that draws on inspirations as diverse as the writings of Aleister Crowley and Montague Summers, Huysmans's Là-bas, and the ‘penny dreadfuls’ of Thomas Prest. This 50th anniversary edition includes the unabridged text of the first British edition and a new introduction by Wilson scholar Colin Stanley.
Ten Pollitt Place (1957)
C.H.B. Kitchin
An unjustly neglected novelist, C.H.B. Kitchin (1895-1967) was best known for his early mystery novels and was frustrated later in life when he continued to turn out minor masterpieces like Ten Pollitt Place (1957) and The Book of Life (1960), which were largely overlooked by critics and the book-buying public. This first-ever reprinting of Kitchin’s brilliant novel includes a new introduction by Simon Stern and reproduces the original jacket art by Val Biro.
