The Monk (1796)
M. G. Lewis
This definitive edition of The Monk reprints the unabridged text of the three-volume 1796 first edition from the copy in the British Library and features an introduction by one of the most popular and acclaimed horror writers of our time, Stephen King. Also included are six lurid full-page illustrations from the 1797 and 1807 Paris editions of the novel, along with a portrait of the author and a reproduction of the original title page.
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 Cormorant (1986)
Stephen Gregory
The Cormorant (1986), Stephen Gregory’s first novel, received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Somerset Maugham Award and earning comparisons to the works of Poe. This edition includes a new introduction by the author, in which he reveals the inspirations for this bleak and haunting tale.
The Birds (1936)
Frank Baker
The Birds (1936) went largely unnoticed when originally published, but after the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s popular film in 1963, Frank Baker (1908-1983) threatened to sue, believing his book had inspired the film. The Birds was last reprinted in 1964, in a “revised” edition that in fact failed to incorporate hundreds of additions, deletions, and corrections Baker had made. This new edition is based on Baker’s personal copy of the book and includes his numerous handwritten and typewritten revisions, making this definitive text available for the first time. This edition also features a new introduction by Hitchcock scholar Ken Mogg.
Saville (1976)
David Storey
David Storey’s Booker Prize winner Saville, called ‘the best of all the Bookers’ by a leading British critic, returns to print in the United States for the first time in decades in this new edition, which includes a new foreword by the author and the original dust jacket art by Tom Adams. Acclaimed in both England and America as one of the leading authors of his generation, Storey won numerous major awards for his works during the 1960s and ’70s, but his works have fallen into neglect in the United States in recent years. Valancourt Books has also republished Storey’s Radcliffe and Pasmore, with the aim of enabling American readers to rediscover this important and immensely talented author.
The Facts in the Case of E. A. Poe (1979)
Andrew Sinclair
A wholly unique book that manages to blend seamlessly a page-turning thriller with an important work of Poe criticism and biography, The Facts in the Case of E. A. Poe (1979) was widely acclaimed on its initial publication and returns to print in this new edition, which includes a new introduction by Andrew Sinclair.
The Monster Club (1976)
R. Chetwynd-Hayes
R. Chetwynd-Hayes’s The Monster Club was adapted for a 1981 film starring Vincent Price, John Carradine, and Donald Pleasence, and both book and film have gone on to become cult classics. Told in a wry, tongue-in-cheek style, the tales in The Monster Club are simultaneously horrific, comical, and curiously moving. This edition features a new introduction by Stephen Jones and a reproduction of John Bolton’s painting from the rare comic book adaptation of the film.
The Hunger and Other Stories (1957)
by Charles Beaumont
When The Hunger and Other Stories (1957) appeared, it heralded the arrival of Charles Beaumont (1929-1967) as an important and highly original new voice in American fiction. Although he is best known today for his television and film scripts, including several classic episodes of The Twilight Zone, Beaumont is being rediscovered as a master of weird tales, and this, his first published collection, contains some of his best.
The Amulet (1979)
Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell (1950-1999) is best known for his screenplays for Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, but he was also the author of several excellent and underrated Southern Gothic horror novels, of which The Amulet (1979) was the first. Originally published as a pulp paperback, now scarce and long out-of-print, McDowell’s grimly humorous and delightfully horrific novel returns to print in this edition, which features a new introduction by Poppy Z. Brite.
Fowlers End (1957)
Gerald Kersh
First published in 1957, Fowlers End is thought by many to be the masterpiece of Gerald Kersh (1911-1968). A comic romp with echoes of Dickens, Rabelais, and The Beggar’s Opera, Kersh’s novel remains one of the funniest English novels of the 20th century and one of the best works of fiction ever written about London. This edition features an introduction by award-winning novelist and longtime Kersh admirer Michael Moorcock.
A Scent of New-Mown Hay (1958)
John Blackburn
In this, his first and still best-known novel, the prolific John Blackburn (1923-1993) introduced the formula he was to employ so successfully in his career, seamlessly blending mystery, horror, and science fiction to create a thrilling bestseller that readers found impossible to put down. This edition, the first in more than thirty years, includes a new introduction by Prof. Darren Harris-Fain and a reproduction of the scarce original jacket art by Peter Curl.
Billy Liar (1959)
Keith Waterhouse
A smash bestseller and one of the great comic novels of the 20th century, Billy Liar (1959) inspired an award-winning film, a play, a musical, a television series, and a sequel. This edition marks the novel’s first publication in America in more than fifty years and includes a new introduction by Nick Bentley and a reproduction of the original jacket art by William Belcher.
The God of the Labyrinth (1970)
Colin Wilson
The God of the Labyrinth (1970) is a novel in the mode of Jorge Luis Borges that explores two of Wilson’s major interests – philosophy and sex – in the form of a thrilling literary mystery. This edition, the first in more than 30 years, includes a new introduction by Gary Lachman and the original afterword by the author, in which he discusses the role of sex in literature and defends his work against charges of pornography.
Never Again (1947)
Francis King
The second of the forty volumes of fiction written by Francis King (1923-2011) over an award-winning career that spanned seven decades, Never Again (1947) is one of his finest and was one of his own favourites. Never before reprinted and long nearly unobtainable, King’s moving and heartfelt novel, based on his own boyhood, returns to print in this edition, which includes a new introduction by Robert Khan.
Figures in a Landscape (1968)
Barry England
A thrilling, page-turning story of perseverance in the face of almost certain death, Figures in a Landscape (1968) was shortlisted for the inaugural Booker Prize and filmed in 1970 by celebrated director Joseph Losey. This edition features a new introduction by Craig Russell and a reproduction of the iconic jacket art by Tom Adams.