{"id":31855,"date":"2026-11-09T16:30:05","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T16:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.johncoulthart.com\/feuilleton\/?p=31855"},"modified":"2026-11-09T15:31:32","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T15:31:32","slug":"the-dennis-wheatley-library-of-the-occult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johncoulthart.com\/feuilleton\/2026\/11\/09\/the-dennis-wheatley-library-of-the-occult\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I ought to have been writing this in the run-up to Halloween but as I’ve said before, Halloween here is a state of mind, not a mere twenty-four hours. The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult received a mention in the recent post about Charles Williams, two of whose novels were included in the collection. The paperback series was brought to mind again last week when another of the titles, The Prisoner in the Opal<\/em> by AEW Mason, turned up at Standard Ebooks, the home of high-quality, public-domain texts. This in turn gave me the idea of compiling a list of links to online sources of all the other titles which are now in the public domain. As you’ll see below, that list has sprawled into a guide to the entire series. When I’ve referred to these books in the past I’ve usually pointed to one of the Wheatley fan sites which are generally informative but also lacking in detail, especially when it comes to telling you anything about the individual titles. In this post I’ve satisfied my curiosity about the more mysterious books, listed all the public domain texts and also sought out the information that the Wheatley sites neglect to offer.<\/p>\n

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The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult was launched by Sphere Books in Britain in 1974. Unlike similar series which promote their titles with a well-known name, Wheatley himself was heavily involved, writing a promotional flyer which was sent to booksellers, and helping to choose the books. The flyer’s text suggests that Wheatley was eager to capitalise on the occult revival of the 1970s, a resurgence of popular interest which had been especially prominent in Britain thanks to our pagan past and the legacy of earlier revivalists like Gerald Gardner, the Golden Dawn and others. Each of the books in the Library series contains a brief introduction by Wheatley which is signed with his facsimile signature, while the four collections of short stories and non-fiction pieces include essays or fictional extracts by Wheatley himself. The introductions for all of the books may be read here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The flyer gives an idea of Wheatley’s ambitions, with a mention of 400 titles being under consideration. One of the books listed as forthcoming\u2014Ghost Stories of an Antiquary<\/em> by MR James\u2014never appeared, possibly for copyright reasons. The list of prospective authors includes many who appeared in the series and a few more who didn’t, among them Robert Chambers (presumably the author of The King in Yellow<\/em>), Carl Jung and\u2014surprisingly\u2014HG Wells; the list also manages to misspell Edgar Allan Poe’s middle name. The series as it was published is unusual in its mix of fiction and non-fiction, with magical guides and historical studies scattered among the weird tales; this really is a Library of the Occult, albeit a popular take on the subject, rather than another collection of horror stories. Sphere published 45 of the books in all, an impressive number that might have been greater if Wheatley hadn’t died in 1977. I bought the Library copy of Dracula<\/em> in the same year, and subsequently managed to accumulate 23 of the titles during visits to secondhand shops. Many of these books were being published for the first time in paperback, and some of them remain obscure today. Even if Wheatley had lived a little longer I doubt the series would have sustained itself much further than 50 titles. The occult revival of the 1970s oscillates between poles of attraction and repulsion; an acknowledgement that this is dark and even dangerous material which is also attractive because of its previously forbidden nature. Wheatley’s fiction had been trading on the same attraction\/repulsion since the 1930s, but by the end of the 1970s all the old “forbidden” grimoires were back in print and being joined on the bookshelves by invented ones like the two fake versions of the Necronomicon<\/em>. The arrival of a new decade demanded a new sensibility. The darkness and witchiness didn’t vanish in the 1980s, when “occult” in its popular manifestations was diluted into “New Age”, it retreated to the shadows to fuel the Goth and metal subcultures while serious occultism began breeding something called Chaos Magic. But that’s another story…<\/p>\n

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1: Dracula<\/em> by Bram Stoker<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Dracula<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a> \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

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2: The Werewolf of Paris<\/em> by Guy Endore<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The novel follows Bertrand Caillet, the eponymous werewolf, throughout the tumultuous events of the Franco-Prussian War.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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3: Moonchild<\/em> by Aleister Crowley<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Moonchild<\/em> at the Internet Archive<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

Its plot involves a magical war between a group of white magicians, led by Simon Iff, and a group of black magicians, over an unborn child.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Crowley was a better poet than a novelist but this novel has been reprinted many times, with Sphere publishing it again a few years later. Wheatley met Crowley at least once, and in his introduction to this edition describes being in attendance one evening in Paris when Crowley performed a summoning which had tragic consequences. It’s a very Wheatleyan anecdote which doesn’t seem to have ever been confirmed by either Crowley himself or any of his biographers.<\/p>\n

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4: Studies in Occultism<\/em> by Helena Blavatsky<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Studies in Occultism<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

…a collection of essays written in the early 20th century. This book delves into the foundational concepts and practices of occultism and theosophy, distinguishing between true spiritual knowledge and superficial magical practices.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first non-fiction title of the series.<\/p>\n

\n

5: Carnacki the Ghost-Finder<\/em> by William Hope Hodgson<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Carnacki the Ghost-Finder<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

…a collection of short stories published between 1910 and 1913. The work features Thomas Carnacki, an occult detective who investigates unusual hauntings using scientific methods, photography, and his fictional invention, the Electric Pentacle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wheatley was an early champion of William Hope Hodgson’s fiction, and in his introduction to this edition announces an intention to reprint all of Hodgson’s novels plus a collection of his sea stories. In the end only The Ghost Pirates<\/em> was added to the series. One thing Wheatley doesn’t mention here is his borrowing of details from the Carnacki stories for his own occult novels. He swiped a lot more from Hodgson’s Sargasso Sea tales for a non-occult novel, Uncharted Seas<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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6: The Sorcery Club<\/em> by Elliott O’Donnell<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Sorcery Club<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

…a novel set in the early 20th century. The story centres around Leon Hamar and his companions, Kelson and Curtis, who are struggling with poverty in San Francisco and eventually become entangled in the practice of sorcery after discovering a mysterious book about Atlantis and its dark arts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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7: Harry Price: The Biography of a Ghost-Hunter<\/em> by Paul Tabori<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The second non-fiction title, and one that’s still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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8: The Witch of Prague<\/em> by F. Marion Crawford<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Witch of Prague<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

This story weaves a tale of love, loss, and the supernatural, centring on a character known as the Wanderer, who searches for his beloved Beatrice, believed to be dead but whom he believes he has seen in a crowded church in Prague.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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9: Uncanny Tales 1<\/em>, selected by Dennis Wheatley<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cover art by Jim Burns.<\/em><\/p>\n

Carmilla<\/em><\/a> by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
\nThe Dream Woman<\/em><\/a> by Wilkie Collins.
\nThe Tapestried Chamber<\/em><\/a> by Walter Scott.
\nThe Open Door<\/em><\/a> by Margaret Oliphant.
\nThe Spectre Bridegroom<\/em><\/a> by Washington Irving.
\nLigeia<\/em><\/a> by Edgar Allan Poe.
\nClarimonde<\/em><\/a> by Th\u00e9ophile Gautier (trans. of La morte amoureuse<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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10: The Prisoner in the Opal<\/em> by AEW Mason<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Prisoner in the Opal<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

A pretty American implores wine enthusiast Ricardo to alter his plans for an upcoming visit to vineyards in France to protect her friend, who she fears is threatened by ominous occult forces. He tries to evade responsibility, only to find that his plans have been switched for him.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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11: The Devil’s Mistress<\/em> by JW Brodie-Innes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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No artist credited but it may be the work of Jan Parker.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Devil’s Mistress<\/em> at Project Gutenberg Australia<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

Isabelle Goudie has married dour farmer John Gilbert, and life is dull, drab and celibate. A beautiful, young woman, full of life, she dreams of love and excitement. How can she possibly find a way to realize her dreams? Enter the Devil…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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12: You and Your Hand<\/em> by Cheiro<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 You and Your Hand<\/em> at the Internet Archive<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The third non-fiction title, and one of the author’s many books about palmistry. “Cheiro” was an Irish astrologer, William John Warner.<\/p>\n

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13: Black Magic: A Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist<\/em>\u00a0by Marjorie Bowen<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Black Magic<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

Set in a medieval European world of churches, workshops, and universities, it follows the intense bond between Dirk Renswoude and Theirry, two ambitious young men drawn to forbidden arts that promise power while imperilling their souls.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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14: Real Magic<\/em> by Philip Bonewits<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The fourth non-fiction title. Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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15: Faust<\/em> by Goethe<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Faust<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The oddest title in the entire collection, being 450 pages of dramatic verse. The translation is the same rhyming one by Bayard Taylor that was used by Harrap in the edition illustrated by Harry Clarke in 1925.<\/p>\n

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16: Uncanny Tales 2<\/em>, selected by Dennis Wheatley<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cover art by Jim Burns.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Great God Pan<\/em><\/a> by Arthur Machen.
\nThe Witch’s Vengeance<\/em> by William B. Seabrook.
\nGavon’s Eve<\/em><\/a> by EF Benson.
\nFeet Foremost<\/em> by LP Hartley.
\nAll Hallows<\/em><\/a> by Walter de la Mare.
\nSmee<\/em> by AM Burrage.
\nThe Angelus<\/em> by William Younger.
\nA Life for a Life<\/em> by Dennis Wheatley.<\/p>\n

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17: The Gap in the Curtain<\/em> by John Buchan<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Gap in the Curtain<\/em> at Faded Page<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

A fascinating tale about five men who get a glimpse of The Times<\/em> newspaper a year in the future, and how what they read there affects their lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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18: The Interpretation of Dreams<\/em> by Zolar<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The fifth non-fiction title, and another book that’s still in copyright. “Zolar” was Bruce King.<\/p>\n

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19: Voodoo<\/em> by Alfred M\u00e9traux<\/strong><\/p>\n

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No artist credited but it may be the work of Jan Parker.<\/em><\/p>\n

The sixth non-fiction title, and another book that’s still in copyright, being a reprint of Voodoo in Haiti<\/em> (1959).<\/p>\n

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20: The Necromancers<\/em> by RH Benson<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Necromancers<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

In the wake of his fianc\u00e9e\u2019s death, Laurie Baxter is introduced to the Spiritualist movement of the early 20th century. As his grief pushes him to explore an underworld of trances and s\u00e9ances, he finds himself torn between many sets of separate worlds: his Catholic faith and Spiritualist skepticism, his home in the country and his life in the city, his departed fianc\u00e9e and Maggie Deronnais, the adopted sister who longs to support Laurie through his suffering.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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21: Satanism and Witches<\/em>, essays and stories selected by Dennis Wheatley<\/strong><\/p>\n

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My Experiences in Necromancy<\/em>, essay by Benvenuto Cellini.
\nThe Witch Finders<\/em> (excerpt), essay by Sax Rohmer.
\nThe Lancashire Witches<\/em>, essay by William Godwin.
\nThe Witch Baiter<\/em><\/a>, short story by Anthony M. Rud [as by Robert Anthony].
\nThe Chambre Ardente Affair<\/em>, short fiction by Ronald Seth.
\nThe Initiation to Witchcraft<\/em> (excerpt), essay by Margaret Murray.
\nThe Spell of Witchcraft<\/em>, essay by P. T. Barnum.
\nThe Tryals of the New England Witches<\/em> (excerpt), essay by Cotton Mather.
\nThe Salem Mass<\/em>, short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne (variant of Young Goodman Brown<\/em><\/a>).
\nThe Black Lodge<\/em>, short fiction by Aleister Crowley.
\nThe Sacrifice<\/em> (excerpt), essay by Betty May.
\nSylvan Horrors<\/em>, essay by Elliott O’Donnell.
\nVampires, Were-Wolves, Fox-Women, Etc.<\/em>, essay by Elliott O’Donnell.
\nModern Witchcraft<\/em>, essay by Robert Graves.
\nAn Indictment for Witchcraft<\/em>, essay by Anonymous.
\nA Pact with the Devil<\/em>, essay by Anonymous.
\nHow to Raise a Spirit<\/em>, essay by Anonymous.
\nThe Black Goat of Brandenburg<\/em>, short story by Anonymous.
\nThe Confession of the Witches of Elfdale<\/em>, essay by Anonymous.
\nWhite and Black Magic<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Black Art and the Supernatural<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Witches’ Sabbath<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Black Mass<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Devil’s Secret Societies<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nForetelling the Future<\/em>, essay by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Secret Grimoire of Turiel<\/em>, essay by uncredited.<\/p>\n

ISFDB says: “A partial (and uncredited) reprint of Peter Haining’s The Necromancers<\/em><\/a> with the addition of 8 essays from Elliott O’Donnell & Wheatley himself.” The Secret Grimoire of Turiel<\/em> is apparently a very recent (post-1960) text which claims to be far older.<\/p>\n

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22: The Winged Pharaoh<\/em> by Joan Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The story is narrated by Sekhet-a-Ra, familiarly known as Sekeeta. Most of the story takes place in the city of “Me’n-atetiss”, Memphis, Egypt, founded by Sekeeta’s ancestor “Meniss” (Menes).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright. Joan Grant was a reincarnationist whose first novel (which has here gained a definite article) is based on a trance-dictated account of a life she believed she lived herself.<\/p>\n

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23: Down There<\/em> by JK Huysmans<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley23.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 L\u00e0-bas<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The Parisian author Durtal is hard at work on his biography of the French knight and notorious child-murderer Gilles de Rais, but the question of how a confidant of Joan of Arc became such a figure of depravity is difficult to answer. Turning to his friend and confidant Des Hermies, he gradually discovers that the Satanism of de Rais\u2019 time is not only still active in the Paris of the 1890s, but that there are practitioners in his social circle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Down There” is the accurate but seldom used translation of L\u00e0-bas<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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24: The Monk<\/em> by Matthew Lewis<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Monk<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The novel was shocking for its time in its frank depiction of sexuality and sexual violence, demons, spirits, and scenes of raw horror; but just as shocking was its anti-religious sentiment and thesis that evil often triumphs over good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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25: Horror at Fontenay<\/em> by Alexandre Dumas<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley25.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Les mille et un fant\u00f4mes<\/em> by Alexandre Dumas is a collection of tales published in 1849. This work presents a series of fantastic stories framed by a central narrative. The author himself appears as narrator, drawn into a mysterious murder case involving a man who claims his beheaded wife spoke to him. This leads to a dinner where guests share increasingly strange tales. Dumas ventures into the supernatural, departing from his historical fiction to explore the shadowy boundary between reality and imagination.<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An abridged translation of the above by Alan Hull Walton which is still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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26: The Hell-Fire Club<\/em> by Donald McCormick<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley26.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The seventh non-fiction title, “the story of the amorous Knights of Wycombe”, and another one that’s still in copyright. I think this is the only book in the Library which includes a central section of pictorial plates. The film adaptation of Wheatley’s To the Devil a Daughter<\/em> features scenes filmed at the Dashwood Mausoleum and the Hellfire Caves in Wycombe.<\/p>\n

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27: The Mighty Atom<\/em> by Marie Corelli<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley27.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Mighty Atom<\/em> at the Internet Archive<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The spirit, or soul, of a person is non-material, and so a factor “beyond the range of ordinary knowledge”; which quotation comes from the definition of the word “occult” as given in the Oxford Dictionary. Upon these grounds I feel justified in including this book by Marie Corelli in our Library; for it is the story of a young boy grappling with the problem of whether he has, or has not, a soul.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Queen Victoria’s favourite writer. I can’t decide whether Corelli would be flattered by the posthumous attention or appalled to find herself in such disreputable company.<\/p>\n

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28: The Affair of the Poisons<\/em> by Frances Mossiker<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley28.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Affair of the Poisons was a major murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV. Between 1677 and 1682, a number of prominent members of the aristocracy were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. The scandal reached into the inner circle of the King. It led to the execution of 36 people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The eighth non-fiction title. Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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29: The Witch and the Priest<\/em> by Hilda Lewis<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley29.jpg\"<\/p>\n

…a horror novel about the seventeenth century Lincolnshire witch trials.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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30: Death by Enchantment<\/em> by Julian Franklyn<\/strong><\/p>\n

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If there is any fault in Mr. Franklyn\u2019s book it is only in the similarity of the enormous number of witch trials that he records. But it is a triumph of erudition and abounds with fascinating particulars about witchcraft.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ninth non-fiction title, “an examination of ancient and modern witchcraft”. Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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31: Fortune Telling by Cards<\/em> by Ida Prangley<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley31.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Fortune Telling by Cards <\/em>at the Internet Archive.<\/a> \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The tenth non-fiction title. A reprint of Ye Booke of Ye Cards<\/em> by “Zuresta”, as Ida Prangley was also known.<\/p>\n

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32: Dark Ways to Death<\/em> by Peter Saxon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley32.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Black magic, satanism, necromancy, witchcraft, sorcery, voodoo, vampirism…wherever and whatever the agents of occult Evil are, The Guardians are there to combat them with their own more-than-mortal powers. In this second thrilling exploit, The Guardians meet their most fateful and perilous challenge in a nightmare maze beneath the city streets\u2014where the Dark God meets his worshippers and lures The Guardians to a doom beyond death!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright. One of a series of novels about The Guardians, a modern-day team of occult detectives. “Peter Saxon” was a pen name used by several British thriller writers, this volume being the work of W. Howard Baker and Wilfred McNeilly.<\/p>\n

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33: The Ghost Pirates<\/em> by William Hope Hodgson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley33.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Ghost Pirates<\/em> at Project Gutenberg<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

Told as the testimony of Jessop, sole survivor of the doomed ship Mortzestus, the story chronicles strange events that escalate in frequency and terror. Mysterious beings\u2014never clearly described\u2014gradually commandeer the vessel as the crew struggles between disbelief and mounting dread.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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34: The Phantom of the Opera<\/em> by Gaston Leroux<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley34.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Phantom of the Opera<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The copy linked above is the translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos.<\/p>\n

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35: The Greater Trumps<\/em> by Charles Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 The Greater Trumps<\/em> at Faded Page<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The original Tarot deck is used to unlock enormous metaphysical powers by allowing the possessors to see across space and time, create matter, and raise powerful natural storms.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The copy linked above includes a preface by William Lindsay Gresham which isn’t present in the Library of the Occult edition.<\/p>\n

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36: The Return of the Magi<\/em> by Maurice Magre<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley36.jpg\"<\/p>\n

It explores the lives and legends of esoteric “messengers” and occult figures\u2014ancient and modern\u2014while arguing that Eastern wisdom has repeatedly flowed to the West and been resisted, distorted, or persecuted.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The eleventh non-fiction title, and still in copyright in this edition which was translated by Reginald Merton. Magre’s original text, Magiciens et illumin\u00e9s<\/em>, is freely available<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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37: Uncanny Tales 3<\/em>, selected by Dennis Wheatley<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley37.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Playing with Fire<\/em><\/a> by Arthur Conan Doyle.
\nThe Canary<\/em> by F. Tennyson Jesse.
\nThe Hand<\/em> by Theodore Dreiser.
\nThe Call of the Hand<\/em> by Louis Golding.
\nThe Snow<\/em><\/a> by Hugh Walpole.
\nLucky’s Grove<\/em> by H. Russell Wakefield.
\nAfterward<\/em><\/a> by Edith Wharton.
\nThe Monkey’s Paw<\/em><\/a> by WW Jacobs.
\nThe Snake<\/em> by Dennis Wheatley.
\nThe Miracle of the Stigmata<\/em><\/a> by Frank Harris.
\nThe Trod<\/em><\/a> by Algernon Blackwood.<\/p>\n

A change of design for the series. All the covers from here to the end of the run are set in Caslon Antique<\/a>, a typeface that would become very popular with Goths in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

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38: The King Is A Witch<\/em> by Evelyn Eaton<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley38.jpg\"<\/p>\n

On his foam-flecked horse, sweating from fear and the urgency of his mission, a messenger rode in frantic haste towards Nottingham. He must warn the young King Edward that his life was in danger, the upstart Mortimer\u2014the “Scapegoat”\u2014planned to murder him. Among the King’s retinue was the beautiful Lady Montague, highest ranking in England. With the Inquisition looming on the horizon, it would be dangerous to admit allegiance to her goddess, Diana, as the King well knew. But secretly he remained loyal to the Old Religion; and it was there he would find allies to fight Mortimer’s threat.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

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39: Frankenstein<\/em> by Mary Shelley<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Frankenstein<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

“The Original Version” yet they insist on having the flat-skulled Universal monster on the cover.<\/p>\n

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40: Curse of the Wise Woman<\/em> by Lord Dunsany<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley40.jpg\"<\/p>\n

No cover artist credited but it may be the work of Alan Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n

The plot concerns a motherless teenaged Anglo-Irish gentleman of the 1890s whose father has been forced to flee the country. Left in charge of the family estates, he uses his freedom to indulge his love of field sports, focusing especially on wildfowl-shooting on a nearby peat bog. […] When he discovers that the existence of the bog is threatened by an industrial peat-cutting syndicate he finds no effective ally except an old woman who believes herself to be a “wise woman”, or witch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

\n

41: Brood of the Witch Queen<\/em> by Sax Rohmer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley41.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 Brood of the Witch Queen<\/em> at Standard Ebooks<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

This novel follows Robert Cairn, his father, Dr. Bruce Cairn, and their suspicion of one Antony Ferrara. After witnessing the strange and violent death of a swan, Robert Cairn suspects that Ferrara may be involved with the death of the bird. Soon after two murders, Dr. Bruce Cairn arrives in London and warns Robert that he suspects Ferrara is using ancient Egyptian magic to accomplish his evil deeds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

42: Brazilian Magic: Is It The Answer?<\/em> by Pedro McGregor<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley42.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The twelfth non-fiction title, and one that’s still in copyright. Originally published as The Moon and Two Mountains<\/em> (1966).<\/p>\n

\n

43: Darker Than You Think<\/em> by Jack Williamson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley43.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The novel begins with the announcement from an ethnological expedition to Mongolia that among humanity exist people who can turn themselves into animals. However, the expedition’s spokesman dies of a sudden mysterious seizure in the midst of a press conference, just as he was about to provide detailed proof of his assertions…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

\n

44: War In Heaven<\/em> by Charles Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley44.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Cover art by Philip Hood.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2605 \u2605 \u2605 War in Heaven<\/em> at Faded Page<\/a>. \u2605 \u2605 \u2605<\/p>\n

The novel traces a humble Anglican priest’s struggle with a satanic cabal who are bent on stealing the Holy Graal and using it for dark magic.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

45: Morwyn<\/em> by John Cowper Powys<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"wheatley45.jpg\"<\/p>\n

First published in 1937, John Cowper Powys originally wanted to call this novel Hell<\/em>. One can see why. Powys was a fervent opponent of vivisection, “man\u2019s most vicious cruelty”, and here, in this strange fantasy, he gives full vent to his feelings. The main adventures are set in Hell where the narrator, not named but clearly based on Powys himself, his dog, Black Peter, Morwyn, his new love and her father, a vivisector find themselves hurled after a cataclysm on a Welsh mountain-side. The infernal adventures and encounters are virtuoso displays of Powys\u2019s extraordinary knowledge of the mythical underworld.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still in copyright.<\/p>\n

\n

Previously on { feuilleton }
\n\u2022 Jim Lamb covers Charles Williams<\/a>
\n\u2022 Occult rock: The Devil Rides In<\/a>
\n\u2022 The most unusual magazine ever published: Man, Myth and Magic<\/a>
\n\u2022 Jan Parker\u2019s witches<\/a>
\n\u2022 Llewellyn occult magazine and book catalogue, 1971<\/a>
\n\u2022 Andr\u00e9 Castaigne\u2019s Phantom of the Opera<\/a>
\n\u2022 The South Bank Show: Dracula<\/a>
\n\u2022 Typefaces of the occult revival<\/a>
\n\u2022 Dreaming Out of Space: Kenneth Grant on HP Lovecraft<\/a>
\n\u2022 MMM in IT<\/a>
\n\u2022 Nightmare: The Birth of Horror<\/a>
\n\u2022 The Occult Explosion<\/a>
\n\u2022 Wilfried S\u00e4tty: Artist of the occult<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I ought to have been writing this in the run-up to Halloween but as I’ve said before, Halloween here is a state of mind, not a mere twenty-four hours. The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult received a mention in the recent post about Charles Williams, two of whose novels were included in the collection. … Continue reading “The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"New blog post: The Dennis Wheatley Library of the 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