In the novel Miss Billy’s Decision (1912) by American author Eleanor Porter, Billy begins her married life and is quite happy until she begins to listen to the advice of others. After reading an article that young wives should be guided by their own personal interests, Billy takes the idea to extremes.
Pickman’s Model is a collection of horror stories by American writer Howard Lovecraft (1890–1937). In the story Pickman’s Model, the artist paints pictures of horrific images that are considered the fruit of his sick imagination. A friend of the artist comes to Pickman’s private secret gallery. The artist shows new painting, a huge image of a red-eyed creature that devours human victims. The friend finds a photograph that proves that Pickman painted the horrible monsters not from imagination, but he used real-life models.
Charming Lady Susan Vernon is a widow, who seduces both single and married men alike. As she has been left in a financially precarious state due to the death of her first husband, she uses flirting to gain her objectives and maintain a semblance of her former opulent lifestyle. As a widow and a mother, her main goals are to quickly marry off her daughter Frederica to a wealthy man, and to marry someone even richer.
The outstanding English writer, publicist and journalist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) wrote historical, adventure and fiction novels. But he entered world literature as the creator of the extraordinary detective Sherlock Holmes, for whom there are no hopeless cases.
Dreams in the Witch House is a collection of six horror stories by the American writer H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937). In the story of the same name, Walter Gilman, a student, rents a loft in the Witch House. Gilman learns that over the course of two centuries, many of the house’s residents have died prematurely. Gilman begins to have strange dreams related to black magic…
The second volume of Scotland Yard Book by the English writer Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) offers the thriller novel Black, which was first published in 1926, and two short stories. Black is a mysterious story about a Londoner named James Morelake, who has many secrets and an interesting set of skills.
The Horror in the Museum is a collection of horror stories by the American writer H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). George Rogers is the owner of a private waxen things museum in London. His friend Stephen Jones ridicules Rogers for telling wild stories about rituals and sacrifices to nameless ancient gods. Jones accepts Rogers’ offer to spend the night at the museum, where he falls victim to Rhan-Tegoth.
The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by the English writer H. G. Wells (1866-1946). This is one of the earliest novels detailing the conflict between humanity and an alien race. Aliens from Mars plan to invade Earth as their planet's resources are dwindling.
King Lear is a tragedy by the English playwright WilliamShakespeare (1564–1616). The plot of the play is based on the story of the legendary King Lear, who in his old age decides to retire from business and divide his kingdom between his three daughters. To determine the size of their parts, he asks each of them to say how much she loves him.
The Man in the Queue is a detective novel by the British writer Josephine Tey. It was the first in her series of six novels featuring the Scotland Yard detective Inspector Grant.
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is a story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. In his dreams, Randolph Carter sees a majestic city, but he is unable to approach it. After the city appears in his dreams, he prays to the gods of dream to reveal the city’s whereabouts. But then the city vanishes from his dreams altogether. Carter resolves to beseech the gods in person at Kadath—on the mountain above which the gods of dream live. The priests in a temple that borders the Dreamlands tell Carter that nobody knows the location of Kadath, and warn him of great danger should he continue with his quest.
The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940). Cecilia Brady, daughter of influential Hollywood producer Pat Brady, is in love with her father’s business partner, Monroe Stahr. But Cecilia’s father is increasingly dissatisfied with Stahr as a business partner and wants to get rid of him. Since he is unable to achieve his goal through blackmail, he does not hesitate to hire a professional killer. Stahr survives and also hires a killer to kill Brady...
Adam’s Diary is a humorous narration about the Book of Genesis. It begins with him meeting Eve who is described as an annoying creature, and who has a penchant for naming things, which Adam could do without. Eve’s Diary is a humorous short story by Mark Twain in the style of a personal journal kept by Eve, the first woman in the Biblical Creation accounts. The book uses original illustrations by Lester Ralph.
Archaeologist Kenton receives a mysterious ancient Babylonian artifact. A spell transports Kenton to the deck of a ship sailing the eternal sea. The ship is divided into two possessions–Ishtar and Nergal. No one can overcome the invisible barrier, except Kenton. His arrival destabilizes this world, which has existed unchanged for 6,000 years, and fantastic adventures begin.
