<p>This collection of five novellas ranks among Blackwood&rsquo;s finest works. Not only does it present weird scenarios of extraordinary richness and bizarrerie&mdash;the &ldquo;regeneration&rdquo; of a blas&eacute; English nobleman by means of pagan rituals on a mountaintop; a dismal house haunted by the souls of those whom its fanatical owner condemned to hell; the sapping of a man&rsquo;s spirit as he performs an ancient ceremony in the sands of Egypt&mdash;but also probes the characters&rsquo; reactions to the bizarre with unfailing subtlety and acuteness. The result is a landmark in the history of weird fiction. With an introduction by S. T. Joshi, a leading authority on supernatural literature.</p>