The House on the Borderland
Unbranded

The House on the Borderland

(No ratings yet)

Key item features

  • I had been staying just within the shadow of the exit of the great rift. Now, without volition on my part, I drifted out of the semi-darkness and began to move slowly—toward the House.

    Amidst the din of roaring water, in a chasm where a house once stood in an isolated corner of Ireland, a manuscript is discovered entitled The House on the Borderland. Penned by the enigmatic Recluse, it tells of a revelatory descent into the uncanny. For the Recluse seems to have discovered another land and in it another House; a jade-green double of his own in a realm rife with beasts and cosmic beings without name, encroaching on the bounds of reality itself.

    With a new introduction by Ann VanderMeer exploring why Hodgson’s tale is the ‘perfect embodiment of a weird novel’, this edition of the 1908 cult classic still thrums with the visionary energy which influenced countless writers including H. P. Lovecraft and Terry Pratchett."The Big Bang in my private universe as a science fiction and fantasy reader and, later, writer." —Terry PratchettWILLIAM HOPE HODGSON(1877–1918) was a novelist and short-story writer whose pioneering works such asThe Boats of the “Glen Carrig”(1907) andThe Night Land(1912) are now regarded as foundation texts in the history of weird fiction.

    Ann VanderMeeris an American publisher and editor, and the second female editor of the horror magazineWeird Tales. She is the founder of Buzzcity Press. Work from her press and related periodicals has won the British Fantasy Award, the International Rhysling Award, and appeared in several years' best anthologies. She lives in Tallahassee.INTRODUCTION

    The House on the Borderlandby William Hope Hodgson is the perfect embodiment of a weird novel. Written in the early twentieth century (the first edition published by Chapman and Hall in 1908), it has become a guidepost and inspiration for many weird fiction writers since its first publication. It is truly a unique vision and when you think about it, it is radical for its time. When Hodgson first conceived of this work of fiction, there weren’t any other works remotely like this. In this way, Hodgson was a pioneer of the weird tale. Indeed, H. P. Lovecraft would later call it “one of the most potent pieces of macabre imagination ever written.”*
       After spending decades reading weird fiction, I was happily surprised to find myself still caught up in moments of amazement upon re-reading this iconic novel. Imagine my joy as I pored over the pages, reminding me once more why I am drawn to this type of story in the first place. As the editor ofWeird Talesmagazine for several years, and then later as co-editor ofThe Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories, I thought I would find a re-examination disappointing and perhaps even a bit of a bore. But NO!
       In true fashion of the weird, there is an underlying mystery in this novel, in addition to its supernatural elements. The tale unfolds as a story within a story. This frame introduces us to two gentlemen who decide to embark on a fishing vacation in a remote part of Ireland; so remote that it is difficult for them to find it at first. The vacationers feel a sense of unease and while travelling around near their camping area they come across a strange ruin and therein they discover a battered but mostly readable manuscript. In their quest to understand more about this area, one of them reads the entire manuscript to the other by the light of the campfire.
       The elderly narrator of the found manuscript retells the story of his search for answers, as he and his elderly sister are living in a strange but remarkable house. At first it is again a sense of unease, but instead of this feeling frightening away the narrator, he decides to inv
  • Hodgson, William Hope
  • ISBN: 9780712354646
Current price is $15.91$15.91/cu ft
Price when purchased online
  • Free shipping
  • Free 30-day returns

How do you want your item?

How do you want your item?
Columbus, 43215
Arrives by Fri, Apr 24
|
Sold and shipped by thebookpros
4.454654799133991 stars out of 5, based on 4157 seller reviews(4.5)
Report an issue with this seller
Free 30-day returns
Other sellers
$16.99
+Free shipping
Shipping, arrives by Wed, Apr 22 to Columbus, 43215
Sold and shipped by Walmart.com
Free 90-day returns

About this item

Product details

Specifications

Warranty

Warnings

Customer ratings & reviews

0 ratings|0 reviews
This item does not have any reviews yet