Peter Haining – Summoned From The Tomb

Peter Haining (ed) – Summoned From The Tomb (Digit, 1966: Sidgwick & Jackson,  1973)

Contents & cover shown are of the Sidgewick & Jackson hardcover, 1973. The original Digit paperback edition is significantly different

Introduction – Peter Haining

Washington Irving – Guests From Gibbet Island
Edgar Allan Poe – Hop-Frog
J. S. Le Fanu – The Bully Of Chapelizod
Alexander Pushkin – The Coffin-Maker
Bram Stoker – The Judges House
Jules Verne – The Ordeal Of Dr. Trifulgas
Ambrose Bierce – A Watcher By The Dead
Thomas Mann – The Wardrobe
M. R. James – There Was A Man Dwelt By A Churchyard
Algernon Blackwood – The Goblin’s Collection
H. P. Lovecraft – Beyond The Wall Of Sleep
August Derleth – The Whippoorwills In The Hills
Edogawa Rampo – The Caterpillar
Basil Copper – The Academy Of Pain
Robert Bloch – Floral Tribute
Ray Bradbury – The Scythe

As with many of the early Hainings, this one falls into the “nice to have” as opposed to the “indispensable” category. The original Summoned From The Tomb was, according to Haining “my first professionally compiled collection (I had prior to it edited one anthology of classic horror stories but this had been before I became fully involved in the world of publishing)”. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to locate the ’66 original, but he was doing a fair bit of business with Nel at the time ….

Writing in 1973, Haining reflects in his introduction:

“Finally, let me add that in revising this volume I have added to it one or two stories from another subsequent collection of mine, Legends For The Dark, which is similarly out of print and while not in my opinion being worthy of reissue itself, did contain some gems which should not suffer because of the dross they appeared with”

Actually, he reprinted five stories from Legends …, namely, those by Verne, Lovecraft, Copper, Bloch and Bradbury. But it’s the alleged “dross” we’re all interested in, so here’s the roll of shame:

Arthur Porges – Solomon’s Demon
Robert Sheckley – The Altar
August Derleth – Here, Daemos!
Wesley Rosenquest – The Secret Of The Vault
Edward D. Ludwig – A Night With Hecate

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