British Library Tales of the Weird · #75

Danse Macabre

Mike Ashley

Horror 19th century Gothic Horror Psychological Horror Regency Weird Fiction Anthology Short Stories Historical Fiction

Spurned lovers return from the grave to haunt their partners, ghost ships materialise on the sea, men's hands take on a life of their own... Welcome to the unsettling world of the French weird.

Though the development of the weird tale in France originally drew on Gothic traditions in Germany, it soon became more heavily influenced by the emerging romantic movement. French weird tales often include elements of fable and romance, but they're just as likely to go to the other extreme in chilling contes cruels. The stories in this anthology follow the evolution of the weird from the aftermath of the 1789 Revolution right through to the end of the twentieth century. They're stories influenced by, and to some extent seeking to justify, civil and political unrest and how people coped with constant change and rebellion, seeking some solace amongst the chaos.

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Published
July 16, 2026 (British Library Publishing)
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Additional book details

Author

Mike Ashley

Mike Ashley is the author and editor of more than 100 books, and is one of the foremost historians of popular fiction. His books include Adventures in The Strand (British Library, 2016), Out of This World, a brief illustrated history of science fiction (British Library, 2011), and The Age of Storytellers: British Popular Fiction Magazines 1880-1950 (British Library, 2005). Most recently he is the author of a multi-volume history of science fiction magazines, published by Liverpool University Press.

Publisher

British Library Publishing

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