Previous SFF Author: Louise O'Neill
George Oliver Onions was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1873. The eventual author of some 30 novels in the fields of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction, he would ultimately pass away in Wales in 1961, at the age of 87.
I originally picked up this hard-to-find book after reading of it in Newman & Jones’ excellent overview volume, Horror: The 100 Best Books. Widdershins is a collection of Oliver Onions‘ short stories, and was first published in 1911. Onions was supposedly a meticulous writer, writing and rewriting and rerewriting, changing words repeatedly until he felt that things were just right. And his attention to detail does indeed show. All the stories in this volume are impeccably written,
Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Oliver Onions | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Hand of Kornelius Voyt by Oliver Onions
It was English author Mike Ashley, writing in Newman & Jones’ excellent overview volume Horror: 100 Best Books, who first introduced me to the remarkable collection Widdershins, from 1911. While enthusing about the eight splendidly spooky stories therein, and in particular “The Beckoning Fair One,” one of the greatest ghost stories in the English language, Ashley told his audience that in them “we find a portrayal of madness that leaves the reader uncomfortably unsure about the state of reality and sanity.” Indeed,
Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Oliver Onions | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Previous SFF Author: Louise O'Neill
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Interesting! I have to say I had a "Jim and Huck underwater" moment, reading your synopsis.
No doubt about it--I have to read these.