Colonel Markesan and Less Pleasant People

Colonel Markesan and Less Pleasant People is a collection of supernatural horror stories written collaboratively by August Derleth and Mark Schorer in 1931. The book contains seventeen short stories that were originally published in Weird Tales magazine before being compiled into this collection by Arkham House in 1966. The stories take place in various settings and feature an array of supernatural entities, vengeful spirits, and unexplained phenomena. Two of the tales gained additional recognition when they were adapted for television as episodes of the series Thriller. The collection showcases the authors' shared interest in Gothic horror and supernatural fiction, which they developed while writing together in a cabin on the Wisconsin River. Several of the stories incorporate elements of cosmic horror and folk horror traditions. The collaboration between Derleth and Schorer represents an interesting intersection of pulp horror fiction and literary craftsmanship, exploring themes of revenge, isolation, and encounters with forces beyond human comprehension.

Limited reader reviews exist for this horror story collection. Most reviews focus on the title story "Colonel Markesan," which appears in multiple anthologies. Readers appreciated: - Atmospheric Victorian/Gothic settings - The slow-building dread in "Colonel Markesan" - Collaboration between Derleth and Mark Schorer Common criticisms: - Stories follow predictable patterns - Writing style can be dated and verbose - Collection is difficult to find in print Ratings: Goodreads: 3.33/5 (9 ratings) No Amazon reviews available Notable reader comments: "Colonel Markesan delivers solid supernatural chills though the ending is telegraphed early" - Goodreads reviewer "Worth reading for historical interest but not Derleth's strongest work" - Vault of Evil forum member The book remains relatively obscure with few detailed public reviews available online. Most discussion occurs within vintage horror collecting communities.

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson A far-future horror epic that blends cosmic dread and Gothic atmosphere through the tale of a fortress besieged by otherworldly entities.

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James Contains scholarly protagonists who encounter supernatural forces through ancient artifacts and historical research, matching the cerebral horror style.

Dark Carnival by Ray Bradbury Presents a collection of early weird tales focusing on small-town horror and supernatural encounters from a master of short-form horror fiction.

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythhos by H.P. Lovecraft and Others Features collaborative horror stories from multiple authors working in the cosmic horror tradition that influenced Derleth's work.

American Supernatural Tales edited by S.T. Joshi Compiles essential American horror stories from the same era and publishing circles as Derleth and Schorer's work.

🌟 The book was written during a concentrated period when Derleth and Schorer shared a cabin at Wadmond's Point in Lake Superior, allowing them to bounce ideas off each other in real-time. 🌟 "Colonel Markesan" was adapted into an episode of "Thriller" hosted by Boris Karloff in 1962, four years before the stories were collected in book form. 🌟 August Derleth founded Arkham House Publishers specifically to preserve H.P. Lovecraft's work, and later used it to publish this and other weird fiction collections. 🌟 Many of the stories first appeared in Weird Tales magazine during its most influential period (1923-1954), alongside works by H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Robert Bloch. 🌟 The 35-year gap between the stories' creation and their collection as a book was partly due to the limited market for supernatural fiction during the Great Depression era.