Occult Fiction & Literary Criticism. Secondhsnd Books. Man Myth & Magic

O01. Beidler, J.H, Homo and Homodine, 1st ed. Privately published 1887, Lge. 8vo, decorated blue cloth, 47pp. A curious work giving the author's view of a pre-Adamic couple in the American continent and the subsequent advent of Adam and Eve. The text is in the form of verse. Signed in pencil by the author, dated 1891. Some spotting to front board, 1" closed split to lower joint, small scuff to outer edge of front board. Some minor spotting to edge of text block. Contents tight and very clean. V.good -, Very scarce, £45

O01A. Blackwood, A, Tales of the Mysterious and Macabre, Spring Books 1967, 8vo, red cloth, 400pp. 23 stories, including Chinese Magic, The sacrifice, The Wings of Horus, and Initiation. Very slight fading to spine, minor soiling to covers in places. Tiny nick without loss to edge of half title. Contents clean and tight. V.good £3.50

O3. Daniels, L, Living in Fear: A History of Horror in the Mass Media, Scribner's 1975, 4to, decorated mauve cloth, 8 +248pp incl. index, many photo illustrations, some full page. An entertaining look at horror in film, story, magazines, poetry, plays and comics. Includes a chapter on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and 8 short stories, including Machen, Lovecraft and M.R James. V. good + in like d/w £18

O03. (Dashwood, Sir Francis), Towers, E, Dashwood: The Man and the Myth, 1 st edition, Crucible 8vo pbk. 1986, 256pp including index + 16pp plates. Signed dedication from author to previous owner on half title. A well balanced and interesting and biographical study. Some trivial soiling/ edge rubbing to covers, tiny crease to top corner of first three leaves, minor spot to edge of text block, contents clean and tight. Small scuff to top of rear cover due to label removal, not affecting text, otherwise a very good copy of the uncommon first issue, rarely found signed £15

O3A. Farr, F, The Dancing Faun, 1894, I.H.O square 8vo pbk. 2006, 16 + 149pp, with 2 photograph portraits of the author, title page illustration by Aubrey Beardsley. Introduction by Caroline Wise. Novel by one of the most prominent female members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It is essentially autobiographical, and containing veiled references to her esoteric ideas. The faun of the title was based on George Bernard Shaw. Covers curling out slightly at edges, minor crease to upper corner of lower cover, otherwise near fine £15

O3B. Fortune, D, The Demon Lover, 1927, Aquarian Press 1972, 8vo, gold cloth shot with black, 286pp, top edge stained green. Classic occult novel featuring past lives and the quest for the ultimate priestess. Edge of text block slightly soiled, slight wear to bottom edge of rear cover. V.good in good + (some edge wear, a few short closed tears, vertical crease to spine portion, small wax stain to front panel, a few minor marks, price clipped, front inner flap a little creased at top edge) d/w £12

O4. Graham, S, Priest of the Ideal, 1st edition, Macmillan 1917, 8vo, blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt emblem to front board, 8 + 405pp, emblem illustrations to first page of each chapter. Novel exploring English mystical Christianity through its spiritual sites, including Glastonbury, Iona, and Holy Island. The emblems form a part of the story itself. The book was praised by Dion Fortune. Joints, corners and spine ends rubbed, front hinge pulled but still firm, ownership inscriptions and trace of book plate removal to front end papers, tiny ink stamp to foot of rear paste down, a couple of spots to edge of text block, contents very clean and still tight. The uncommon original edition. Good + £8

O4B. Haining, P (editor), Weird Tales volume one, 1976, Sphere pbk. 1978, 238pp. A selection of stories from horror fantasy classic Weird Tales. Contributors include Robert E Howard, August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, and Seabury Quinn. Reading crease to spine, some light edge wear to covers. Tiny dent to top of front cover causing slight indent at top of first few margins. Text lightly tanning. Good + £3

O5. James, M.R, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, 1910, Edward Arnold 1937, Cr8vo, grey cloth with red rules, 270pp. The first of the author’s collections of Victorian ghost stories, considered to be amongst the best of the genre. Eight stories, comprising of: Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook; Lost Hearts; The Mezzotint; The Ash Tree; Number 13; Count Magnus; ‘Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, my Lad; and the Treasure of Abbot Thomas. Cloth a little rubbed in places, spine ends and corners lightly worn, light crease to cloth on rear board. Gift inscription to front end paper, edge of text block lightly spotted, very occasionally affecting margins, text clean and tight. V.good - £20

O6A. Lytton, Lord E.B, A Strange Story, 1862, Lewis, no date, c.1870-1880, Cr8vo, bevel edged maroon cloth, top edge gilt, 424pp (paginated 9 to 433). Classic novel incorporating many esoteric themes. Spine leaning slightly and rubbed at ends, corners slightly worn, cloth slightly rubbed in places, front hinge pulled, text evenly browned, otherwise clean and still fairly tight. Blacked out name to front end paper. Good approaching good + £8

O6A. (Lovecraft, H.P), Joshi, S.T, A Dreamer and a Visionary: H.P Lovecraft in his Time, 1 st edition, Liverpool University Press 2001, large 8vo, black cloth, 10 + 422pp including index. A scholarly and reliable biographical study by one of the leading modern authorities on Lovecraft and his work. Lovecraft’s fiction, often inspired by dreams, has long been heralded by many occultists (including Kenneth Grant) as revealing much esoteric lore, and Lovecraft himself as being an unwitting prophet influenced by unseen occult forces. A couple of trivial light soil marks to edge of text block, otherwise near mint in like ( trivial creasing to ends of spine portion) d/w. The increasingly uncommon original hard cover edition £35

O6B. (Lovecraft, H.P), Petersen, S, Call of Cthulhu, 1981, 3 rd edition, Chaosium 1986, large 4to, pictorial laminated hard covers, 192pp, many illustrations in text + 8 coloured plates. The original guide to fantasy role-playing in the worlds of H.P Lovecraft, and in doing so, provides much speculative occult lore relating to the Cthulhu mythos based on Lovecraft’s original stories. Small faint ink stamp to top of front paste down, slight creasing to top of front end paper. A near fine copy of the increasingly uncommon hard cover issue £18

O6C. (Lovecraft, H.P), Ross, K, Call of Cthulhu: Escape From Innsmouth, 1992, 2 nd edition, revised and expanded, Chaosium large 4to pbk. 1997, 172pp + advertisement leaves, folding map loosely inserted as issued. Supplement to the Call of Cthulhu role playing game focussing on Lovecraft’s Innsmouth during the 1920s. Trivial rubbing to cover edges. Scarce. Fine £25

O7A. Machen, A, (trans.) The Heptameron, or Tales and novels of Marguerite, Queen of Navarre, Routledge, n.d, c. 1910, 8vo, blue cloth,bevelled edge boards, 20 +392pp. Two neat ink annotations to margins, text browning slightly, still a v.good - copy £6

O7B. Merivale, P, Pan the Goat-God: His Myth in Modern Times, 1 st and only edition, Harvard University Press 1969, large 8vo, green cloth, 16 + 287pp including index + 17 plates. An excellent study of the nature and changing faces of the god as portrayed in literature. Begins with Classical and Medieval studies and proceeds through to the 20 th century via Benson, Browning, Coleridge, Keats, Lawrence and many others. Ex lib, but minimal trace. Just a small shelf number to spine, small book plate to front paste down, small stamps and tiny file number to verso of title. Trivial wear to spine ends and corners. A very good copy of an increasingly uncommon title £35

09AP. Poe, E.A, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1919, Chancellor Press 1985, 4to, black cloth, 383pp + 24 plates and vignettes by Harry Clarke. 29 classic tales, including Morella, Ligea, the Pit and the Pendulem, , the Tell tale Heart, etc. A facsimile of the original edition. very slight mark to foot of front cover, otherwise a v.good +, clean, tight copy in like d/w £5

O9S. Scott, Sir W, The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, Bart, Charles Daly, no date, circa 1850, small Cr8vo, contemporary full dark brown morocco, richly gilt, spine in gilt tooled compartments with raised bands, front and rear boards with diamond design and elaborate borders in gilt, with blind tooling at centre, all edges gilt, 16 + 564 + 60pp + 8pp publisher’s catalogue, additional engraved title + frontispiece portrait and 13 further steel engraved plates with paper guards. A nice early edition of the poetical works, with explanatory notes and a memoir of the author. Spine, edges of boards, and joints rubbed. Some occasional minor foxing of text, off-setting from plates to paper guards. Scarce. Good + £20

O9SS. (Shakespeare, W), Judge Webb, The Mystery of William Shakespeare: A Summary of the Evidence, 1 st edition, Longmans, Green & Co. 1902, 8vo, original black buckram, 302pp including index + 32pp publisher’s catalogue, top edge gilt, others uncut. A critical study, including the much debated subject of authorship. An interesting association copy, with the ownership signature of Alfred Dodd on the front paste down, and with occasional pencil underling and critical marginal notes in his hand throughout. Dodd was a prolific writer on Shakespeare, Bacon, and their literary mysteries, even going as far as to suggest that Shakespeare was the creator of Freemasonry, citing that the plays were full of Masonic symbolism. Ex Masonic library, with book plate to front end paper, small file label to front paste down, and a presentation label stating that this copy was presented to the Pallas Athene Lodge of Research by Dodd and his wife. Spine ends and corners worn, closed splitting to most of outer joints. Another ownership signature to verso of half title, with a couple of marginal notes in the same hand. A few page corners previously turned. Aside from the annotation, text very clean and fairly tight. Near good copy only, but a unique and very cheap copy of the very scarce original issue £38

O9BS. Stoker, B, The Jewel of the Seven Stars, 1904, Rider, no date, (circa 1920), Cr8vo, decorated green cloth, 8 + 307pp + 4pp publisher’s advertisements, engraved title. Classic occult novel featuring the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian queen. Spine and covers faded in places, joints worn, two tiny pin holes to spine, minor spotting to covers. Some occasional light foxing, mainly to margins. A good, tight copy of an uncommon early issue £10

O10. (Summers, Montague), d'Arch Smith, T, Montague Summers: A Bibliography, 1964, revised and corrected edition, Aquarian Press 1983, 8vo, black cloth, 170pp including index, frontispiece and two further plates (on ordinary paper). Foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. Ex lib., book plates etc to front end papers and file numbers to verso of title. Aside from minimal library trace, a very good clean copy in like (spine faded, some very minor creasing) d/w £5

O010. (Summers, Montague), d'Arch Smith, T, Montague Summers: A Bibliography, 1964, revised and corrected edition, Aquarian Press 1983, 8vo, black cloth, 170pp including index, frontispiece and two further plates (on ordinary paper). Foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. Fine in like d/w £8

O10B. Tennyson, A, Enoch Arden, etc, Edward Moxon 1865, Cr8vo, green cloth with blind decoration to front board, 2 + 178pp. A selection of 15 poems including the title piece and Sea Dreams, plus “experiments”, which include a specimen translation of the Iliad and Boadicea. Minor wear to spine ends and corners, a few minor marks to cloth. Some occasional light foxing, mainly to margins, lacks front end paper. Good + £3.50

O10C. Thompson, R H, The Return From Avalon, 1st ed. Greenwood Press 1985, 8vo, blue cloth, no d/w as issued, 9 + 207pp incl. index. A study of Arthurian legend in modern fiction. The work of John Cowper Powys et al. Near fine £20

O11. Various, Studies in the Late Romances of William Morris, 1st edition, William Morris Society 8vo pbk. 1976, 139pp. Five papers with an introduction by Frederick Kirchhoff. An important collection of essays with particular reference to the use of mythological and ritual motifs in Morris' work from 1888 to 1897. The papers are as follows: Motif and Theme in the Late Prose Romances of William Morris by Charlotte Oberg; "The Little Land of Abbundance" : Parstoral Perspective in the Late Romances of William Morris by Blue Calhoun; Deliberate Happiness: The late Prose Romances of William Morris by John Hollow; The Erotic in News from Nowhere and The Well at the World's End by Norman Kelvin; and Myth and Ritual in the Last Romances of William Morris by Carole Silver. Spine slightly worn, covers slightly soiled. Contents clean and tight. A near very good copy of a scarce work. £28