"Satan's Circus" is a collection of ghost stories written by English writer Lady Eleanor Smith, first published in 1932. Lady Eleanor Furneaux Smith (1902 - 1945) was an English writer, society reporter and cinema reviewer, and a publicist for circuses. It was the latter that led her to travel widely and inspired her third career, which was writing fiction. Most of her work had a romanticised historical or Gypsy setting, influenced by her own Romany family ties, and her work provided the foundation for the 'Gainsborough melodramas' of the time. Other notable works by this author include: "Red Wagon" (1930), "Tzigane" (1935), and "The Man in Grey" (1941). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in a modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Mike Dash is a master of atmospheric and entertaining historical narrative. In Satan's Circus he vividly opens up the world of twentieth-century New York, telling the gripping story of police officer Charley Becker's rise and fall and of the sensational murder trials that led to his gruesome death in the electric chair. With a cast of colourful characters, from Big Tim Sullivan, the election-rigging vice lord, to future President Theodore Roosevelt and beloved gangster Jack Zelig, Satan's Circus brings to life an almost forgotten Gotham - a raucous, gaudy and utterly corrupt city.

This early work by E. T. A. Hoffmann was originally published in the 19th century. Born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1776, Hoffmann's family were all jurists, and during his youth he was initially encouraged to pursue a career in law. However, in his late teens Hoffman became increasingly interested in literature and philosophy, and spent much of his time reading German classicists and attending lectures by, amongst others, Immanuel Kant. Hoffman went on to produce a great range of both literary and musical works. Probably Hoffman's most well-known story, produced in 1816, is 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', due to the fact that - some seventy-six years later - it inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. In the same vein, his story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for Léo Delibes's ballet Coppélia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. (Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature.") Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

The time is the Beginning. The place is Heaven. The story is the Revolt of the Angels—a war of magic, corruption and intrigue that could destroy the universe. To Reign in Hell was Stephen Brust's second novel, and it's a thrilling retelling of the revolt of the angels, through the lens of epic fantasy. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Helena Blavatsky is one of the most famous occultists of all time. Founder of The Theosophical Society, she has developed a polarising reputation; her supporters see her as a visionary and a spiritual genius, her detractors as a charlatan and a fraud. First published in 1892, 'The Ensouled Violin' is one of her lesser-known tales. Many of the earliest occult stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Deformed albino Lavinia Whateley lives with her grotesque son and father in the remote village of Dunwich, Massachusetts. Growing from a child to a man in just ten years, her son Wilbur is feared by person and animal alike. His sorcerer grandfather, however, pays particular interest in him, teaching him witchcraft and the secrets of dark rituals. Suspicions are further raised in the local town as the family buys more and more cattle yet their herd never seems to grow in number, instead only developing wounds on their flesh. First published in 1929, “The Dunwich Horror” is a horror short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft and one of the main stories of the Cthulhu Mythos. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American writer of supernatural horror fiction. Though his works remained largely unknown and did not furnish him with a decent living, Lovecraft is today considered to be among the most significant writers of supernatural horror fiction of the twentieth century. Other notable works by this author include: “The Call of Cthulhu”, “The Rats in the Walls”, and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. A fantastic example of Lovecraftian horror not to be missed by fans of the genre. Read & Co. is publishing this classic work now as part of our “Fantasy and Horror Classics” imprint in a new edition with a dedication by George Henry Weiss.

E. T. A. Hoffmann is seen as a pioneer of both Romanticism and fantasy literature, and his novella, Mademoiselle de Scudéri: A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV is often cited as the first ever detective story. Hoffman's story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for Léo Delibes's ballet Coppélia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature." Many of the demonic and thriller stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.