This early work by Robert Louis Stevenson was originally published in 1885 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'Olalla' is a short story about an English soldier recovering from his wounds in Spain where he stays with a family that keep a dark secret. Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1850. . In 1880, he married Fanny Van de Grift, and they moved between France, Britain and California together. It was during these years that Stevenson produced much of his best-known work - 'Treasure Island', in 1883, 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', in 1886, and 'Black Arrow', in 1888. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

These early works by various authors were originally published between the late 16th century and early 20th century and we are now republishing them with a brand new introduction as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'Cryptofiction - Volume I.' contains a collection of short stories that include 'The Mark of the Beast' by Rudyard Kipling, 'The Eyes of the Panther' by Ambrose Bierce, 'In the Avu Observatory' by H. G. Wells, and many other classic tales of strange creatures. The genre of cryptofiction has grown up in the shadow of its older brothers, science fiction and fantasy, and specialises in the concept of mysterious creatures such as sea monsters, wolf-men, and lost pre-historic creatures. Cryptofiction takes its name from another, non-literary practice: cryptozoology. This is generally regarded as a pseudoscience by mainstream scientists, relying as it does upon anecdotal, often unverifiable evidence. However, it still boasts many enthusiasts, and continues to exert considerable artistic allure. Cryptofiction is here to stay, and the stories in this collection map the development of a genre which is as strange as it is fascinating. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

These early works by various authors were written between the Middle Ages and the early 20th century and we are now republishing them with a brand new introduction as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Wolf in the Moonlight' contains a collection of short stories about the charismatic creature, the wolf, and includes 'The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains' by Frederick Marryat (1839), 'The Wolf' by Guy de Maupassant (1882), 'Olalla' by by Robert Louis Stevenson (1885), and many more. Homo sapiens and canis lupus have a long and chequered history together. Amongst early agricultural societies, the wolf was widely feared for its tendency to devastate supplies of livestock. This fear was passed down through the generations, codified in countless legends and folktales, so that, by the Early Middle Ages, as academic and wolf expert Beryl Rowland puts it, the wolf was established as the “universal baleful symbol.” The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

Frederick Marryat was one of the pioneers of the sea novel, and a major influence on writers such as Joseph Conrad and Ernest Hemingway. In his day, his short fiction was wildly popular, and 'The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains' remains widely anthologised. Many of the horror stories of monsters and ghouls, 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.

This early work by H. G. Wells was originally published in 1894 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'In the Avu Observatory' is a short story of a man working in an observatory in Borneo who gets attacked by a strange bat-like creature. Herbert George Wells was born in Bromley, England in 1866. He apprenticed as a draper before becoming a pupil-teacher at Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex. Some years later, Wells won a scholarship to the School of Science in London, where he developed a strong interest in biology and evolution, founding and editing the Science Schools Journal. However, he left before graduating to return to teaching, and began to focus increasingly on writing. It was in 1895 that Wells seriously established himself as a writer, with the publication of the now iconic novel, The Time Machine. Wells followed The Time Machine with the equally well-received War of the Worlds (1898), which proved highly popular in the USA. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

This early work by H. G. Wells was originally published in 1896 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Sea Raiders' is a short story in which a man notices a corpse floating in the sea, but when he investigates sees that it is being devoured by large and unusual cephalopods. Herbert George Wells was born in Bromley, England in 1866. He apprenticed as a draper before becoming a pupil-teacher at Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex. Some years later, Wells won a scholarship to the School of Science in London, where he developed a strong interest in biology and evolution, founding and editing the Science Schools Journal. However, he left before graduating to return to teaching, and began to focus increasingly on writing. It was in 1895 that Wells seriously established himself as a writer, with the publication of the now iconic novel, The Time Machine. Wells followed The Time Machine with the equally well-received War of the Worlds (1898), which proved highly popular in the USA. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

This early work by Arthur James Ogilvy was originally published in 1913 and we are now republishing it as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Ape Man' is a short story about a prospector in Amazonia who discovers the last family of some quasi-human apes. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.