Greye La Spina (1880–1969)

I was initially drawn to this because Greye La Spina’s full length, gothic novel, Shadow of Evil, was one of my favorite reads this year, and I wanted to see what her short stories were like.

And while La Spina’s stories were great in this (especially Great Pan is Here, The Antimacassar and The Deadly Theory), I loved that this book also helped me find more cool women authors courtesy of the magazine Weird Tales! I was especially into the creepy and foreboding atmosphere of The Canal by show more Everil Worrell, and I thought The Black Stone Statue by Mary Elizabeth Counselman was so innovative and ahead of its time.

Definitely worth checking out if you're curious about these horror/fantasy/scifi pioneers! show less

Originally published in serial format in 1925, this is written in a style that reminded me of Dracula and Frankenstein. I knew I had to read it when I found out that the villain is a Russian princess who is also a werewolf. So specific and unusual, I couldn’t resist! And it was even more fun to read than I expected!

And what a great cover! My edition from the 60s has orange sprayed edges that contrast with the blue cover AND perfectly match the orange of the spooky house’s lit up window! show more

Somehow, it’s the only actual full length novel that Greye La Spina wrote. She was primarily known for writing short stories for fantasy/horror pulps. Because it’s from 1925, it does have an occasional dated moment here and there in it, so bear that in mind. If you can get your hands on a copy of this, it’s totally worth the read! show less

I only got half-way through the book. A little bit of classic pulp goes a long way for me.

4.5/5