Ziesings
3/17/2023
Consisting of four all-time great horror novellas collected in one volume, ROARINGD FROM FURTHER OUT is a timeless read, and the perfect introduction for the Algernon Blackwood novice. If you're looking for spooky, creepy, weird fiction with the timeless feel of Poe and Lovecraft, then Blackwood is your author. Despite the stories being over 100 years old, they are very easy to read even for the most jaded modern reader... so don't be put off by their age because these truly stand the test of time.
The stories are unconnected, but stand seamlessly side-by-side, both thematically and atmospherically. The darker side of Mother Nature's mysteries is prevalent throughout, with heavy anthropomorphism and zoomorphism - characters taking on plant and animal characteristics, and vice versa. Blackwood is a master at setting a mood of impending, and slowly building danger and tension. The stories all begin with the calm before the dark storm that creeps up on you, surrounds you, and then erupts with climaxes that are closely followed by clever conclusions that will leave you eager to start the next adventure. His descriptions of scenery, plants, animals, and eerie hybrids are second to none.
Overall, this is probably my favorite collection of short horror and weird tales.