Short works of decadent horror by a pioneer of supernatural fiction include the title story, a tale of mysterious suicides, "The White People," "The Inmost Light," and "The Shining Pyramid."
Welsh novelist and essayist Arthur Machen (1863-1947) ranks among the most important and influential writers of his era. Although preoccupied with pagan themes and occult practices, his writing transcends the genre of supernatural horror. Machen also played a key role in the development of the pulp magazine fiction that foreshadowed today's popular graphic novels.
