With an Introduction by Mark Valentine Perhaps best known for his 'perfectly realised' novel of Edwardian childhood The Go-Between, L.P. Hartley was also a much admired adept of the macabre short story. Hartley was no dilettante in the genre: he was well-versed in its long and distinguished tradition, and these carefully crafted tales represent some of the most successful attempts to carry the ghost story into the twentieth century. The Collected Macabre Stories includes thirty-seven of Hartley's best tales, ranging from the well-known, traditional ghost stories 'The Cotillon' and 'Feet Foremost', through the dark humour of 'The Travelling Grave' and 'The Killing Bottle' to the Aickmanesque 'The Pylon'. These encompass a wide range of settings, from English Country Houses to Venetian Palaces. Two accomplished fantasies, 'Conrad and the Dragon' and 'The Crossways' display Hartley's range and versatility. Taken as a whole, the collection represents one of the most impressive achievements of twentieth-century macabre fiction. Reviews "Tartarus Press’s fine edition of Hartley’s stories deserves the widest possible readership." - Scott Connors, Weird Tales, 2006 "One of the undisputed books of the year, for which demand will surely outstrip the initial printing; if you haven't ordered it already, do so without delay. Well done, Tartarus - yet again." - Steve Duffy, All Hallows, October 2002. "Cats and Coffins. The Collected Macabre Stories is a handsome-looking book, decently bound and properly sewn." - Times Literary Supplement, April 12, 2002. "In short, this collection, introduced by Mark Valentine, is a celebration of the darkly comedic, the tragic, and the unknown -- a chronicle of midnight encounters between the haunters and the haunted better known for his mainstream novels than for the work where he truly stood out." - William Simmons, Infinity Plus