Name: Shadows of Carcosa
ISBN: 9781590179437

H. P. Lovecraft

Ambrose Bierce

R. W. Chambers

A seasonal collection of horror tales based on Lovecraft's principle of "cosmic fear" contains in addition to the title story such selections as Algeron Blackwood's "The Willows," Henry James's "The Jolly Corner," and Arthur Machen's "The White People." Oriignal.

Tales of Cosmic Horror by Lovecraft, Chambers, Machen, Poe, and Other Masters of the Weird

Shadows of Carcosa

From "MS. Found in a Bottle" by Edgar Allan Poe

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In reading the above sentence a curious apothegm of an old weather-beaten Dutch navigator comes full upon my recollection. “It is as sure,” he was wont to say, when any doubt was entertained of his veracity, “as sure as there is a sea where the ship itself will grow in bulk like the living body of the seaman.”

“Because you cannot without affirming what you wish to deny, namely, intelligent cooperation among the constituent elements of the crystals. When soldiers form lines, or hollow squares, you call it reason. When wild geese in flight take the form of a letter V you say instinct. When the homogeneous atoms of a mineral, moving freely in solution arrange themselves into shapes mathematically perfect, or particles of frozen moisture into the symmetrical and beautiful forms of snowflakes, you have nothing to say. You have not even invented a name to conceal your heroic unreason.”

I couldn't not highlight this. So deep, so poetic.

From "Seaton's Aunt" by Walter de la Mare

“There’s hundreds of eyes like that in this house; and even if God does see you, He takes precious good care you don’t see Him. (...)

A great compilation of few of the greatest horror authors and their "weird tales", as Lovecraft calls them. Oh, and Henry James is there too. 

Shadows of Carcosa Tales of Cosmic Horror by Lovecraft, Chambers, Machen, Poe, and Other Masters of the Weird