{"product_id":"stories-of-the-strange-and-sinister-valancourt-20th-century-classics-9781943910311","title":"Stories of the Strange and Sinister (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)","description":"Sadly neglected today, Frank Baker (1908-1983) was an intriguing and highly original author of fantasy and horror fiction, best known for his post-apocalyptic novel of an avian attack, \u003ci\u003eThe Birds\u003c\/i\u003e (1936), which may have been an influence on Hitchcock's film, and \u003ci\u003eMiss Hargreaves\u003c\/i\u003e (1940), a classic in which two young men invent a story about an unusual old woman only to discover that they have actually brought her to life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e First published in 1983 and long unavailable, \u003ci\u003eStories of the Strange and Sinister\u003c\/i\u003e collects ten of Baker's short stories and displays the versatility of his work. Included are wonderfully macabre tales like 'The Chocolate Box', in which a discarded box found on a Cornish moor contains a gruesome surprise, and 'In the Steam Room', where a man enjoying a sauna believes he glimpses a horrible event through the steam, as well as more subtle tales of the fantastic like 'My Lady Sweet, Arise', in which a woman's compulsion to sing ends with strange consequences, and 'Quintin Claribel', the story of a rude young man who must - quite literally - eat his words. This first-ever republication includes a new introduction by R. B. Russell. Frank Baker's \u003ci\u003eThe Birds\u003c\/i\u003e is also available from Valancourt. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Frank Baker is an unusual and appealing writer, at times quite similar to that grandmaster of the supernatural, Arthur Machen.' - Michael Dirda, \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Baker's work contains some of the more memorable treatments and interpretations of ... supernatural themes.' - \u003ci\u003eEncyclopedia of Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Valancourt Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50857284337938,"sku":"9781943910311","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_577a8ee1-fb48-47f6-b9f6-f73136865355.jpg?v=1737526770","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/stories-of-the-strange-and-sinister-valancourt-20th-century-classics-9781943910311","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}