The author was about 13 when he wrote the first of these short stories. Some of the early stories are very short and very good. He came to the attention of Lovecraft who helped him in some of the later stores. Very much in the Lovecraft style.

(Side note: I haven't had night terrors in years, but after reading only the first 20 pages or so before sleep, woke up yelling enough to wake the neighbors.)

This is not hollywood horror of the chainsaw massacre type. It is done by turn of phrase, setting, description. Example: The first line of "Return by Sunset": "Flooding up from abysses and abysses, streaming scarlet like gore from an enormous wound, the sun groped down into darkness."

As for his poetry: Some are clever. Some are to the point. However, it is too bad a psychologist hadn't read these before they author ended his life.

This was a selection of the North Country Gaylaxians book group.

The short stories are Excellent. The poetry Good. Overall, Good Plus 84. ( )