The House of Souls is a collection of supernatural, horror stories that will capture the reader's attention from the first paragraph. Machen, a major influence on later weird fiction writers such as Lovecraft and Ashton-Smith, creates eerie, atmospheric stories that imply rather than show. This literary conceit works well for the type of existential horror Machen posits lives behind, beside and next to us. Almost always out of direct sight, the creature and powers are subtle, old and dangerous but passive until disturbed by the hubris of man. In some ways, his characters celebrate and warn against progress and research for fear of what such inquiries might yield. All in all, an essential read for word fiction enthusiasts. (Amazon)