Curse of the Pharaohs - 12 Monstrous Tales of Mummies and the Ancient Egyptian Undead (Fantasy and Horror Classics) - Paperback

Unwrap the terror of the tomb, where death is merely a preparation for vengeance.

This massive collection delves into the enduring, exotic horror of Mummies and the ancient Egyptian Undead. These twelve tales capture the 19th and early 20th centuries' fascination with archaeological discovery, often linking it to curses, supernatural resurrection, and chilling retribution brought to the modern world.

Prepare to face the Pharaohs' dreadful sleep, broken by modern arrogance:

Founders of Mummy Fiction:

• Some Words with a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe: A highly influential, early work that blends dark satire with the macabre, as a mummy is brought back to life to comment wryly on the shortcomings of the modern age.

• The Mummy's Foot by Theophile Gautier: A whimsical yet profoundly unsettling French Romantic tale, where an antique limb brings an immortal, regal terror into a cozy Parisian apartment.

• Lot No. 249 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A foundational text of the genre that introduced the mummy as a reanimated, active killer in a contemporary setting, using a sinister student and forbidden magic.

Archaeological Intrigue and Cosmic Horror:

• Imprisoned with the Pharaohs by Houdini and H. P. Lovecraft: A unique collaboration that puts the famous escapologist into a subterranean nightmare beneath the Sphinx, where the terror is both existential and cosmic, guarded by things older than man.

• The Story of Baelbrow by E. and H. Heron: A tale from the occult detective series Margery of the Mists, where a strange crime or haunting may be linked to ancient Egyptian relics.

• A Professor of Egyptology by Guy Boothby: This story explores the terrifying possibilities of research and discovery, where scholarly curiosity unveils a lethal truth.

• The Mysterious Mummy by Sax Rohmer: The creator of Fu Manchu delivers a suspenseful story of Eastern secrets and resurrected power, befitting his expertise in exotic menace.

• My New Years Eve Among the Mummies by Grant Allen: A tale that uses the strange atmosphere of the museum and the dead past to create a memorable scene of psychological or supernatural unease.

Modern Menace and Folklore:

• Black Coffee by Jeffery Farnol: A tale utilising the mummy's curse as a potent, mysterious, and deadly threat in a contemporary setting.

• The Mummy Worshippers by Elliott O'Donnell: O'Donnell, a famous ghost hunter, offers an account of those seduced by the dark power of ancient Egyptian cults and the undead.

• The Mummy's Ghost by Griffin Jay and Henry Sucher: A cinematic addition, the origin of the horror film of the same name.