In a Glass Darkly

In a Glass Darkly is a landmark collection of five eerie tales, presented as posthumous papers of the metaphysical physician Dr. Martin Hesselius, the stories explore the shadowy boundary between psychological torment and genuine otherworldly menace.

The volume opens with the unsettling Green Tea, in which a clergyman is stalked and gradually broken by a malevolent spectral monkey visibly only to him. It is followed by tales of relentless supernatural pursuit (The Familiar), a corrupted judge haunted by vengeful phantoms (Mr. Justice Harbottle), a suspenseful mystery involving deception and live burial (The Room in the Dragon Volant), and the book’s most famous work, Carmilla, a pioneering vampire novella that predates other notable works by many years, and focuses on a seductive, undead female predator.

Le Fanu’s subtle, atmospheric prose builds dread and through suggestion and ambiguity, reflecting the biblical title’s idea of perceiving truth “through a glass, darkly,” this collection remains essential reading for fans of classic horror, psychological ghost stories, and early vampire fiction.

The Whitewolf Classic edition of this Gothic text includes the original English text published in 1872.