Arthur Machen

The Red Hand (Cryptofiction Classics) Arthur Machen

This early work by Arthur Machen was originally published in 1895 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Red Hand' is a short story of a murder committed with an ancient stone axe and a strange clue in the form of an image of a red hand. Arthur Machen was born in Caerleon, Monmouthshire, Wales in 1863. At the age of eleven, he boarded at Hereford Cathedral School, where he received a comprehensive classical education. His first major success came in 1894, with the novella 'The Great God Pan'. Although widely denounced by the press as degenerate and horrific because of its decadent style and sexual content, it has since garnered a reputation as a classic of horror; indeed, author Stephen King has called it "maybe the best [horror story] in the English language." His legacy remains formidable; his work has influenced countless other artists, and is seen as setting the stage for - amongst other things - the Cthulhu horrors of H. P. Lovecraft.