A Little Sunny Reading Sesh

Polar Christmas Reading

It has been a recent tradition of mine these past few Christmas' to read a vintage ghost story published in Seth's illustrated range of books. Last month's title I chose to read was The Captain of the Polestar by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Captain of the Polestar (1883) presents a chilling ghost story set against the backdrop of the desolate Arctic. The narrative follows John McAlister Ray, a ship's doctor aboard the Polestar, as he documents the unsettling experiences surrounding Captain Craigie. Through Ray's journal entries, the tale unfolds the psychological turmoil and supernatural disturbances that plague the captain, whose fixation on ghostly visions merges madness with the uncanny. 

Reading the story reminded me of another tale I read a few years back - the more modern and longer Dark Matter (2010) by Michelle Paver, which also navigates themes of isolation and fear within an Arctic setting. In this later book, the protagonist, Jack Miller, part of a doomed scientific mission, faces spectral occurrences as the endless Arctic night envelops him. Despite the gap of over a hundred years between the two works, both stories resonate with thematic parallels, and generate an atmosphere of dread stemming from human vulnerability in unforgiving environments.

Both narratives effectively employ the Arctic landscape as a backdrop for psychological and supernatural horror. In Doyle's The Captain of the Polestar, the frozen sea becomes an unforgiving force, mirroring Craigie’s troubled mind. Conversely, Paver's Dark Matter delves into the suffocating isolation of the Arctic, using the perpetual darkness to symbolize the encroaching fears of the unknown. While Doyle's writing is richly evocative, Paver creates a more visceral experience, vividly illustrating the relentless cold and silence that amplify the tension.

At the heart of both stories lies the fragile human psyche under extreme duress. Captain Craigie’s visions and unstable behaviour in The Captain of the Polestar echo Jack’s growing paranoia in Dark Matter. However, while Doyle leaves the supernatural elements open to interpretation—raising questions about the reality of the apparitions—Paver confirms the existence of sinister forces. This difference positions Doyle’s tale as a more enigmatic reflection of Victorian doubt, whereas Paver presents a contemporary psychological horror grounded in tangible threats.

In Doyle’s narrative, the brevity of the story shapes its characters; Captain Craigie remains an enigmatic figure, and Ray largely serves as an observer. In contrast, Paver’s Dark Matter provides a more profound emotional connection to Jack, whose personal fears and ambitions enrich his character's descent into madness. Paver, in developing her story to novel length, also creates a more robust cast of supporting characters, intensifying the story's tragic stakes.

Doyle’s prose, reflective of the Victorian era, possesses an elegance that may seem restrained by modern standards, favouring suggestion and ambience over explicit horror. In contrast, Paver's writing employs contemporary storytelling techniques, intertwining psychological tension with vivid sensory descriptions that immerse the reader in the protagonist's dread and isolation. The Captain of the Polestar stands as a notable example of Victorian ghost literature, infused with mystery and understated terror, while Dark Matter offers a more immediate and visceral horror experience, highlighting psychological intricacies and the unyielding threat posed by its Arctic setting. Readers drawn to ambiguous, atmospheric ghost stories may find resonance in Doyle’s work, whereas those in search of a harrowing, immersive narrative may gravitate towards Paver’s contemporary interpretation. Both tales, however, masterfully illustrate the lasting impact of the Arctic as a canvas for examining human vulnerability amidst extreme conditions. 

I would highly recommend both tales to ghost story enthusiasts.  And, given their chilly settings, the pair make for a fantastic supernatural Christmas reading treat.

And whilst Doyle's short story can be easily found in numerous anthologies, I do suggest you find the version I read over Christmas, if only for the small book's cool design, and Seth's cool minimalist yet highly evocative illustrations.

Watch this space for more info on Seth's range of Christmas ghost stories...

The Quiet Before the Storm

The quiet before the storm of activity. Nanowrimo, or write a novel in a month, commences tomorrow...

Reading Again...

Billie Quick's blood has just streaked the pale vampire's faces, meking them appear "like clowns from an unholy circus." Love it!

My favourite reading spot of late

Pre Halloween Reading

I've been so busy of late, with two important new jobs to learn, training courses  to complete and getting my latest Explore Gower book written and published. Hopefully the next two weeks will be a little quieter so I can crack on with some much needed reading...

Heading Home

I do enjoy my down time to catch up on things before heading home.

Stormy Reading

Whilst the  South Wales thunder raged in the skies overhead and the rain belted down, I read this grim short story by Guy N Smith.

Reading

Catching up on some reading before heading home.

Guy N Smith - The Knighton Vampires

I really should have read this book before this past weekend. But its fascinating to read a story set in a place you have literally just read... I've just got to persuade little fudjcake to let me get back into reading again.

Reading and Writing

A chilled middle day of my 3-day weekend. Popped up to our house at the top of the hill as we waited for our laundry to wash. It was nice to find the electrics are all sorted in the house now. The landlord is just waiting for the surveyor to complete their report now and then he can start getting the place fixed up for us.  Our garden there is now in full bloom and it is such a shame that we can only enjoy its colourful splendour in fits and starts.

The weather is a bit too hot for me at the moment, but I managed to get the bulk of my Tricho cacti out in our temporary bottom of the hill garden so they could sunbathe with The Mont.

I spent the hottest part of the afternoon indoors, catching up on some reading...

...and finally managed to do a little more work on my Gut N Smith zine in the night. Noting that I am already 51 days into that particular 100-day project, it felt great to get stuck into that again.

Slugs by Shaun Hutson

Started reading my first Shaun Hutson book 😱 - saw this 42 year old book going for a fiver so I thought wth!

Catweazel

 Wednesday, 16 April, 2024

Peace

 Sunday, 24 March, 2024

Peace. My favourite thing in the world right now.

We decided we needed a day away from the house today. And with beautiful sunshine being the order of the day, I enjoyed a nice little sit down outside the caravan in the afternoon :)

I finally put Cold Comfort to bed in the evening. I won't lie, this novel was a bit of a beast to write and is definitely the longest of my novels. 

Merry Christmas One and All

Monday, December 19, 2023

Reading Caracal. Reaching the part where Bertie gets left out in the dark and rain without his supper...

Reading my last Guy N Smith book for a while as my year-long reading project comes to a close. Which means, it's time to start putting together some thoughts for my write-up of reading, collecting and enjoying Guy's work. This will be featured in a full-colour fanzine book called The Imaginarium. 

The book, dedicated wholly to Guy, is planned to be the first in a series of zines/books celebrating scary storytelling. I've already got an idea for issue 2 percolating in my head (something along the lines of eerie children's books) so I think it's time to crack on with Issue One. Thanks Guy, you've truly entertained me throughout 2023.

Guy N Smith - Caracal

 Sunday, 19 November 2023

Starting my 20th and last GNS book of 2023. It's been a long and entertaining journey. Thanks to the lovely people on the Guy N Smith Appreciation FB Group, including Guy's wonderful family, for making the reads a hell of a lot richer, and helping me get hold of some of his very rare books. Chuffed I kept to my New Year's resolution to devote my reading year to Guy ☺️

Liver News

 Friday, 17 November 2023

My liver scan at the hospital gave me good news so I can continue on my low dose chemotherapy to help my condition. The walk to hospital yielded some nice view too. Even the waiting room in the hospital was cool. 

Wall Art outside Three Corners Orchard, Sketty 

Singleton Church

The last remaining leaves of Autumn

A nice coastal view from the hospital waiting room

A quick foto grab from the bus into town

Relaxed in the evening with a good book (Guy N Smith's Nightspawn):

Reading

Monday, 13 November 2023

 Sunday, 12 November 2023

An afternoon read. One of Guy N Smith's best - Nightspawn

Reading Nightspawn

November 04, 2023

Reading Nightspawn - Up there with my favourite Guy N Smith reads so far...