In the spirit of Le Fanu’s classic trio of tales, Brian J. Showers’ The Bleeding Horse and Other Ghost Stories infests his own Dublin neighbourhood with an authentic population of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. Showers has filled each story with fascinating regional history, local atmosphere, and architectural details that are clearly visible today. While this gives the stories a factual flavour, the supernatural elements are entirely fictional. The result is a realistic and shadow-filled portrait of a modern neighbourhood, written in the traditional style of the classic literary ghost story.
Each story features a recognisable Dublin setting and infuses it with a spectral history. Among the mysteries you will be invited to unravel are: the origins of The Bleeding Horse pub’s gruesome name (‘The Bleeding Horse’); the mysterious events leading to the discovery of Jack B. Yeats’ final painting (‘Oil on Canvas’); the eerie and persistent repercussions of a tragic omnibus accident in 1861 (‘Favourite No. 7 Omnibus’); the possible resting place of the stolen Irish Crown Jewels and what guards it (‘Quis Separabit’); the identify of the strange entity that plagued a 19th c. curate (‘Father Corrigan’s Diary’); and more. The Bleeding Horse and Other Ghost Stories features black and white illustrations throughout by Duane Spurlock, an introduction by Le Fanu scholar Jim Rockhill, and a cover by Harvey Award winner Scott Hampton.
Brian J. Showers is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. He has lived in Dublin, Ireland since 2001. Brian’s first book, Literary Walking Tours of Gothic Dublin was published in 2006. He has written short stories, articles, interviews and reviews for many magazines including; All Hallows, Supernatural Tales, Dead Reckonings, Trailer Park of Terror, Ghosts & Scholars, Le Fanu Studies, Machenalia and Rue Morgue.
To learn more and/or order: The Bleeding Horse
