The Outcast Spirit
and Other Stories

Lady Dilke

With an introduction by Brian Stableford

There is nothing else quite like the short stories of Lady Dilke in the annals of English literature, and even readers who have little sympathy with their stylistic affectations, allegorical pretensions and harrowing conclusions are likely to admit that they have a peculiar fascination.

Those who find some resonance in their psychological ambience might easily think them touched with genius. The simple fact that they are so unusual is a great asset in itself, from the viewpoint of lovers of exotica, but they are not peculiar merely for the sake of cultivating unconventionality.

Seen as an assembly, in fact, their visionary element acquires an extra dimension of coherency, and also manifests a marked evolution, from the slightly tentative experimental ventures of the stories in The Shrine of Death to the triptych of masterpieces constituted by The Hangman’s Daughter, The Triumph of the Cross and The Mirror of the Soul, which are truly remarkable works considered individually, but gain even more from being placed in the broad frame provided by this, the first comprehensive collection of the author’s fiction.

About the Author
Lady Dilke (1840-1904), born Emily Francis Strong, was an author, art historian, feminist and trade unionist. She wrote numerous articles and books on art, in both English and French, and, during her lifetime, published two darkly themed collections of short stories titled The Shrine of Death and Other Stories (1886) and The Shrine of Love and Other Stories (1891).

Paperback, 174 pages
Release date: November 7, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1-943813-13-1
Price: US$16.50

Hardcover, 176 pages.  Limited edition of 60 copies, of which 55 will be made available to the public
Release date: November 7, 2016
Price: US$30.00