Reggie Oliver

[yellowish haze]

Reggie Oliver's fans can now listen to his yet uncollected (I think) story 'A Donkey at The Mysteries' read by the author at The Ghost Story Society podcast.

[The New Nonsense]

I'm wondering if perhaps one of you could shed some light on a little mystery. In Reggie Oliver's recent collection Madder Mysteries, there is a section titled, “Diversions & Curiosities”. It contains essays regarding the supernatural tales of Stella Gibbons, Montague Summers, M.R. James, Henry James and a one Jules Charnier. The latter essay is titled, "Putting on the Surrealist Hat: The Decadent Aesthetic of Jules Charnier". This essay also appears in Wormwood #11.

I've tried to find more information on this Charnier fellow, anything at all beyond Oliver's essay. However, he seems to be extremely unknown; so much so, that I think he is possibly an invention of Oliver -- an amusing literary prank to be sure. Does anyone know if Charnier is fictitious?

[jonathan122]

Quote Originally Posted by The New Nonsense

I'm wondering if perhaps one of you could shed some light on a little mystery. In Reggie Oliver's recent collection Madder Mysteries, there is a section titled, “Diversions & Curiosities”. It contains essays regarding the supernatural tales of Stella Gibbons, Montague Summers, M.R. James, Henry James and a one Jules Charnier. The latter essay is titled, "Putting on the Surrealist Hat: The Decadent Aesthetic of Jules Charnier". This essay also appears in Wormwood #11. I've tried to find more information on this Charnier fellow, anything at all beyond Oliver's essay. However, he seems to be extremely unknown; so much so, that I think he is possibly an invention of Oliver -- an amusing literary prank to be sure. Does anyone know if Charnier is fictitious?

Charnier is fictitious. I was fooled too for a while. Felt like a right 'nana afterwards.

[starrysothoth]

I recently saw a blurb on an E-bay auction that there is a Reggie Oliver omnibus in the works. It sounded like this would include reprints of most of the stories from both Cardinal Vittorini and Hitler Symphonies. Does anyone here know anything about this, or if it's even true?

[nomis]

That's the rumour. I believe Centipede is looking at the idea, which means it'll still be too expensive for the average reader.

Millipede / Centipede Press. It's going to be a three volume box set collecting all of RO's weird tales, featuring new and original artwork by Reggie and other artists. RO asked me whether I'd mind if he dedicated the book to me; naturally I objected.

[Joke!]

I've seen some of the proposed artwork and it's shaping up to be a very handsome set. However, Jerad is quite rightly proceeding very cautiously to make sure that everything is perfectly organised. Besides, it's an immense job. That's probably why it hasn't even formally announced on his website.

This is pure guesswork on my part, but I think the box-set will appear early next year, and that the price would be several hundred dollars, perhaps circa $500 (especially if you're importing to the UK from the States). That seems to be what they're having to charge for Lovecraft, Hodgson, Poe etc.

Reggie emailed me a link a couple of days ago to some third party selling a copy of his 'The Complete Symphonies Of Adolf Hitler' on Amazon the other day for circa £1,200 / $2, 000.

Staggering. It makes me very wary about releasing even slightly damaged copies of his two first collections on Ebay lest they end up in the hands of unscrupulous dealers who quite literally hold the collector to ransom. I think it's fair enough to ask circa £100 for a damaged copy and double that for a fine one - that's broadly comensurate with what other sought-after OOP limited edition books sell for - but asking £1,200 for a book that isn't even five years old is somewhere between offensive and outrageous.

Needless to say, Reggie and I both condemn this level of greed, and have no connection to the seller or any similar ones. We may rarely swap books for items of similar rarity, or I may list the odd flawed copy on Ebay (with the proceeds often going to charity), but we do not and never have condoned such cynical pricing.

We were both a tad surprised that the two books in question failed to garner the award recognition that they deserved. Had they done so, I would have invested money in producing quality paperback editions of both books, which would have resolved this unpleasant state of affairs. Unfortunately neither Reggie nor I am as adept at playing the awards game as certain other parties; naively we assumed that the best books won awards whereas in reality they go to well-connected small press genre writers.

Only in the horror and fantasy genre could be giants like Stephanie Myers & Terry Pratchett be overlooked along with the genuinely talented unknowns. The vast majority of awards go to mediocre writers of mediocre books who are cronies of the awards givers or else they are high profile officials in societies who by default enjoy an unfair advantage.

I take comfort from knowing that in the long term, talent will out. Award winners who do not deserve their accolades will be ruthlessly judged by history whereas overlooked writers who failed to receive due recognition will see their stars rising.

Apols of the rambling but this history helps explains why RO's books are so scarce and inaccessible. A decent paperback collection is long overdue but the major retailers probably wouldn't want to stock it in the absence of an award win to reassure them. I had (may indeed still have) the rights to republish RO's first two collections in paperback but they'd be little or no profit in a circa 500-1000 publication yet it would require huge amounts of work.

JK

[Spotbowserfido2]

I guess I'm resigned to never reading Reggie Oliver's works.

[trieffiewiles]

Has anyone heard of either of these two titles of Oliver's from Ex Occidente Press? I've not seen mention of them on this site -

http://www.exocccidente.com/maddermysteries.html

http://www.exocccidente.com/virtue.html

Though I must admit, this one intrigues me even more -

http://www.exocccidente.com/gnosis.html

[Slurp Spider]

Quote Originally Posted by Spotbowserfido2

I guess I'm resigned to never reading Reggie Oliver's works.

Same here.

[Evans]

Quote Originally Posted by trieffiewiles

Has anyone heard of either of these two titles of Oliver's from Ex Occidente Press? I've not seen mention of them on this site - http://www.exocccidente.com/maddermysteries.html http://www.exocccidente.com/virtue.html Though I must admit, this one intrigues me even more - http://www.exocccidente.com/gnosis.html

I belive they were mentioned in the Ex Occidente thread.

Quote Originally Posted by Spotbowserfido2

I guess I'm resigned to never reading Reggie Oliver's works.

Madder Mysteries and the Ash Tree Press collection can still be found for quite reasonable prices online.