The main priority in assembling this collection has been to include as much of Machen’s seminal horror fiction from the 1890s as possible, as it originally appeared (hence the inclusion of The Three Impostors complete, rather than harvested for individual stories as is usually done), and complemented by seldom-published pieces from this period which throw additional light on these better-known works. But Machen’s later fiction is also represented — by two Great War fantasies and a quartet of tales from the 1930s — so that readers can see how he both revisited favourite themes and engaged creatively with the cultural and historical currents of the new century. The texts of all stories have been taken from their first appearance in book form (with earlier periodical appearance, where applicable, discussed in the Explanatory Notes), except in two cases (‘The Lost Club’ and ‘The Shining Pyramid’), where a later but superior edition has been preferred.