FriedEgg

An interesting edition this; seemingly a scan and reprint of an edition originally released in the 1940's USA, complete with period advertisements, tiny text and a whole extra story at the end: "Even a Worm" by J. S. Bradford.

I liked it but my expectations started out low, I have to say. When I started out with Hodgson, I read some great stories, "House on the Borderland" was supperb and "Carnacki the Ghost Finder" were generally very good. Then I read some weaker stories, "Ghost Pirates" and the terrible "In the Nightland". I've come to the conclusion that Hodgson just doesn't do dialogue very well and he really should have avoided effecting a pseudo archaic prose.

But this story I found genuinely quite effective and creepy. An island full of trees that turn to flesh and send out tendrils to capture unsuspecting prey that they can absorb into their mass. Another island inhabited by blood sucking fungal lifeforms that have emerged from a black, bottomless pit. A continent of weed floating on the sea that harbours see monsters including giant crabs, squids and the slithering weed-men.

All good stuff but I still found the narrative style a little dry and lack of dialogue and character establishment infuriating. Worth a read especially if you like nautically themed horror stories.