synopsis
Dr. Lowell is a man of science — a medical doctor and world renowned expert in the field of abnormal psychology. By nature and by training, he is predisposed to look for the rational causes behind even the most seemingly irrational behaviors and events. But what if there is no rational cause? What then?
This is precisely the conundrum with which Dr. Lowell must grapple when the notorious gangster Julian Ricori pays him a visit. Ricori’s most trusted associate is afflicted with a mysterious ailment that has left him catatonic and Ricori fearful for the first time in his life. He promises Lowell a huge sum of money to save his lieutenant’s life or, barring that, to discover the nature of his inexplicable paralysis and what — or who — is responsible for it.
Lowell agrees to help, initially out of scientific curiosity. Yet, neither his education nor years of experience as a physician avail him in finding a straightforward explanation. Instead, he is forced to play detective, seeking out evidence of anyone else who has suffered a similar fate. It’s in doing so that Lowell first learns the name of the aged toymaker Madame Mandilip, whose remarkably lifelike dolls were purchased by all those afflicted by this baffling condition…
Burn, Witch, Burn! is a gripping tale of science and superstition. Aficionados of early 20th century fantasy, horror, and weird fiction are sure to enjoy it.
Writing under the byline of A. Merritt, Abraham Grace Merritt (1884Ð1943) was an American journalist, editor, and author of fantasy. A writer’s writer, Merritt’s literary admirers are many. H.P. Lovecraft called him “a real genius in the weird.” Robert Bloch and Karl Edward Wagner likewise esteemed his work, in particular Burn, Witch, Burn!, which they both judged among the best horror stories ever written.
This new edition of Burn, Witch, Burn! has new dustjacket and frontispiece art by Dan Rempel, and also includes the Virgil Finlay artwork as well. It features a new introduction by James Maliszewski, and two short essays by A. Merritt.
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