The Master of Rampling Gate by Anne Rice (1982)
Tuesday’s Tale of Terror July 8, 2014
“No ghost would ever dare to trouble Rampling Gate.”
So says the blind housekeeper Mrs. Blessington to Julie and Richard, who have inherited this old estate from their father. The year is 1888 and Rampling Gate is an enchanting mansion in the countryside outside of London. The father claims there is an “unspeakable horror” within the house and upon his death, the house must be torn down. Julie and Richard go to visit the house. But Julie falls in love with the estate and … a thrilling young intruder.
“Dazed, I watched him come towards me; the room darkened, and I felt his cool silken hands on my face … I was standing before him, and I looked up into his eyes.
“ ‘Something of menace, unspeakable menace’, I whispered, backing away.”
Are you salivating yet? If you know Anne Rice’s prolific work, you can guess that this gothic short story is likely a five-star rating. And it is. This short fiction is tightly written with high drama. It’s a 30-minute read, imaginative, atmospheric, and yes, you will feel haunted. Originally, this story was published as a “Vook,” part book and part video. Isn’t technology fun? You can find it on Amazon as a vook.
As you know, this blog functions mainly as a dead authors society for its weekly short fiction features, but when I come across a current author’s short story that really grabs me I want to share it.
Here’s what Anne Rice has to say about one of our greatest writers, Charles Dickens:
“I claim Dickens as a mentor. He’s my teacher. He’s one of my driving forces. Dickens is a very underrated writer at the moment. Everyone in his time admired him, but I think right now he’s not spoken of enough.”
To read the short story, download the PDF at SecondaryWorlds.com: Scroll down to “rice.pdf”
http://secondaryworlds.com/documents/
The audio is here at YouTube and read by Gigi Mareau–lovely!
Visit Anne Rice’s web site at http://www.annerice.com/
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I wouldn’t mind a comment if you like having some current authors’ short stories from time to time. I like to offer you free shorts but often, because of copyright issues, they are not usually free links.
Other Reading Web Sites to Visit
Horror Novel Reviews Hell Horror HorrorPalace
Monster Librarian Tales to Terrify Spooky Reads
Lovecraft Ezine Rob Around Books The Story Reading Ape Blog
The Gothic Wanderer Sirens Call Publications The Fussy Librarian
For Authors/Writers: The Writer Unboxed
Don’t forget to view the INDEX above of more free Tales of Terror classic Authors.
Paula Cappa 