A Malediction

Histoires et contes fantastiques here translated by Brian ­Stableford as A Malediction was the first volume of prose of Erckmann-Chatrian the pseudonym of Émile Erckmann (1822-1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826-1890) who wrote in ­collaboration.Ranging from the Romantic melodrama of the title novelette which has never before appeared in English to the horrific fantastic of Red Wine and White Wine the current collection features imaginative seeds that germinated in much of ­Erckmann-Chatrians later work and a certain awkwardness due to inexperience is more than compensated by raw enthusiasm and an unashamed boldness.