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1King in Yellow (part 1)

By Robert W. Chambers

Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933) studied art in Paris in the late 80's and early 90's, where his work was displayed at the Salon. However, shortly after returning to America, he decided to spend his time in writing. He became popular as the writer of a number of romantic novels, but is now best known as the author of "The King In Yellow". This is a collection of the first half of this work of short stories which have an eerie, other-worldly feel to it; but the stories in the second half are essentially love stories, strongly coloured by the author's life as an artist in France.<br /><br /> Only the first half of the collection of stories is presented here: the earlier stories are all coloured by the background presence of a play, "The King In Yellow" itself, which corrupts those who read it, and opens them to horrible experiences and to visions of a ghastly other world, lit by dark stars and distorted skies. This half of the collection is completed by a few very short pieces and two rather strange and beautiful stories of love and time, loneliness and death. (summary by Peter Yearsley)

2King in Yellow (part 2)

By Robert W. Chambers

Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933) studied art in Paris in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Shortly after returning to America, he became popular as the writer of a number of romantic novels; he is now best known as the author of “The King In Yellow”, which is a collection of short stories with the reputation of being eerie and other-worldly. However, the last few stories in the collection, which are presented here, are essentially straightforward love stories, strongly coloured by the author’s life as an artist in France. (summary by Peter Why)

3Flaming Jewel

By Robert W. Chambers

During the last two years, Fate, Chance, and Destiny had been too busy to attend to Mike Clinch. But now his turn was coming in the Eternal Sequence of things. The stars in their courses indicated the beginning of the undoing of Mike Clinch. In the North Woods, mayhem ensues as three parties vie for possession of the Flaming Jewel.<BR><BR> Become immersed in the chasing and slinking to determine who will possess this famed jewel. Better than typical adventure writing magnificently describe the 19th Century Northeastern US in this great novel. (Summary by Wyatt Erickson)

4Slayer of Souls

By Robert W. Chambers

Tressa Norne is an American living in China. After her life was spared during a revolution in the area, Tressa finds herself taken as a slave and forced to serve Erlik, a demon-god, and his cult. She ends up escaping back to America, but only to find that she is being followed by the Secret Service, and her former masters. (Ann Boulais)

An eclectic collection of 8 stories by one of the early masters of the weird tale, Robert W. Chambers. The stories include a range of topics including war, romance, humor and even fishing. The title short story, “The Maker of Moons,” is considered to be one of Chamber’s greatest weird horror tales and was one of H.P. Lovecraft’s favorite stories by the author. (Summary by Kadath)

6In Search of the Unknown

By Robert W. Chambers

Robert Chambers was a contemporary of Lovecraft, and this book consists of "weird supernatural tales" in a somewhat similar manner, except that the emphasis is on humor rather than horror. The narrator works for the newly opened Bronx Zoo in New York. He describes his adventures trying to obtain various rare specimens for the zoo's collection, animals that range from the merely extinct to the considerably more unusual. Along the way, he invariably finds a beautiful woman to fall in love with. (Summary by Peter Eastman)

7Story of Eclipses

By George F. Chambers

Solar eclipses have both frightened and fascinated humankind for thousands of years. At first believed to be caused by angry gods punishing the people on Earth, we now know that a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and fully or partially covers the Sun. Ever since scientists were able to predict the next solar eclipse, people - at least the less superstitious ones - wanted to go there and see it for themselves. <br> This book, published in 1899, was written for potential spectators of the total eclipse of the Sun on May 28, 1900. It deals with the science behind solar eclipses and their prediction, and lists a number of known historic eclipses from antiquity to the 19th century. Also included are eclipses mentioned in books, strange customs surrounding the eclipses, and how best to watch one. (Summary by Ava)

8King in Yellow (Version 2)

By Robert W. Chambers

A collection of stories that inspired the works of many writers such as HP Lovecraft, "The King in Yellow" revolves around the play that the main characters read a part of, and those two acts of the play drive them all into madness. - Summary by Eva Staes

9Police!!!

By Robert W. Chambers

Further adventures of zoologist Percy Smith ("<a href="https://librivox.org/in-search-of-the-unknown-by-robert-w-chambers/">In Search of the Unknown</a>"). Humorous, science fiction tales, focusing on the pursuit of fantastical animals, weird monsters, strange relics, and beautiful women!

A little essay on the Chinese style of gardening, as opposed to the continental style, which the author finds too formal with too many straight lines, and the English style, about which he is equally disparaging. In his preface, he says that his dissertation is upon "... the Chinese manner of gardening, which is collected from my own observations in China, from conversations with their Artists, and remarks transmitted to me at different times by travellers."<br><br> "... Their gardeners are not only Botanists, but also Painters and Philosofers... The Chinese Gardeners take nature for their pattern; and their aim is to imitate all her beautiful irregularities." and "... if all land-holders were men of taste, the world might be formed into one continued Garden ..."<br><br> I hope that at least some of the wonderful constructions of the Chinese artist/gardeners still exist; bridges, cascades, and stony grottos, hidden temples and views through rainbowed waterfalls ...<br><br> NOTES:<br> 1 The author transliterated many Chinese words into English, but I have not been able to determine their correct pronunciation, and I apologise for mangling their sound, intonation, and meaning.<br> 2 The author uses the word "awful" in its original sense of evoking awe, rather than the modern sense of unpleasant.<br> (Summary by Peter Yearsley)

11Mystery Of Choice

By Robert W. Chambers

The Mystery of Choice is a collection of short horror stories written by Robert W. Chambers. The stories, set in France, are known for their heavy use of nature imagery. - Summary by Veronica Maresh Mead

Written in the style and language of Thucydides, and intended for students in the early stages of learning to read Ancient Greek, this brief history of the war, in four parts, is based on standard nineteenth-century accounts, both in English and Puristic Greek.<br><br> The Greek text is preceded by a preface in English and followed by extensive notes, also in English, that provide both historical background and grammatical explanations. - Summary by Ariphron

13Dark Star

By Robert W. Chambers

Ruhannah “Rue” Carew, who dreams of becoming an artist, has grown up listening to her father tell the story of how he came by a wooden box and its unusual contents, which include a bronze figure of a god and the diary of a departed friend of her father’s. One day Rue meets an unscrupulous man named Eddie Brandes, who is so taken with her that he hides his true nature in order to win the trust and regard of her and her parents, with an eye to marrying her. But neither Rue nor her parents suspect that Eddie is already married to an actress named Ilse Dumont. Rue learns the truth about Eddie under devastating circumstances, leaving her at a loss as to what to do with her life in the aftermath of her discovery. But with the help of her friend Jim Neeland, Rue finds herself crossing the Atlantic headed to Paris in order to pursue her dream and study art. Several years pass. It is the eve of the Great War. One day, Jim receives an urgent message that he is to find the box in Rue’s old house and bring it with him to her in Paris. Jim, unaware of how high the stakes are, what the significance is of the precious contents of the box, and just how far others are willing to go in order to keep it from reaching its destination, sets out for the adventure of a lifetime. During this adventure, his life and those of Ilse Dumont, Eddie Brandes, and Rue Carew - all four born under the “dark star” - intertwine in extraordinary ways. (Summary by Scarbo)

14Green Mouse

By Robert W. Chambers

A collection of stories about a machine that bring men and women together regardless of situation, where love prevails. (Summary by Eva Staes)

In this work Oswald Chambers sets out to provide insights that help explain Jesus’ most well-known teaching. (Summary by progressingamerica)