Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (Hardcover)

~ John Langan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. As Elizabeth Hand aptly observes in her introduction to this exceptional debut horror collection, Langan's tales celebrate supernatural fiction's antiquarian and visionary past with as much eloquence and acuity—and terror—as they explore the dark heart of the 21st century. The richly atmospheric title story evokes the weird fiction of both Henry James and M.R. James in its account of a family cursed with a demonic familiar with a ravenous appetite for disobedient children. On Skua Island, a relentlessly creepy monster story, pits a team of modern espionage operatives against an implacable creature of the living dead out of Norse legend. The five tales run the gamut from supernatural satire (Tutorial) to apocalyptic nightmare (Episode Seven), but whatever their theme or tone, Langan shows uncommon skill at balancing character, plot and mood to achieve the perfect pitch for each. Horror readers will welcome a new voice speaking in a classic tongue. (Dec.)
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Product Description

From award-nominated writer John Langan comes a collection of uneasy meetings. A frustrated professor and his graduate student assistant accompany a group of soldiers to a remote Scottish island to learn what is buried there. A man plays an audiotape left for him by his late father and is initiated into a family story of monstrous deeds. A student learns frightening lessons in a surreal tutoring center. A young couple struggles to make their stand against a group of inhuman pursuers in a ravaged landscape. And, in a new story, an artist discovers a mysterious statue whose completion becomes his obsession.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Prime Books (December 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809572494
• ISBN-13: 978-0809572496
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #653,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Fashioned Horror At Its Best, February 10, 2009

By	Jody Rose (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're in the mood for some old fashioned, goose bump inspiring stories told in the fashion of Robert E. Howard and M. R. James combined, MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS by author John Langan is the story collection to read - and even if you are not a fan of Howard's or James' stories, you will be after reading Mr. Langan's eerie creep-feast of supernatural tales.

Fantasy author Elizabeth Hand informs readers as to what they might expect in her introduction to this collection of novellas by drawing comparisons to both M. R. James and the other James, Henry James, the latter whose ability to terrify readers with restrained prose is almost nearly unrivaled, until now. In her introduction, Ms. Hand shares with readers the American scholar Jack Sullivan's division of traditional tales of the supernatural into two camps: the antiquarian and the visionary. As Hand points out, antiquarian takes the detached position of observer whose narrative is often wry and witty but nonetheless convincing in his experience of supernatural horror.

The visionary approach is equally subtle in its narrative, often evoking the irrepressible and over-powering force of the supernatural in nature, as witnessed in Algernon Blackwood's, "The Wendigo" and "The Willows", to name only a few comparisons that touch upon the thrust of horror in Langan's collection.

"On Skua Island" the reader is offered a chilling narrative about an archaeologist who runs afoul of an ancient curse unearthed beneath a carved menhir (monolith) on an uninhabited island north of the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland. Langan's opening novella swept this reader up and away and dropped her square into a supernatural adventure comparable to any of the excellent tales told by the earlier masters of the craft.

Second in the collection is the superb "Mr. Gaunt", a novella which I'd read previously in "Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine", and was only too happy to read again, since it is one of those creepy antiquarian tales that ends up becoming a masterpiece in the horror genre. You will not want to miss this story.

Third in the table of contents is "Tutorial", a sardonic visionary tale told in third person narrative which takes place on a university campus instead of the great outdoors, where the ineluctable force of nature in this clever story is rigid academics. I loved this one, laughed my head off. Thank you, John Langan.

"Episode Seven: Last Stand Against The Pack In The Kingdom Of The Purple Flowers" first appeared in "F&SF Magazine", then again in John Joseph Adams's apocalyptic anthology, WASTLANDS. Nonlinear in style, "Episode Seven" takes the reader on a tense journey of survival and mutation in a post apocalyptic world where only predators can survive.

Last but not least is "Laocoon, or The Singularity", a weird visionary tale about an artist whose encounter with a supernatural force of nature comes from within.

Finishing up MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS are interesting notes written by Langan about each of his novellas, the history and origin of ideas that inspired each tale.

A must read for horror fans: Highly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars May I Recommend . . ., February 19, 2010

By	bumuling (GA USA) - See all my reviews

I'm not a huge fan of horror fiction-- I reviewed this collection for a librarians' database-- but I loved "On Skua Island." It's a modern mummy tale featuring one of the most horrifying monsters I've encountered, ever. Wonderful, thrilling stuff. All these stories aren't as successful, but on the basis of that Skua Island mummy I suggest you give Langan a try.

4.0 out of 5 stars Old School Suspense and Horror, November 10, 2009

By	Aranion (Dayton, OH United States) - See all my reviews

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First, a caveat: I am not much of a fan of horror fiction, and I can't claim to be widely read or schooled in this genre. For some time this year, though, I've had a hankering for some solid stories of horror and suspense with a supernatural edge to them. Langan, for the most part, satisfied these literary hunger pangs.

It's important to note that some of the trappings of modern horror are almost entirely absent: there's very little "on-screen" gore in these stories, and Langan does not devote hundreds of words to the blood that is shed in his stories. They also do not feature graphic sex - whether that's a bonus or ding is up to you. I think the stories were much stronger for not being explicitly gory; Langan accomplishes much through suggestion, imagination, and traditional yet effective scare tactics (sounds, shadows, intimations). As far as the absence of sex - the stories don't seem to need it, which tells me Langan knows what he's doing. (Letting the story dictate the tone and contents, rather than shoving elements in simply to include them.)

Of the five stories, three are very strong; one is "OK", and one I found, frankly, boring. When he's on his game, Langan successfully builds then delivers scares, chills and adrenaline-fueled scenes of horror. "On Skua Island" takes a few pages to get going, but once it's into the main tale, I was gripped and couldn't put it down. Borrowing elements from both Lovecraftian and Victorian horror traditions without being cheap pastiche, the story provides a neat twist on a classic monster. Langan explains the very obvious tonal shift in the story in his end notes; while I understand his reasoning, I'm not sure how necessary or succesful it was - but the "real" story doesn't suffer from it.

"Mr. Gaunt" takes its time reaching both climaxes, but the real horror hits just as the story ends. I found Mr. Gaunt's "reveal" deliciously horrorifying and creepy, and you definitely can taste his victim's fear and confusion.

"Tutorial" is amusing, but a bit self-indulgent. Some neat images and scenes, though it's nothing overly special.

"Episode Seven" borrows heavily from Stephen King's The Stand among other post-acopalyptic stories, as well as a touch of Lovecraft (the plants, the shadows of immense beasts), and yet it works very, very well. The style is radically different from the first three stories, and this was a weclome change of pace. It also helps communicate a greater urgency and sense of action. Langan's ability to describe action really shines here; I'd like to see more of this from him. The story also manages to fool the reader; the climax seems to be one of the protagonist's efforts against a monstrous "Pack", but it's really in the other lead character's head and heart as the action plays out.

"Laocoon" was a real disappointment; it felt far too much like postmodern horror, with unlikable characters, dreary, pointless lives and a lot of culturally self-aware characters. Unfortunately, the story moves very slowly, and bores more than horrorifies.


Langan's love for an earlier era of writing and storytelling is very much on display in this collection; overall, I think that's a good thing. He pulls off telling some satisfyingly creepy and scary stories, often with layers of meaning and literary relevance, and avoids using a lot of the cheap and easily exploited tools of modern horror. Despite the uneven nature of the collection, I think it's worth reading. I look forward to his next story - or stories.