Author(s): Mervyn Peake

Fiction

A selection of long out-of-print short stories, and never before published illustrations, by one of England's most singular and multi-talented artists. 'Boy in Darkness', the centerpiece of this collection, will be of special interest to fans of the Gormenghast books, as it comprises a chapter in the life of Titus Groan that unfolds beyond the pages of Peake's monumental trilogy. Overwhelmed by the pomp and grueling ritual of life in Gormenghast. Titus braves an escape from his hereditary jail. Beyond the castle walls. Titus wanders into a sinister and soulless land, where he is captured by the grotesque henchmen of an evil master intent on claiming young Titus's soul. A disturbingly atmospheric tale, told with the force and simplicity of allegory. 'Boy in Darkness' distils the strange logic of the Gormenghast trilogy into a story of pith and mystery, which bears comparison with Kafka and Poe.