The Hill of Dreams

'The Hill of Dreams' follows the story of the introverted rector's son Lucian Taylor. He stumbles upon an odd Roman hill fort in his Welsh hometown which possesses his mind with supernatural visions and pagan erotic imagery. Compelled by the strange desires stirring in his soul, he moves to London to become a writer. But his hopes that the change of scenery would restore his sanity prove futile as his darkest hallucinations begin to assume a very tangible form.

'The Hill of Dreams' is a moving story, one which pioneered discussions on the concept of the doomed artist in literature. Jorge Luis Borges cited Machen as a great writer and an inspiration for the magical realism movement in literature. Notorious occultist Aleister Crowley also greatly admired Machen for effortlessly crossing over the threshold that separates reality and the magical realm.

Strongly recommended for fans of the 'Good Omens' series inspired by Terry Pratchett's fiction and starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant.

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was a Welsh writer of supernatural, fantasy, and horror novels. Before his literary career skyrocketed he also worked as a journalist and an actor. His major belief was that the ordinary and external world surreptitiously conceals something far more mysterious and bizarre. In turn, we are deeply interested in trying to lift the veil enshrouding the threshold separating the two. His most acclaimed works include the classic horror novella 'The Great God Pan' and the semi-autobiographical 'The Hill of Dreams'.