Blacke Arts – Gothic Horror and Dark Fiction by A. R. Blacke

Allow me to introduce myself. My name, for today’s purposes at least, is A. R. Blacke. Who am I? Why, a purveyor of the finest Victorian ghost stories, gothic fiction, and supernatural mysteries, of course. And yes, I am very much flesh…and blood. Today, I feel like being A. R. Blacke. Tomorrow, who knows who I might decide to be? Perhaps even The Archivist?

Life is fickle like that, but isn't that part of what makes it worth living? That freedom to be whoever you want to be, to go wherever you want to go, to do whatever you want to do. The freedom given by the written word. No expectations, no ulterior motives, no unwinnable bargains. Just the freedom to let your mind take you where it sees fit.

Even as a child, I was bored by most people. You may think I would have longed for playmates, but strangely enough I never did. I was quite content to be alone but yearned for something to break the monotony of existence. Books! Wonderful, glorious books, with their words and worlds spilling from their pages. For a child with somewhat macabre tastes, imagine being handed gothic fiction the likes of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, or Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. What utter and absolute joy!

My introduction to Victorian ghost stories was Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Old Nurse’s Story, and that cemented my love for both the time and the genre. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do so adore today’s modern conveniences, but there’s something about soft footsteps on cobblestone in the damp, rolling fog that speaks to my soul. What’s the harm in a little visit now and then? But those stories belong to other people’s worlds, and so I created my own…Alderwick.

Alderwick County doesn’t exist, or does it? It exists to its inhabitants, to its stories, and to me. It exists to the ghosts of St. Cedd’s Abbey, the fishermen of Greyhaven, and the academics of Scholar’s Green. Perhaps, if you stay long enough, it will exist to you too. I don’t mind showing you around, if you’re in the mood for an adventure. Where to first, dear reader?