The Great God Pan

I'm hoping to get through as many folk horror classics as I can this year, and what better place to start than with Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan, a Christmas gift from my youngest (thank you Beano!). It quickly became apparent while I was reading this why Machen is held in such high regard among horror writers. His prose is insidious, carefully measured, the plot unfolding at just the right pace to keep the reader hooked, and the endings suitably, delightfully, quietly horrific. The second story in this collection, The White Powder, could have been written by Lovecraft, and I wasn't surprised to learn that old Howard considered Machen an important influence. The final story, The White People, is pure folk horror - bucolic setting, burial mounds, nymphs, rituals, local lore, and a mysterious statue in the woods. Loved it.