The Gold Point
And Other Strange Stories

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Charles Loring Jackson
ISBN 1-61646-085-7
Retail $11.95 (USD)
190 pp. / Paperback

A Chemist's Dreams

Charles Loring Jackson (1847-1935) was integral to bringing organic chemistry to the United States. In addition to being a scientist and professor, however, he had a great love for theater and literature.

At almost 80 years of age, Jackson published a collection of twelve speculative fiction stories, filled with ghosts, dark magic, and strange science. There's no doubt that as a writer, Jackson was an enthusiastic amateur, but the ideas behind several of his stories were brilliant. In several instances, his stories were a prelude to themes that would later be explored by other fiction writers.

The Gold Point: One student offends another, and finds himself at the mercy of dark magic.

The Moth: A sequel to the Gold Point, a morality tale.

An Uncomfortable Night: A very different ghost story, where inanimate objects are infused with the emotions of the deceased.

Mr. Smith: Jackson called this "a story in the manner of Hoffman." It's a combination weird tale/fairy tale.

The Cube: One of the earliest doppelganger stories that I've seen, sort of an early "pod people" tale. (Without the pods.)

Sister Hannah: Romantic sci-fi with an invisible woman.

Linden: Two travellers are abducted by a murderous cult.

The Travelling Companion: A straight-forward ghost story.

Lot 13: A clock seeks revenge.

An Undiscovered "Isle in the Far Sea": Excellent cryptozoological fiction.

The Three Nails: A very strange tale of a man who finds he can travel between concurrent lives.

A Remarkable Case: A doctor runs into a man who can split himself into doubles (and triples and more).