This early work by Robert W. Chambers was originally published in 1897 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Messenger' is a short story set on the coast of Brittany where a hoard of skulls are found buried. Robert William Chambers was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA in 1865. His mother was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Providence, Rhode Island, and his brother, Walter Boughton Chambers, was one of the world's most famous architects. Chambers was a hugely prolific author, producing more than seventy novels and short story collections between 1894 and 1933. As a result, he had one of the most successful literary careers of his period, his later novels selling well and a handful achieving best-seller status. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.
This early work by Robert W. Chambers was originally published in 1897 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Messenger' is a short story set on the coast of Brittany where a hoard of skulls are found buried. Robert William Chambers was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA in 1865. His mother was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Providence, Rhode Island, and his brother, Walter Boughton Chambers, was one of the world's most famous architects. Chambers was a hugely prolific author, producing more than seventy novels and short story collections between 1894 and 1933. As a result, he had one of the most successful literary careers of his period, his later novels selling well and a handful achieving best-seller status. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.
Über den Autor
Robert William Chambers was an American artist and fiction writer born on May 26, 1865, in Brooklyn, New York, to parents whose names are not widely recorded. He built a versatile literary career, working across genres such as historical fiction, romance, horror, fantasy, and supernatural fiction, often blending imaginative storytelling with emotional depth. He gained lasting recognition for his influential work The King in Yellow, a collection that shaped early weird fiction and decadent literature with its eerie atmosphere and symbolic narrative style. Chambers was also associated with Art Nouveau influences, which informed both his visual art and literary aesthetics. Educated with an interest in art, he initially pursued painting before turning fully to writing, where he produced numerous novels and short stories that appealed to a broad audience. His works often explored love, mystery, and psychological tension, combining accessible storytelling with imaginative elements. He married Elsa Vaughn Moller in 1898 and had one child. Through his diverse body of work, he secured a lasting place in American literature as a prolific and genre spanning storyteller.
