With its aura of the uncanny and the supernatural, this is a gathering, for the first time in English, of the best 19th century French fantastic tales--the perfect vehicle for exploring forbidden themes and the dark, irrational side of the human psyche. By such authors as Balzac, Dumas, Verne, Nodier, Merimee, Gautier, Schwob, Nerval, l'Isle-Adam, and Maupassant.