Jewel of the Seven Stars is not as famous as Dracula but it's pretty darned good by itself. It starts out as sort of a locked-room mystery when Mr. Trelawney, a renowned Egyptologist is found unconscious in his room, having been attacked by an unknown assailant. The facts seem to exclude the possibility of anyone infiltrating his chambers to perform the deed. Yet it happens again the next night, even while others are in the room. Eventually, the mystery starts to unravel when he details some of his past adventures in a forgotten corner of Egypt, the Valley of the Sorcerer. This is exactly the sort of story that no doubt influenced H. P. Lovecraft a few decades later as it has very much the same feel to some of Lovecraft's stories.

This novella starts out much slower than Jewel, but it also has a Lovecraftian feel to it, as we find out details about an extended family that has lived in a remote corner of ancient Britain for centuries, preceding even the Roman invasion of Britain. Adam Salton has arrived from Australia to become acquainted with his family and his neighbors, who inhabit the eldritch land. The Lady Aribella seems to have some strange connection to the odd events throughout the story, though her role is never made explicitly clear. Another story that no doubt inspired H. P. Lovecraft.

In addition to writing novels and novellas, Stoker also wrote quite a few horror short stories. They can be quite grim in the end, so reader beware! They are still quite good, though, often featuring a karmic twist of some sort. "Dracula's Guest" features a protagonist who becomes lost in the woods, and nearly dies, but he's rescued in the nick of time...because Dracula was watching and wanted to keep this particular mortal safe from harm.

A few of the stories are pretty disturbing, especially "The Dualitists; or, the Death-Doom of the Double-Born." Reader be warned...

This is an omnibus edition of four of Michael Moorcock's novels that concern Captain Graf Ulrich von Bek, a German mercenary from 17th century Europe who becomes entangles in a cosmic battle between the forces of Law and Chaos (or Good and Evil). Hmmm...Sounds like a lot of Moorcock's OTHER heroes. Is there a connection? Of course! The Eternal Champion exists in all realities, as a nexus point upon whom the fate of the multiverse hangs.

These books also include a recurring character named "Groot." And yes, he does say, "I am Groot."