E. and H. Heron, "Flaxman Low: Occult Detective" (MIT Press, 2026)

Mar 15, 2026

Dr. Alexander B. Joy, a comparative literature scholar who edited the MIT Press reissue, reintroduces Flaxman Low, literature’s first professional occult detective. He recounts the strange cases from ghostly mansions to vampire and mummy encounters. Joy traces the Pritchards’ authorship, situates Low in late Victorian psychology and detective culture, and connects these tales to later weird fiction.

24:54

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Public Domain Rediscovery Fills Real Gaps

Rediscovering obscure public-domain works fills real cultural gaps in accessible print editions.
Alexander B. Joy revived Flaxman Lowe because the only complete original was rare and prohibitively expensive, so MIT Press reissued it affordably.

insights

INSIGHT

Stories Showcase Early Psychological Science

Flaxman Lowe stories showcase early psychological science as a narrative engine rather than mere backdrop.
The tales treat mind and brain as nascent sciences, using them to explain seemingly supernatural events in concrete terms.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The Grey House Becomes Picturesque Nightmare

The Story of the Grey House exemplifies the series' creepy, modern-feeling premises.
Lowe investigates an abandoned estate with unexplained hangings, overgrown exotic gardens, and a swampy, Jeff VanderMeer–like atmosphere.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Joy introduces his background and project goals

01:27 • 4min

chevron_right

What Joy hopes readers will take away

05:00 • 1min

chevron_right

Publication history of Flaxman Lowe stories

06:14 • 44sec

chevron_right

A standout tale: The Story of the Grey House

06:58 • 1min

chevron_right

Who were E. and H. Heron?

08:23 • 2min

chevron_right

Pritchards' lives and wider literary ties

10:33 • 3min

chevron_right

How Flaxman Lowe compares to Sherlock Holmes

13:57 • 3min

chevron_right

Reception and the series' success

16:46 • 46sec

chevron_right

Cultural context: Sherlock's void and psychology's rise

17:32 • 2min

chevron_right

Pearson's packaging and scientific ambitions

19:29 • 1min

chevron_right

Flaxman Lowe's influence on later weird fiction

20:32 • 1min

chevron_right

Joy's personal discovery and hopes for readers

21:57 • 1min

chevron_right

What's next for Alexander B. Joy

A Master of Mysteries

L. T. Mead and John Eustace

Flaxman Low

Occult Detective

E. and H. Heron (Kate O'Brien Ryall Prichard and Hesketh "Hex" Prichard)

Flaxman Low: Occult Detective collects twelve short stories first published in 1898–1899 by the mother-and-son team writing as E. and H. Heron. The titular investigator, an Oxford-trained psychologist, applies emerging psychological science and the scientific method to hauntings and other supernatural phenomena, often revealing human psychological causes. The volume reintroduces these inventive mystery-horror tales that blend early psychology, photography-as-evidence, and Gothic settings, marking a key moment in the development of the occult detective archetype. As reissued by MIT Press in 2026 as part of the Radium Age series, the book includes scholarly apparatus by Alexander B. Joy to contextualize the stories for modern readers. The collection influenced later weird fiction approaches that meld horror, mystery, and proto-scientific explanation.

Legend of the River King

Alexander B. Joy

A Modern Mercenary

E. and H. Heron (Kate O'Brien Ryall Prichard and Hesketh "Hex" Prichard)

Through the Heart of Patagonia

Hesketh H. Prichard

Hesketh Prichard's Through the Heart of Patagonia recounts his journeys across Patagonia at the turn of the 20th century, offering vivid descriptions of remote landscapes and local cultures. The book blends exploration narrative with journalistic observation, reflecting the era's fascination with travel and discovery. It was widely read in its day and cited as influential by later authors interested in exotic adventure settings. The work helped establish Prichard's reputation as a notable travel writer and contributed material that some scholars argue informed later fictional treatments of lost worlds. Its significance lies in both its literary qualities and its role in early 20th-century travel writing.

Don Q's Love Story

E. and H. Heron (Kate O'Brien Ryall Prichard and Hesketh "Hex" Prichard)

#3160

• Mentioned in 15 episodes

The Lost World

Michael Crichton

The Lost World, written by Michael Crichton, is a sequel to his 1990 novel 'Jurassic Park'. The story takes place six years after the events of the first book and follows mathematician Ian Malcolm, who survived the disaster at Jurassic Park, as he joins a scientific research team to explore a second island, Isla Sorna, where John Hammond's company InGen had bred dinosaurs. The team, including paleontologist Richard Levine, ethologist Sarah Harding, and two stowaway children, must navigate the dangers of the island, including the dinosaurs and rival scientists who are trying to steal the dinosaur eggs. The novel explores themes of science, technology, and the unpredictable nature of life.

The Chronicles of DOOM

S.H. Fernando Jr.

#955

• Mentioned in 39 episodes

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

In 'Invisible Man,' Ralph Ellison tells the story of a nameless black protagonist who navigates the surreal and often hostile world of 20th-century America. The novel begins with the narrator living in an underground room, reflecting on his life and the various ways he has experienced social invisibility. He recounts his journey from a small Southern town to Harlem, involving experiences with racism, a brutal 'battle royal,' and his involvement with the Brotherhood, a civil rights group. The narrative delves into themes of identity, power, and the struggle for self-definition in a society that refuses to see him. Through his experiences, the narrator grapples with the complexities of being a black man in America, ultimately leading to a profound exploration of invisibility and the search for one's true self.

#72387

In a Glass Darkly

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Nessuna descrizione disponibile.

Flaxman Low, literature’s first professional, full-time “occult detective”—that is, an intrepid investigator who deploys the scientific method when tackling paranormal phenomena—appeared in a dozen stories first published from 1898–1899. Flaxman Low: Occult Detective (MIT Press, 2026), the latest edition to the Radium Age series from MIT Press, is introduced and discussed by Dr. Alexander B. Joy.

Flaxman Low’s creators, the mother-and-son team Kate O’Brien Ryall Prichard and Hesketh “Hex” Prichard (who published as “E. and H. Heron”), endowed the Oxford-trained psychologist with the bravery and acumen to tackle every sort of adversary from ghosts, mummies, and vampires to a mushroom mannequin. Both less credulous and less cynical than earlier fictional investigators of the spirit world, Low always triumphs in the end . . . but not before scientifically demonstrating that even the most outré incidents and situations can’t hold a candle to the bizarre capacities of the human mind.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books