Is this one of Poe's tales?

[Riselka]

Many, many, years ago, I was riding in the car with my parents and we were listening to the car radio. They were broadcasting a recording of someone reading a rather gothic short story.

This story was a narrative by a man, recounting his experience of being allowed the unprecedented privilege of viewing a reclusive artist's private collection of human sculptures. If I recall correctly, the narrator was amazed at how incredibly lifelike the sculptures were. The "twist" at the end was these were not actually sculptures, but were actually real human beings, preserved via a taxidermy-like process.

That's pretty much all I can clearly recall of it.

I thought they had said the story was one of Edgar Allen Poe's, but having perused several different volumes purporting to be "the complete collection of Edgar Allen Poe's tales", I have yet to find a story in any of them like this.

My questions are:

1. Does this story sound familiar to anyone here? If so:
2. What is its title? And:
3. Is it in fact, a Poe tale? If not:
4. Who wrote it?

 

[Ursa major]

I recall reading this story, or something like it, in a horror anthology (Pan?) many years ago.

In the one I read, the "sculptures" were teenage girls; it didn't feel like a story from the 19th century - the "realism" was partly based on the texture of the "statues". There were police involved, I think, but only after a fire at the warehouse.

I think the book is still at my parent's house - I'll check.

 

[Riselka]

I'd really appreciate that Ursa major, this has been driving me nuts for ages.

 

[scalem X]

I do recall some stuff alike:

-An episode of the X-files featuring gargoyles. (as they are usually 'live statues' it might be a good keywords to look for a title with gargoyles in it.)
some linkage:
herethe description from the Charles L Grant story seems a bit like what you described.

-An anime of 'Vampire Princess Miyu' featuring a demon alike.

Do you recall anything about the context? You suggest Poe, so it seems that it has an 'old' feeling to it?

 

[j d worthington]

Many, many, years ago, I was riding in the car with my parents and we were listening to the car radio. They were broadcasting a recording of someone reading a rather gothic short story.

This story was a narrative by a man, recounting his experience of being allowed the unprecedented privilege of viewing a reclusive artist's private collection of human sculptures. If I recall correctly, the narrator was amazed at how incredibly lifelike the sculptures were. The "twist" at the end was these were not actually sculptures, but were actually real human beings, preserved via a taxidermy-like process.

That's pretty much all I can clearly recall of it.

I thought they had said the story was one of Edgar Allen Poe's, but having perused several different volumes purporting to be "the complete collection of Edgar Allen Poe's tales", I have yet to find a story in any of them like this.

My questions are:

1. Does this story sound familiar to anyone here? If so:
2. What is its title? And:
3. Is it in fact, a Poe tale? If not:
4. Who wrote it?

It does sound famliar... it sounds like (at least it strongly reminds me of) Robert Bloch's "Waxworks", which was also adapted as an episode of the tv show Thriller, as well as one of the segments of the film The House That Dripped Blood. Some details are different, but there's a strong resemblance.

As for the connection to Poe... if this was in an anthology with more than one story by Bloch, or it was a collection of Bloch's tales, he also wrote one called "The Man Who Collected Poe", about a man who did just that... literally. He has always acknowledged a debt to Poe as well, and one can see Poe's influence on several of his tales. The story itself has a period feel to it in some ways, so this may be another reason (if this is the correct tale) that it reminds you of Poe. But Poe himself never wrote such a tale....

Won't swear this is it, but it's certainly the connection that's coming to mind....

 

[Ursa major]

I couldn't find the book at my parents (I wasn't there long, so I'll have to try again), but the name Bloch does ring a bell.



EDIT: I've just been following up JD's lead on the Web. Bloch didn't write the story I'm thinking of, but he did have a story ("Lucy Comes to Stay") in the anthology, The Fourth Pan Book of Horror Stories.

The tale I remember was called "The Ohio Love Sculpture" and was by Adobe James, apparently. (The more I think about it, the less I believe it was read out over the radio.)

 

[j d worthington]

I couldn't find the book at my parents (I wasn't there long, so I'll have to try again), but the name Bloch does ring a bell.



EDIT: I've just been following up JD's lead on the Web. Bloch didn't write the story I'm thinking of, but he did have a story ("Lucy Comes to Stay") in the anthology, The Fourth Pan Book of Horror Stories.

The tale I remember was called "The Ohio Love Sculpture" and was by Adobe James, apparently. (The more I think about it, the less I believe it was read out over the radio.)

Bingo! I went back to the Bloch tale (it's been quite a while since I read it) and, though there were elements there that matched, they were fewer than i remembered. However, the Adobe James tale is the one -- I just checked my copy of the Pan book (it's on pp. 207-213, a very short tale) and it matches.... Congratulations, Ursa! (*sigh* Oh, for the days when I could trust my memory....)

 

[Ursa major]

It's because you've read so much, JD. I've read so little horror that it sticks in my mind (allegedly).

 

[j d worthington]

It's because you've read so much, JD. I've read so little horror that it sticks in my mind (allegedly).

Thanks... I think....

 

[Riselka]

Thanks j.d. and Ursa!

From the little snippets I've been able to track down on the internet, it would seem that "The Ohio Love Sculpture" just may be the story I've been looking for.

It may be that it was a locally produced item for the radio, and didn't make its way to the UK, Ursa.

Wish I could find it in its entirety on the internet, so I could be sure - but I do believe you two have nailed it.

 

[Ravensquawk]

I did not know about this story, but searching, I did find it to read online!

On page 207 of "The Fourth Pan Book of Horror Stories".

 

[PaulMmn]

Plot has overtones of "House of Wax..." Vincent Price &c