Citadel of Fear

Citadel of Fear (1918) – Two men explore in Mexico for gold. One is thankful to leave with his life. The other, left behind to die, finds evil incarnate— Aztec hounds turned loose on the modern world.

Citadel of Fear – In Tlapallan, lost city of an ancient race, lay the black stone of evil incarnate. And then a man from the outside world became the agent of its awful power. . . .
Chapter I – Hidden In The Hills
Chapter II – The Moth Girl
Chapter III – The Guardians Of The Hills
Chapter IV – Tlapallan Or—
Chapter V – Gold
Chapter VI – The Black Eidolon
Chapter VII – The Cloak Of Xolotl
Chapter VIII – Before The Black Shrine
Chapter IX – Maxatla Speaks
Chapter X – The First Visitation
Chapter XI – The Red-Black Trail
Chapter XII – The Opinion Of Mr. MacClellan
Chapter XIII – The Bungalow Sold
Chapter XIV – The Second Visitation
Chapter XV – The Third Visitation
Chapter XVI – Admitted
Chapter XVII – A Surprise And A Disappointment
Chapter XVIII – A Voice
Chapter XIX – Cliona Receives A Guest
Chapter XX – The Fourth Visitation
Chapter XXI – Cliona Meets A Stranger
Chapter XXII – A Herder Of Goblins
Chapter XXIII – The “Lord Of Fear”
Chapter XXIV – A Lonely Traveler
Chapter XXV – The White Beast-Hand
Chapter XXVI – To Undine
Chapter XXVII – Strange Victim— Stranger Conqueror
Chapter XXVIII – Rival Claimants
Chapter XXIX – A Golden Flask
Chapter XXX – The Gate Lodge Again
Chapter XXXI – A Strange Battlefield
Chapter XXXII – The Battle Of The Doorway
Chapter XXXIII – As One Triumphant

Citadel of Fear was first published in The Argosy Weekly in 1918.

Francis Stevens was the pen-name of Gertrude Barrows Bennett (1883-1948). Bennett has been credited as having “the best claim at creating the new genre of dark fantasy”.

Bennett was the first major female writer of fantasy and science fiction in the United States, and has been called the most important female fantasy writer between Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and C.L. Moore. It has been said that she influenced both H.P. Lovecraft and A. Merritt, both of whom “emulated Bennett’s earlier style and themes”.