Uniquely bizarre, unsettling and suffused with a sly wit and outright laughter, Walpole's Hieroglyphic Tales - according to him 'incontestably the most ancient work in the world' - are some of the rarest writings of the eighteenth century, and a literary counterpart to the sham battlements and paper gargoyles of Walpole's enchanting architecture. Walpole originally had them printed in an edition of six copies, which he kept under lock and key.

The Tales have been called the first surrealist writings in English and confirm Walpole's extraordinary position as a leader of the avant garde in any field he chose. For this edition, prepared by Professor Kenneth Gross of the University of Rochester, an extra story preserved only in manuscript has been transcribed specially. Professor Gross's introduction explores the unique character and importance of these Tales.