Some type of gigantic, grey mass passes by—an ashen, misty mass with cut-out windows from end to end. One can feel the gust of a satanic draught from these open holes, hear the flapping, maddeningly blown-about shutters; one can almost see the spectral faces of the passengers. . . .

A wandering train that appears, seemingly at will; an engine driver who is inseparable from his machine; a passenger who waits for trains but never travels on them; obsession with speed and motion; a harbinger of disaster; a daring liaison: these are the themes of The Motion Demon, Stefan Grabinski's collection of nine stories, first published in Poland in 1919.

Stefan Grabinski (1887–1936), often referred to as 'The Polish Poe', struggled during his lifetime to gain recognition in his native land. He was an idealistic loner who strove for an understanding of the hidden forces of both the world and the human mind; and he represented those forces in the most potent framework available to him—his stories of the supernatural.

With no one to champion him in his own land, it took until 1993 and the publication of The Dark Domain (translated by Miroslaw Lipinski) for English language readers to become truly aware of this undisputed master of original and interesting fantastic fiction.

The stories of The Motion Demon are peopled by memorable characters, and even a simple railway journey offers telling clues to the metaphysical and beyond. All aboard for a unique adventure!