The Lost Valley of Iskander by Robert E. Howard

 

(pb; 1934—1936, 1974. Three-novella/prequel fantasy anthology to Son of the White Wolf. “Introduction” by Darrell C. Richardson.)

 

From the back cover

“It lay hidden from the world, beyond the far ranges of the Himalayas. Yolgan! Forbidden city of unspeakable vengeance and unimaginable treasure, where the goddess Yasmeena waits for the only force on earth that can free her—the curved and thirsty blade of the blue-eyed desert warrior El Borak!”

 

Overall review

Caveat: Iskander sports an amplified sense of colonialism, racism and sexism that was bold-face inherent in the 1920s and 1930s, but it’s not quite as repellent/intense as one might see in Sax Rohmer’s fourteen-book Dr. Fu-Manchu series and H.P. Lovecraft’s stories. It’s downplayed in these Francis X. Gordon stories but it’s still there. In short: If the concept of appropriate context (judge a work by the standards during which it was created, not by modern standards), you might want to skip Howard’s work as well as those mentioned earlier in this “Caveat.”

Iskander is one of the better Howard collections, more tightly edited than some of his other works (notably certain Conan stories and books), with Howard’s ever-present focus on machismo, bloody and savage action, constant twists, the overall superiority of Caucasian culture, and all-caps PULPY prose. There’s less focus on Howard’s usual display of sensual and/or treacherous women in these Gordon stories than one might see in one of Howard’s Conan works.

Iskander is worth buying if you’re a fan of older pulp, can look past/stomach its biases, and appreciate its hyperbolic, action-packed stories and Howard’s clear love of bordering-on-poetic-prose language.

The remainder of Howard’s Francis X. Gordon stories are collected in Son of the White Wolf.

 

Review, story by story

“The Daughter of Erlik Khan”: Legendary, American adventurer Francis X. Gordon (aka El Borak) and his small army of savage Turkoman face treachery, supernatural elements, physical deprivation and constant violence on the way to (and inside) Mount Erlik Khan after Gordon’s tricked into guiding two Englishman (Ormond and Pembroke) through wild lands to satisfy their secret, murderous greed. Within the walled, gold-rich and mountainous city of Mount Erlik Khan, he must also confront the priests of the god Yolgan, who threaten his former lover (thought by some to be a goddess), Yasmeena!

This twisty, cinematic-rich, action fantasy tale is a constant-endorphin-hit work that succeeds in its epic-tone ambition, a great read if you can get past its inherent, imperialist racism.

 

“The Lost Valley of Iskander”: Gordon, pursued and shot at by Gutsav Hunyadi, the wily and “satanic Hungarian,” and his Central Asian hoards, carries Hunyadi’s proof-of-future-invasion letter to Hunyadi’s Central Asian allies—Gordon means to warn Hunyadi’s initial prey (those commanding Fort Ali Masjid) of the incoming threat. But first Gordon must elude and, if possible, stop his devilish foe and his men!

While fleeing said invaders, Gordon encounters newly met Bardylis, a blue-eyed blond young ally and one of many “Sons of Iskander”—the descendants of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian soldiers who, left in this isolated location thousands of years prior, built the Grecian-influenced, walled town of Attalus. . . which is now Hunyadi’s new target.

As is often the case with Howard’s better-edited works, “Iskander” bristles with vivid images, machismo-fueled intensity and immediate threat/action, woven through with a fantastic sense-melding of real-world and imagined-realm history. Great, short-for-Howard story.

 

“Hawk of the Hills”: The Himalyas. After some of Gordon’s Afridi friends are betrayed and slaughtered by Khorouk Orakzai and his Pathan henchmen in a “holocaust of murder,” Gordon must escape their bloodthirsty numbers and regroup his surprising allies who’ve been scattered. Can he do so in time to defeat the treacherous Orakzai and Afdal Khan, who controls the region?

As in “The Lost Valley of Iskander,” the tale begins in the middle of the action, this time with the legendary “High Scotch and black Irish” adventurer hanging off the side of a cliffside while his enemies stand below him. In the middle of all this crazy scramble plotting and intense fighting is an Englishman, Sir George Willoughby, who’s been sent by his government to quell the expanding dispute between Khan and Gordon’s forces.

“Hawk,” like Iskander’s other stories, is a fun, fast-paced, and plot- and character-twisty read.

Flowers from the Moon and Other Lunacies by Robert Bloch

 

(hb; 1998: story anthology)

From the inside flap

“This volume of Robert Bloch’s macabre stories is an unexpected treasure for several reasons. It is the first posthumous collection since the author’s death in 1994, and it brings together many of his early stories from the legendary pages of Weird Tales and Strange Stories, which have never been anthologized before.

“The stories display Bloch’s easy narrative command, his sparkling humor and imagination—and his unerring sense of the horrifying!

“In them you will discover the dark secrets of voodoo and vampirism, pagan altars and the alter egos, shades of meaning and devouring shadows, including four stories of the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft.

“From horror to heroic fantasy to science fiction, these long lost classics from Bloch’s early pulp fiction writing days are guaranteed to thrill and chill you at every turn of the page.”

 

Overall review

The twenty stories in this collection, many of them born of Bloch’s missive-exchanges (and resulting friendship) with H.P. Lovecraft, show the darkly clever Bloch’s publishing roots as well as Lovecraft’s huge early influence on him. Bloch’s familiar, black wit is ever-present, as is the (usually) compact writing, making Flowers an anthology worth owning—even Bloch’s solid-but-not-great tales (e.g., “The Druidic Doom,” “Fangs of Vengeance”) entertain, are works worth checking out. It’s like watching a great artist produce something that’s not their best work, but it’s still interesting, worth checking out.

Readers sensitive to racial epithets should be warned that one of the stories (“Wine of the Sabbat”) has an obvious-from-the-get-go racist villain who has a hate-on for black people and, at least once, utilizes what some people call “the n-word.” Also: those concerned with Bloch’s association with Lovecraft, a well-known racist, needn’t work themselves up about Bloch, who doesn’t show racism to be a good thing.

One of the many things I like about the works in Flowers is that there are no doom-for-doom’s-sake elements or endings (a corporatized staple of many today’s multi-genre media works). And not all of the stories are Lovecraftian dread-ponderings; a good number of the works, especially the later ones show the evolution of the creative force that later penned one of my all-time favorite books, Psycho (1959). Worth owning, this, especially if you’re fan of Bloch.

Review, story by story

[* = published under the name of Nathan Hindin]

[** = published under the name Tarleton Fisk]

“The Druidic Doom” (originally published in Weird Tales magazine, 1936): An arrogant baronet (Sir Charles Hovoco) moves onto an estate which includes a strange, darkly storied altar on an isolated hill. Hovoco, further ignoring the nearby villagers’ advice, tries to dismantle a shunned altar—an act which results in eerie tragedy.

This Lovecraftian tale is at once economic and spookily atmospheric in description and tone, with a relatively, for a Lovecraft-adjacent work, storyline and denouement.

 

“Fangs of Vengeance”* (Weird Tales, April 1937): Life in a traveling circus (Stellar Brothers Circus) turns darker for its performers after a beast-cruel animal trainer, Captain Zaroff, joins it with his exotic, deadly African cats, with whom he seems to speak. Readers familiar with the Lovecraftian/horror genre are likely to spot where “Fangs” is headed, but it’s a well-written, short and swiftly plotted. Solid, worth-publishing work.

 

“Death is an Elephant”* (Weird Tales, February 1939): Fall 1936. Post-“Fangs of Vengeance,” Stellar Brothers Circus has further troubles when Leelah, priestess-keeper of a sacred elephant (Ganesha, the White Elephant of Jadhore), takes an intense dislike toward members of the troupe, and they begin dying in grisly “accidents.” “Death,” like “Druidic” and “Fangs,” sports a Lovecraftian vibe (with its attendant doom-laden ending), a sharply penned work with some truly effective horrific, hair-raising moments. Standout story.

 

“A Question of Identity”** (Strange Stories, April 1939): An amnesiac wakes in a coffin and, after clawing, kicking and digging his way out of his earthen grave, tries to remember who he was and how he got in this macabre Poe-esque/Premature Burial (name-checked) situation. The twist at the end is masterful (especially for its publication period) and effective in an admirably simple/organic way, another winning read.

 

“Death Has Five Guesses” (Strange Stories, April 1939): Harry Clinton, a college student, at Western Tech, becomes the subject of The Rhine Experiments (involving psychic ability and flashcards). As the experiments intensify, so do his reactions to them. This being a Bloch tale, this isn’t a good thing. Solid story.

 

“The Bottomless Pool” (Strange Stories, April 1939 with Ralph Milne Farley, by-lined as Ralph Milne Farley): “In the swamp south of Pritchard’s Woods,” “near Mill Brook, just outside of Concord” (in “the New England countryside”), a young man, Martin Aylethorp, disappears, leading the police to suspect murder. Their only suspect: Aylethorp’s thought-insane friend, currently in a psych ward.

This unnamed friend, who narrates “Bottomless,” tells what he believes—saw—happen: that an unnatural and terrifying creature (the Fisherman) is dragging swamp-dwelling people to their doom in the titular watery pit—and that it will continue to do so, if nothing is done by the authorities about it!

 

“Bottomless” is another Lovecraftian-construct/bookend tale, with a simple, standout-in-a-good-way wrinkle in its supernatural cloth. Good read.

 

“The Dark Isle” (Weird Tales, May 1939): A Roman soldier (Vincius the Reaper) with his fellow soldiers, is sent to battle Druid priests in a forest teeming with dangers, natural and supernatural, only to discover it’s a deathtrap beyond his scariest imaginings.

Sporting a Lovecraftian and a Robert E. Howard-action influence and tone, “Dark” is an entertaining and engrossing tale, with its eerie atmosphere and creatures, hard and twisty violence, adept and bold protagonist and its optimistic finish.

 

“Flowers from the Moon”** (Strange Stories, August 1939): Blooms aboard a returning-to-Earth spaceship with a sickly astronaut (Charles DeVeaux) threaten to infect, devastate humanity at large—this “terror from space” genre-work has a standout horror element, making it a strong story, twist-wise. In other ways, it’s a an entertaining, good tale.

 

“He Who Waits Beneath the Sea”** (Strange Stories, October 1939): A marine biologist (David Ames) and girlfriend (Jean Banning) are drawn into a 2,000-year-old, ocean-floor civilization, where the dead walk and their king dreams of escaping his oceanic domain—using freshly available flesh. Good underwater-action story, again a blend of Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Alex Raymond (creator of the 1934 Flash Gordon comic strip).

 

“Power of the Druid” (Strange Stories, June 1940): Twisty, excellent tale about notorious Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar who, aging, gets renewed life via The Druid—a pagan priest whose supernatural connection with the gods (especially “Mabon, the white bull of the sun”).

Nero’s increasingly mass-murderous behavior, however, may prove to be even more horrible than recorded history later recounts. One of my favorite entries in this collection, memorable.

 

“Be Yourself” (Strange Stories, October 1940): Eddie Thompson, a successful and canny pulp author, is threatened by his now-enfleshed, literary-minded pseudonym (F. Thatcher Van Archer), who means to take everything from Thompson.

Fortunately for Thompson, he’s the matrix in this relationship, a truth borne out with what follows. Above-average writing makes “Yourself” better and more exciting than its description: a memorable, excellent take on the split-protagonist theme.

 

“A Sorcerer Runs for Sheriff” (Weird Tales, September 1941): A corrupt and relentless businessman (Allan Waldo) uses witchcraft and church-wax poppets to eliminate his political foes. Will he succeed, or will one of his potential victims (a speech writer) be able to stop Waldo’s ruthless designs?

The end-twist, while inevitable and familiar—it’s baked into “Sorcerer”’s moralistic theme/elements) has a cleverness woven into it that lesser authors might not have used. Superb, simple-solution read.

 

“Black Bargain” (Weird Tales, May 1942): In this fun, solid work, a pharmacist—tired of dealing with those who’ve little interest in buying healing medicine—meets a dealing-with-darkness occult practitioner (Fritz Gulther), and is fascinated and terrified by the mood-erratic Gulther, who draws the pharmacist into his shadowy, dangerous world.

 

“A Bottle of Gin” (Weird Tales, March 1943): In the darkly hilarious “Gin,” an alcoholic (Tom Collins, ha ha), desperate for a drink, takes what might be a fatal swig of a bottle. Thing is, he should’ve paid more attention to how the owner of that bottle (Dr. Sweet) described it. . . this is an especially inspired (especially with its wordplay) work, one that’s excellent and memorable throughout. Easily one of the best works in this collected lot.

 

“Wine of the Sabbat” (Weird Tales, November 1944): In Hollywood, on April 30^th, a writer (Bob) attends a party thrown from the eccentric and influential Mabel Fiske, where—even for one of her gatherings—three strange guests show up: the cadaverous Dr. Voidin; a menacing “giantic black,” Dubois; and the “fat little bald-headed” and “fish-eyed” Orsac. Their appearance, immediately sinister, transform Fiske’s party into a bacchanal of animality and supernatural terror. Fun, good work.

As I wrote earlier, those sensitive to racial stereotypes—those who lack understanding of the mindset of the author and the context of the time—might take issue with this story, due to its boiled-down descriptions of certain characters. If you’re one of those readers/immediate-reaction types, bear in mind that the sinister trio in this story are based on cinematic, iconic characters (which, while based on certain stereotypes, don’t reflect Bloch’s outlook. . . or what you imagine it to be). Case in point: based on Bloch’s character-sketching, I’m guessing Orsac, described unfavorably, is a mix of actor/filmmaker Peter Lorre and the fictional vampire Nosferatu.

 

“Soul Proprietor” (Weird Tales, November 1945): A “soul for sale” want advertisement leads an “investigator in occultism” (Pete Ryan) into the seemingly fortuitous meeting with a pretty woman (Lucille Cabot). Fun story, with a solid twist.

 

“Satan’s Phonograph” (Weird Tales, January 1946): After a concert pianist’s mentor (Gustav Frye) reappears in his former pupil’s life, a strange phonograph-recorder in hand, the pupil-pianist (Roger) finds his rosy life turned awry. Solid, fun.

 

“The Man Who Told the Truth” (Weird Tales, July 1946, by-lined as Jim Kjelgaard): A low-level employee (Hartwood) at a firm suddenly gets everything he wants—if he speaks his desires aloud—but therein lies danger. Excellent read, laugh-out-loud funny ending.

 

“The Night They Crashed the Party” (Weird Tales, November 1951): During a drunken, brawling party filled with military big-wigs, war merchants and their people, a strange thunder storm and alarming television broadcast draw the attention of the debauched celebrants. Is it the end of humankind? Fun, solid story.

 

“Philtre Tip” (Rogue, March 1961): A regent of a university (Mark Thornwald), obsessed with the wife of a colleague, tries to trick his way into her bed. This being a Bloch story, things don’t work out the way he expects.

The end-twist is simple, not as clever as other Blochian corkscrews (which may disappoint some readers), but it’s still an effective twist in this entertaining and curiously gripping tale.

Not Long For This World by August Derleth

 

(pb; 1948: story anthology)

From the back cover

“Turn up the lights and lock the windows. . .

“These stories are of all kinds—these are tales of psychic residue and ghostly vengeance, of witchcraft and ancient sorcery, justice and pure horror, of black magic and THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT.”

 

Overall review

The twenty-two stories in this anthology range from solid to excellent, bearing in mind that when Derleth wrote these stories (between 1931 and 1948) his moralistic, tightly plotted and neatly wrapped up style was not as familiar to readers as it is today. This is a good anthology by a master writer whose horrors lurk largely and effectively in the reader’s imagination, less spelled out than suggestive. Worth reading, this, perhaps owning if you enjoy Old School/sometimes Lovecraft-inspired short waste-no-words short works.

 

Review, story by story

“The Shadow on the Sky”: A writer (Sir Hilary James) while writinghis family history on his estate, sees—imagines?—a man hanging on a nearby tree, one that repeatedly vanishes and reappears. When two doctors (Sir Massingham Halstead and Dr. Robin Davey) try to help him, James’s situation takes on a darker, more pressing urgency.

Modern readers are likely to figure out where “Shadow” (and other stories in this collection) are going, but between Derleth’s spare prose and unsettling premise, it’s still an entertaining read.

 

“Birkett’s Twelfth Corpse”: The rivalry between two boatmen (good-natured Fred Birkett and violent Hank Room) turns deadly, with a fitting end. “Birkett’s” brevity—shared by “The Shadow on the Sky”—as well as its succinct set-up and action makes this macabre tale effectively atmospheric, spooky and moralistic.

 

“The White Moth”: Paul Blake, a widower who got away with his wife’s murder, starts seeing her mocking presence everywhere. “White” ends the way many readers might expect, but it’s a solid story.

 

“Nellie Foster”: Delight, excellent piece about two women (Mrs. Kraft and Mrs. Perkins) who take matters into their hands when a vampire begins feeding on their town’s children. Effective commentary about sexism, with a smile-inducing end-line.

 

“Wild Grapes”: A killer (Luke Adams) buries his victim (Uncle Rasta) and grows grapes over Rasta’s corpse, a clever but flawed plan. Solid work.

 

“Feigman’s Beard”: Martha Feigman, who’s had it with her vain, thieving half-brother (Eb), has a hex woman (the widow Klopp) place a death curse on him, with unexpected (for her) results. Solid work.

 

“The Drifting Snow”: Extreme winter poses a serious supernatural threat to a family, one that will likely claim one of them before the night is through. Atmospheric story with a strong terror build-up and a solid finish.

 

“The Return of Sarah Purcell”: An old woman (Emma Purcell) is haunted by her recently deceased sister (Sarah) who’s obsessed with a doll. Solid, spooky writing, meh finish.

 

“Logoda’s Heads”: Logoda, a troublesome voodoo priest for certain Englishmen, becomes more so with an additional shrunken head in his collection—one that will change everything for him and one man in particular. Good story, could see myself reading this one in illustrated form in an issue of EC Comics.

 

“The Second Print”: A young woman (Moncati) becomes increasingly disturbed by the last photo he took of his evil, murderous stepfather (Hercules Teddifer), recently killed by his own machinations. Solid story, you’ll likely see where it’s going, but otherwise well-written.

 

“Mrs. Elting Does Her Part”: Solid end-twist tale about a psychic (Elting) whose séance strikes a too-true-for-comfort chord in a scam artist (Sanders Hawk).

 

“Mrs. Bentley’s Daughter”: In Sac Prairie, a woman (Mrs. Vaile) encounters a “pert” child (Dorothy Bentley) by a well, more storied than Vaile thinks. Modern readers might immediately suss what’s going on (the case with many stories in this anthology), but—like those stories—it’s well-written, entertaining.

 

“Those Who Seek”: An ancient oceanside abbey is the site of repeated supernatural terrors—in “Those,” the most recent tale, an artist (Jason Phillips) and Arnsley Leveredge (whose father inherited the abbey ruins) spend the night there, unaware of the horrors that lurk there.

 

“Seek” is one of the best, ambitious and thick-with-effective-atmosphere entries in this collection, a gripping Lovecraftian read, more straightforward than Lovecraft’s work. Memorable, excellent.

 

“Mrs. Berbeck Had a Dream”: Sometimes-spooky, overall excellent tale about a poisoned murder victim (Mrs. Berbeck), her son (Peter), his wife, and Mrs. Berbeck’s fitting, imaginative revenge. One of the few stories in this book where I wasn’t sure where the characters were going to end up. All-around great and memorable piece, this, with a clever title.

 

“The Lilac Bush”: Two children (Ada Jones and her brother) become obsess with a bush on their family property as well as the man they see picking lilacs from it. Solid story.

 

“A Matter of Sight”: Fun, quirky and memorable work about two strangers on a train, one talking about unlikely, phantasmic visions of high-profile history, and the other (his car-mate), nettled by the man’s intrusive presence and conversation. Intriguing lead-up, great ending.

 

“Mrs. Lanisfree”: Jack, hired to be a house-cleaning live-in companion to Roger Lanisfree (an older man)( in his summer house, is drawn into a macabre mystery of nightly sea-water footprints on the kitchen floor, Lanisfree’s absent wife (Myra), and an unsettled Roger Lanisfree.

Modern readers may immediately spot the set-up, but’s it’s still a fun ride.

 

“After You, Mr. Henderson”: Two cousins (Lucas and Ellerett Henderson) engage in a disreputable financial stunt with their company after their share-holder cousin (Laetitia) dies. Humorous, entertaining piece.

 

“The Lost Day”: Excellent story about Jasper Camberveigh, who wakes up one morning and discovers that his mirror reflection, for a second, is not his own. This leads him down a troubling and destructive path, involving an occult book bound in human skin and a sinister bookseller, Max Anima.

 

“A Collector of Stones”: Elisha Merrihew, an unscrupulous collector of everyday stones, takes four perfect specimens and discovers there’s much more to them than he first thought.

Entertaining read, with a finish that delightfully and subtly sidesteps the usual moralistic-horror tropes.

 

“The Gold-Box”: An ancient decorative box, containing dangerous contents, falls into the hands of a thief (Philip Caravel), with unsurprising, ghastly results. Good read.

 

“Saunder’s Little Friend”: Raneleigh Saunder’s Aunt Agatha, an old woman he dislikes, dies, leaving him her estate—with strange, specific stipulations. Of course, he can’t help himself. . . What follows is not shocking, but it’s fun and striking, at least for this reader. Good story from a master craftsman.

Village of the Mermaids by Carlton Mellick III

(pb; 2013: novella)

From the back cover:

"MERMAID [mur-meyd] "noun" -- a rare species of fish evolved to resemble the appearance of a woman in order to attract male human prey. Mermaids are protected by the government under the Endangered Species Act, which means you aren't able to kill them even in self-defense. This is especially problematic if you happen to live in the isolated fishing village of Siren Cove, where there exists a healthy population of mermaids in the surrounding waters that view you as the main source of protein in their diet.

"The only thing standing between you and the ravenous sea women is the equally-dangerous supply of human livestock known as Food People. Normally, these "feeder humans" are enough to keep the mermaid population happy and well-fed. But in Siren Cove, the mermaids are avoiding the human livestock and have returned to hunting the frightened local fishermen. It is up to Doctor Black, an eccentric representative of the Food People Corporation, to investigate the matter and hopefully find a way to correct the mermaids' new eating patterns before the remaining villagers end up as fish food."

"Like a Lovecraftian version of David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Village of the Mermaids is a dystopian mystery for the bizarro fiction fan. It proves, once again, how cult author Carlton Mellick III brings the weird to a whole new level."


Review:

Short (111 pages), waste-no-words, mysterious, atmospheric, creepy, full of odd humor, twists, turns and interesting characters, this novella lives up to its bizarro classification, one of the best I have read in the genre, and one of the best I have read this year. Village is worth owning.

Kelley Jones' The Hammer by Kelley Jones

(pb; 1997-1998: four-issue comic book series)


The plot:

1977. When two short-sighted teens in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island resurrect the decades-dead “Witch of Aberdeen,” Isobel Grierson, they set into motion a Lovecraftian battle of cataclysmic wills between Grierson and Alaric Malleus, a warrior who loathes evil – a battle that will take place twenty years later.

1997. Alaric Malleus, “roughly translated, The Hammer,” is a cocoon-like alien creature that attaches itself to the head of a human host (as it does with Professor Wilcox, a willing flesh partner). It imbues its host with preternatural powers, an über-muscular body and other properties, all the while incorporating its flesh partners’ tastes – in Wilcox’s case, a yen for Charlie Parker’s music and greasy fast food.

What has woken Alaric, currently residing in Briggstown, Massachussetts, is the near-fruition threat of Isobel Grierson. In the twenty years since her physical rebirth, the scantily-clad, sexually promiscuous cannibal witch has become a celebrity psychotherapist whose “advice” (embrace, act on one’s anger) is preparing the world for the arrival of the Lovecraftian demons Grierson means to bring into our world.

Now, chauffeured and battle-aided by Carl (an ex-student of Professor Wilcox/The Hammer) and Alex Maybridge (a cranky medical intern), The Hammer is slicing, smashing and spell-casting his way toward Grierson, who’s well aware of her approaching nemeses. . .


Review:

Kelley Jones writes and illustrates this wonderfully dark, meaningful and hilarious comic book mini-series, which mixes satire (e.g., Grierson’s slutty outfits), uncomfortable veracities about humanity, H.P. Lovecraft's atmospheric horror and Robert E. Howard-eseque/pulpish action.

Take into account Jones’s effective, character-centric plot twists and his penchant for having The Hammer utter straight-faced one-liners (e.g., “Thankfully, I can count on your human capacity to commit genocide when the time comes.”), and readers like myself get a character and a comic book that delivers landmark thrills, laughter and chills.

Worth owning, this.

The Hammer made his next appearance in a comic book short, “The World in Which We Live”. This story was published in Dark Horse Presents, issue 129 [February 1998]. Regrettably, I don’t own this, though I do own The Hammer: Uncle Alex [1998, a single-issue comic book], the third comic book appearance of Malleus/The Hammer.

Jones's four-issue/original miniseries, as well as the story "The World in Which We Live," was later brought together in graphic novel form: this graphic novel is called Kelley Jones' The Hammer: One Big Lie.

Re-Animator: Tales of Herbert West, by H.P. Lovecraft

(pb; 1991: graphic novel. Edited by Steven Jones, who also wrote the Introduction. [Interior] illustrations by Mikael Oskarsson. Cover painting by Tom Smith. Back cover painting by Adam Adamowicz.)

From the back cover:

"A rare collection of six fascinating yet oft' forgotten tales about everyone's favorite Med student from the master of macabre himself: H.P. Lovecraft.

"These are the origins of Herbert West: Re-Animator!"



Overall review:

Re-Animator is a decent, interesting anthology of Lovecraft's earliest published works, all of them themed around the character of Herbert West, a deranged Aryan-in-appearance scientist, and his unnamed assistant, and their often-disastrous and deeply disturbing resurrection-of-the-freshly-dead experiments.

Steven Jones' "Introduction" is excellent, providing informed context that made this reader further appreciate the charms and drawbacks of these early Lovecraft stories; in the same vein, Mikael Oskarsson's illustrations are suitably theme-focused and horrifying, like the double-columned stories they accompany.

Worth owning, for fans of the Re-Animator film trilogy, and die-hard Lovecraft readers.



Review, story by story:

1.) "From The Dark": Herbert West and an unnamed narrator bring a dead man back to life, with surprising (as far as they're concerned) results.

Meh story, reads a bit flat - that is, not as lively, language- or tone-wise, as Lovecraft's later work.


2.) "Six Shots By Midnight": Another re-animation experiment results in bestial antics, late-night intrusions and, possibly, the disappearance of a small-town child (whose supposed absence has the locals in an torch-wielding uproar).

Despite Midnight's overt racism - these tales were written and published in the early 1920s - this complex, gleefully dark and atmospheric (when compared to "From The Dark") tale is an entertaining improvement on its source tale.

Good story, if read with its cultural milieu in mind.


3.) "The Horror From The Shadows": March 1915. Herbert West and his unidentified assistant (and narrator) experiment with the wartime dead.

"Horror" is a slightly different, but otherwise redundant and mundane take on the structures and themes of the first two stories, particularly "From The Dark".


4.) "The Plague Daemon": A typhoid outbreak presents West and his assistant with further material - a familiar corpse - upon which to test West's re-animation theories.

Of course things go badly, and a rash of murders ensue.

"Plague" is an okay, but (again) structure-theme redundant re-animation tale; it does, however, sport a darkly witty end-line (for a Lovecraft work).


5.) "The Scream Of The Dead": July 1910. Two re-animation breakthroughs enable West and his assistant to resurrect a dead man, whose reasoning capabilities are still present, post-resurrection.

This is one of the better West tales, one that incorporates past story elements and characters, while progressing them.


6.) "The Tomb-Legions": Some of West's experiments (a few of them mentioned in previous West tales) return to take their revenge on him.

Good, worthwhile finale to the West stories, one that delivers on previous tales' foreshadowings, and one that presages Lovecraft's increasingly effective use of atmosphere, particularly dread, in later non-West works.

#

These stories became the basis for the witty, camp-classic film Re-Animator, released stateside on October 18, 1985.

Jeffrey Combs played Herbert West (a role Combs reprised in two Re-Animator sequels). Bruce Abbott played Dan Cain (a role he reprised in the 1990 film Bride of Re-Animator). Barbara Crampton played Megan Halsey (a character absent from Lovecraft's source tales). David Gale played Dr. Carl Hill (a role he, too, reprised in Bride of Re-Animator). Robert Sampson played Dean Halsey.

Gerry Black played Mace. Carolyn Purdy-Gordon played Dr. Harrod. Peter Kent played "Melvin the Re-Animated".

Stuart Gordon directed the film, from a script he co-authored with Dennis Paoli and William Norris (billed as William J. Norris).

As mentioned before, two worthwhile sequels followed: Bride of Re-Animator (1990) and Beyond Re-Animator (2003), both of which were directed and co-scripted by Brian Yuzna.

**Richard Cody's story, The Thing on the Beach, published in Eclectic Flash magazine

Richard Cody, an all-around excellent writer/poet, just had one of his stories, The Thing on the Beach, published in the latest issue of Eclectic Flash magazine - it's on pages 104 - 106.

The story's a mix of H.P. Lovecraft, sea monstrousness and oceanic/environmental concern, lensed through a G-rated filter.

Loved this piece!

Skull-Face by Robert E. Howard

(pb; 1978: fantasy/horror novella-story anthology. Introduction by Richard A. Lupoff.)


From the back cover

"A strange coffin is found floating in the mid-Atlantic - and in it, a withered reptilian creature judged to have been dead not thousands but millions of years! Thus begins the chilling story of Kathulos of the yellow eyes the Ages could not close. . .

"HE STIRS!

"THE LONG SLEEP OF THE DEAD HAS ENDED!"


OVERALL REVIEW

Okay, over-the-top, xenophobic action tales from Howard, who specialized in this kind of overwrought, mood-effective and adrenalin-rush work that featured hot-tempered, punching and slashing heroes, hideous exotic (read: foreign) villains, and emotional, sexy (and sometimes treacherous) women.

It's not Howard's best writing, but it's enjoyable, if you're a Howard fan. The structures and plots of the stories are pretty much the same, and there are times where Howard throws too much action into the tales, drawing them beyond what would be their natural lengths -- this is particularly true in "Lord of the Dead" and "Taverel Manor" (though anthology editor Lupoff may share blame for this last extended story).

Richard A. Lupoff's introduction is engaging, analytical and fact-filled, an exemplary filter through which to view these occasionally flawed but otherwise good hero tales.


REVIEW, PIECE BY PIECE:

1.) "Skull-Face" (novella): A junkie (Stephen Costigan) in London falls under the power of an ancient sorcerer (Kathulos), and tries to break free of both Kathulous, while stopping the sorcerer from taking over the world with his dark-ish hoards.

Despite its obvious lifting from H.P. Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos" and its inherent - occasionally stated - racism, this is a fun, solid work. (While reading this, one should remember that Howard's stories were written and published in the 1920s and 1930s, when American/blue collar racism was deemed socially acceptable; one should also remember that Lovecraft and Howard were fervid pen pals, who shared writing genres and similar ideas.)

Fast-paced and exciting, like a serial tale.



2.) "Lord of the Dead": Steve Harrison, a cop, is attacked by a strange, superhuman foe (Ali ibn Suleyman, the Druse), leading Harrison into further violence with Suleyman's Mongolian -- and even more powerful -- boss (Erlik Kahn, aka the "Lord of the Dead").



3.) "Names in the Black Book": Erlik Kahn, thought dead at the end of "Lord of the Dead", heals and begins killing those who betrayed and thrwarted him in that earlier tale -- a list that includes Steve Harrison and his girlfriend, Joan La Tour (also from "Lord of the Dead").



4.) "Taverel Manor": British Secret Service agents Steve Costigan and John Gordon, previously read about in "Skull-Face", battle their returned arch-foe (Kathulos, the titular character in "Skull-Face").

Joan La Tour, also seen in "Lord of the Dead" and "Names in the Black Book", is a minor character in this story, sans Steve Harrison (she's engaged to someone else - Harrison is never mentioned).

This last tale is co-authored by anthology editor Richard A. Lupoff, who finished this incomplete story left behind by Howard. (Howard committed suicide in 1936.)

The Twelve Frights of Christmas edited by Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh & Martin H. Greenberg

(1986: horror/science fiction anthology.  "Introduction" by Isaac Asimov.)

From the back cover:

"We wish you a macabre Christmas with thirteen of the best horror tales of the season. Hang on to your stocking with very special care by 'The Chimney,' a chiller about what really comes down from the roof on Christmas Eve. Or join Robert Bloch on 'The Night Before Christmas' by trimming the tree. . . in a shocking fashion. It's hardly a silent night even in outer space, where Arthur C. Clarke makes our blood run cold with the truth about Bethelhem's star.

"So curl up by those chestnuts roasting on an open fire. . . as these masters leave you screaming on a white Christmas."


Overall review:

Quality-wise, this anthology is a mixed bag.

Seven of the stories are good or excellent, the rest are decent or unpublishable (those that fall into this category often run too long; with some quick trimming, they, too, might've been excellent, or at least publishable).

Worth checking out from the library, this. Don't spend your money on it.


Review, story by story:


1.) "The Chimney" - Ramsey Campbell: A boy discovers another spirit of Christmas. Miasmic, relentless, childhood-true.


2.) "Markheim" - Robert Louis Stevenson: An impoverished criminal (Markheim), trying to complete what appears to be a successful crime, is interrupted by a wily stranger. Overly long, chatty, sharp-humored story.

"Markheim" has been filmed twice.

The first version, a twenty-five minute short, aired on Polish television on January 28, 1972. It was directed and scripted by Janusz Majewski.

Jerzy Kamsas played Markheim. Grazyna Dluglecka played Karolinka. Aleksander Bardini played Antykwariusz. Jan Tesarz played Pijak.

The second version aired on British television on December 24, 1974. Tina Wakerell directed the film, from a script by Tom Wright.

Derek Jacobi played Markheim. Paul Curran played "The Dealer". Julian Glover played "The Stranger". Sally Kinghorn played "The Maid".


3.) "The Night Before Christmas" - Robert Bloch: A portrait painter gets caught in the middle of a dangerous divorce between a rich man and his beautiful wife. Suspenseful, witty, noir- and horror-veracious tale.


4.) "The Festival" - H.P. Lovecraft: In the town of Kingsport, a questing man, honoring the wishes of his people, attends a terrifying, subterranean, once-a-century "Yule-rite".

This is a typical Lovecraft story: vivid, miasmic-mood descriptions, oozing/spooky locales and, of course, a touch of madness. The story ends on a tepid - compared to what precedes it - note, but otherwise it's okay.


5.) "The Old Nurse's Story" - Mrs. Gaskell: Ultra-chatty first-person POV tale -- too loquacious for this reader: I stopped reading it two pages into the story.


6.) "Glámr" - S. Baring-Gould: Long than necessary, but overall okay Norse horror story about a ghost-/vampire-haunted sheepwalk.


7.) "Pollock and the Porroh Man" - H.G. Wells: Pollock, a callous man, falls prey to a witch doctor's vengeful predation. Good, colorful story.


8.) "The Weird Woman" - Anonymous: Two brothers (Frank and Oswald Tregethan), along with a cousin (Cicely Mostyn), arrive at their dead uncle's estate in North Wales to attend the reading of his will, only to fall under the dark sway of "The Tregethan Curse".

Atmospheric, spooky, exciting tale.


9.) "The Hellhound Project" - Ron Goulart: 2030 A.D. Thad McIntosh, a homeless man, is asked by the Opposition Party to go undercover, investigate and stop a mysterious corporate secret weapons program.

Fun science fiction/action story, with lots of twists and twisty characters.


10.) "Wolverden Tower" - Grant Allen: Mostly-solid tale about a young woman (Maisie Llewelyn), whose arrival at Wolverden Hall sets off a series of supernatural events.

The story's deep flaws reside in its excessive length and its anticlimactic, obvious-early-on finish.


11.) "Planet of Fakers" - J.T. McIntosh: Alien, human-possessing telepaths (Procarpans) threaten to take over a human population on an alien planet. Good, clever, plot- and character-wending piece.


12.) "Life Sentence" - James McConnell: Oliver Symmes, an institutionalized aged murderer, relives, again and again, the events that led him to his current situation. Well-written, okay-plot work.


13.) "The Star" - Arthur C. Clarke: Scientists, investigating the aftermath of a supernova, discover humanity-altering veracities among the scattered cosmic rocks.

This is an excellent, intellectualized story that sports a big nod at Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Wolfshead by Robert E. Howard

(pb; 1968: fantasy/horror anthology. Edited by Glenn Lord. Introduction by Robert E. Howard.)

From the back cover:

"From Hell itself. . . from the Satanic depths where imprisoned lost souls wail forever, from the outer reaches of space where warped laws rule the lives of hideously alien beings, from beyond the elusive veil separating 'reality' from sorcery and the supernatural. . . come these. . . stories by a master of fantasy. . ."


OVERALL REVIEW:

Solid anthology of Howard's writing, whose publishing dates span from 1926 to 1951. (Howard, a successful pulp writer, blew his brains out on June 11, 1936, after his mother died.)

Most of these lurid, intense, thematically-overlapping stories are good (except for "The Valley of the Worm", "The Fire of Asshurbanipal" and "The Horror From the Mound", which are either too long, or too generic). That said, this should be read as a fictional leftovers anthology, not a main course read.

Worth checking out, this. Worth owning, if bought for a couple of bucks.



REVIEW, STORY BY STORY:

1.) "The Black Stone": An unnamed twentieth-century scholar, compelled by a rare nineteenth century tome (Nameless Cults, by the gone-bonkers scholar Von Junzt), travels to a distant European village (Stregiocavar, whose name "means something like Witch-Town"). The unnamed scholar's intent: to investigate, translate the strangely-lettered ancient Black Stone, where, if a man spends a Midsummer's Night near it, he will either go mad, or be haunted by wild nightmares for the rest of his life.

Solid, doom-suffused work that ought to be familiar to fans of H.P. Lovecraft.


2.) "The Valley of the Worm": An Æsir (Aryan warrior), Niord, hunts a man-slaughtering serpent (Satha) in the Valley of the Broken Stones, a vale so frightful, even the Picts, known for their fearlessness, shun it.

This is an okay tale that, with a few quick edits, could have been excellent. What mars it is the lengthy introductory prose, in which the oft-reincarnated awareness that gives breath to Niord brags about its multiple, previous embodiments.

Once Howard actually starts the story (almost halfway through it), "The Valley of the Worm" becomes enthralling, action-packed, with an atypical-for-Howard finish.


3.) "Wolfshead": The reveling guests in Dom Vincente de Lusto's castle are stalked by a flesh-rending beast. Fun, character-rich tale of lycanthropy, lust, treachery and strange redemption.


4.) "The Fire of Asshurbanipal": Two adventurers -- Yar Ali (an Afghan) and his friend, Steve Clarney -- seek an "ancient, ancient City of Evil" and its legendary foul treasure, in the wastelands of Persia.

As in "The Black Stone", there is a black monolithic structure and mention of "Xuthltan" (though in "Asshurbanipal" Xuthltan is a magician not a place, as he/it is in "The Black Stone").

This is an okay tale. It runs a few pages longer than it should, largely because Yar Ali and Clarney talk too much.


5.) "The House of Arabu": Pyrrhas the Argive, an accursed barbarian, visiting the treacherous city of Nippur, uses his wits and brawn to buck the curse of "Lilitu. . . the night spirit" and her equally transformative supernatural mate, Ardat Lili.

Intriguing, fun tale that (by Howard's standards) cuts to the black heart of the action-punctuated plot.

(This story, first published in 1951, was originally titled "The Witch From Hell's Kitchen".)


6.) "The Horror From the Mound": Solid, if uninspired, tale about an idiot cowboy (Steve Brill) whose curiosity awakens a bloodsucking monster.


7.) "The Cairn on the Headland": In Dublin, Ireland, an American (James O'Brien) and his shady companion (Ortali) view Grimmin's Cairn, a mysterious centuries-old mound. Shortly thereafter, O'Brien is sought out by a woman (Meve MacDonnal), who warns O'Brien about future horrors, should the cairn be dismantled.

Good, character-interesting horror/fantasy work.

My Favorite Horror Story edited by Mike Baker & Martin H. Greenberg

(pb; 2000: story anthology)

From the back cover

"Who do today's top horror writers read -- and why?

"This was the question posed to some of the most influential authors in the field toady. This book is their answer. Here are fifteen of the most memorable stories in the genre, each one personally selected by a well-known writer, and each prefaced by that writer's explanation of his and her choice. Here's your chance to enjoy familiar favorites, and perhaps discover some wonderful treasures. In each case, you'll have the opportunity to see the story from the perspective of a master of the field."


Overall review

Wonderful collection of horror stories, some famous, others off-beat and (somewhat) obscure -- overall, the story introductions, written by the authors who selected these stories, are interesting and engaging. Worth owning, this anthology.


Review, story by story

1.) "Sweets to the Sweet" - Robert Bloch: An abusive father unwittingly convinces his daughter that she's a "little witch." Predictable, taut-prosed, excellent (nonetheless), with a memorable finish. (Selected by Stephen King)


2.) "The Father-Thing" - Phillip K. Dick: Effective chiller about a ten-year old boy who discovers that his father, who's been killed, has spawned an alien twin. Classic; relatable, with its terrifying echoes of childhood. You probably won't forget this one for a long time -- if at all. (Selected by Ed Gorman)


3.) "The Distributor" - Richard Matheson: A seemingly-friendly man (Theodore Gordon), just moved into a surburban neighborhood, surreptitiously begins stirring up barely-buried resentments between his neighbors. Excellent for its adjective-restrained tone, scary in its real-world implications. (Selected by F. Paul Wilson)


4.) "A Warning to the Curious" - M.R. James: Loquacious, later creepy, tale about a man (Paxton) who foolishly unearths a seaside relic protecting a town against "invasion". An elevated sense of horror is displayed here, not spelled out for the reader, but effectively suggestive. (Selected by Ramsey Campbell)

"A Warning to the Curious" became a television short-film, airing in the UK on December 24, 1972. Peter Vaughn played Mr. Paxton. Clive Swift played Dr. Black. John Kearney played Ager/Ghost (the cinematic counterpart to William Ager). Lawrence Gordon Clark scripted, with no director listed.

5.) "Opening the Door" - Arthur Machen: A scholarly man, after having a "prophetic vision," goes missing and later reappears, with no memory of where he was. Long-winded, philosophical, sometimes funny, with carefully clarified words, it's an admirable piece -- Machen's skill is not to be denied -- but the ending is predictable and shockingly limp... so much so that when it did end, I went huh? (Selected by Peter Atkins)


6.) "The Colour Out of Space" - H.P. Lovecraft: A strangely-heated and rainbow-tinted meteorite lands on an Arkham, New England farm; wild, corrosive things (physical and mental) begin happening there. One of Lovecraft's best stories -- a miasmic, vivid nightmare of bright odd hues and blighting madness. It's also one of my favorite selections in this anthology. (Selected by Richard Laymon)

"The Colour Out of Space" became the source material for two movies.

The first film, Die, Monster, Die!, was released in the United States on October 27, 1965. (It also is titled Monster of Terror.) Boris Karloff starred as Nahum Witley (the cinematic counterpart to Nahum Gardner). Nick Adams played Steven Reinhart. Freda Jackson played Letitia Witley. Suzan Farmer played Susan Witley. Daniel Haller directed, from a script by Jerry Sohl. 

The second film, The Curse, was released in the United States on September 11, 1987. Wil Wheaton played Zack. Claude Akins played Nathan. Malcolm Danare played Cyrus. John Schneider played Willis. Amy Wheaton (sister of actor Wil) played Alice. Actor David Keith, making his directorial debut, directed. Written by David Chaskin, Lovecraft's "Colour" is the uncredited source for Chaskin's script.

7.) "The Inner Room" - Robert Aickman: Long-winded, but solid tale about a little girl (Lene) who gets a forboding doll house, which later disappears. But is it really gone? The last third of the story is especially chilling, with a visually-memorable ending. (Selected by Peter Straub)


8.) "Young Goodman Brown" - Nathaniel Hawthorne: A young man takes a late-night stroll with the Devil, and witnesses some horrible truths about his fellow villagers. Classic, memorable. (Selected by Rick Hautala)

This story inspired two films.

The first film, La Nuit de Tom Brown, aired on French television on March 24, 1959. Michel Piccoli played "Tom, jeune". Jean-Marc Tennberg played Mephisto. Roger Carel played L'abbe Jefferson. Jean-Pierre Cassel played Toby. Claude Barma directed.

Young Goodman Brown was released in 1993. Tom Shell played Goodman Brown. Matt Adler played William Stacey. Mary Grace Canfield played Goody Cloyse. Melinda Clark played Faith Brown. John P. Ryan played The Devil. Peter George scripted and directed.

9.) "The Rats in the Walls" - H.P. Lovecraft: July 16, 1923 -- Anchester, England. A middle-aged, grieving man (Delapore), who's recently lost his son to war, begins renovating an ancient temple-house that once belonged to his family, many years before. Unswayed by local rumors of mysterious disappearances, bizarre cult worship, and murder by his ancestors, Delapore moves in.

However, when Delapore begins having recurring, intensity-escalating nightmares, and his cats (all eight of them, led by the unfortunately-named "Nigger-Man") start acting restless, sniffing and tearing at the ancient walls (which occasionally seem to bulge with the movements of rats), Delapore decides to explore the lower rooms of the architectural mish-mash that is his new home. He's helped by Captain Norrys (a wartime friend of Delapore's dead son) and his cats.

Creepy, atmospheric, historically-aware and -researched work: all trademarks of a Lovecraftian piece -- excellent, of course. (Selected by Michael Slade)

"The Rats in the Walls" made up part of the three-story cinematic horror anthology, Necronomicon, which was released on July 29, 1994 in the UK, after being shown at a few international film festivals in 1993. (The two other stories included in the anthology were "Cool Air" and "The Whisperer in the Darkness" -- it also had a wrap-around story, in which Jeffrey Combs played Lovecraft.)

In the "Rats" segment (Part/story 1, renamed "The Drawned"), Bruce Payne played Edward De Lapoer (old spelling of "Delapore"). Belinda Bauer played Nancy Gallmore. Richard Lynch played Jethro De Lapoer. Maria Ford played Clara. Christophe Gans directed and co-scripted this movie section, with help from co-scriptor Brent V. Friedman.

10.) "The Dog Park" - Dennis Etchison: Subliminal terror work where the fear of professional failure is as pervasive and dire as the threat of bloody death (it's set in Los Angeles). This is the kind of story that I wish I'd been able to read in my high school English classes and write an essay on, as it has nothing that would be deemed offensive (except to Hollywood-types), but leaves a lot to reader-interpretation... Etchison doesn't spoon-feed the story to his readers, but leaves a lot to his readers' imagination (especially at the end). Excellent, unsettling piece. (Selected by Richard Christian Matheson)


11.) "The Animal Fair" - Robert Bloch: A hitchhiker (Dave) catches a ride with a carny (Captain Ryder), who tells him about his tragic, startling life. Dark, different, fun. (Selected by Joe R. Lansdale)


12.) "The Pattern" - Ramsey Campbell: A painter (Tony) and his writer wife (Di) are enjoying their rented, quiet, back-country cottage when they start hearing afternoon screams from a nearby, empty field. When Tony looks into the possible source(s) of the screams, thing get really weird. Unpredictable, original, classic. (Selected by Poppy Z. Brite)


13.) "The Tell-Tale Heart" - Edgar Allan Poe: A murderer, wracked with mad guilt, waits for arrest -- or death. Famous, intense, wow-worthy.. of course, it's Poe. (Selected by Joyce Carol Oates)

This story has been filmed twenty-four times, for theatrical and video movies, as well as television shows. The first version was lensed in 1928; currently, two new versions are due to be released, the first in 2008, the second in 2009.


14.) "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" - Ambrose Bierce: Famous story about a Civil War-era Federal scout who's about to be hanged. Shocking at the time of its publication (1891), its incredible end-twist has been done to death by countless hacks since then. Still, an effective story. (Selected by Dennis Etchison)

This story has been filmed five times. The first time was in 1929 (The Bridge); the most recent version, in 2005.


15.) "The Human Chair" - Edogawa Rampo: Odd, fascinating tale about a man who makes an oversized plush chair, large enough to comfortably house a man within it, and takes up part-time residence in it after it's shipped to a distant hotel. Crazily memorable, with an off-beat finish. (Selected by Harlan Ellison)

Ningen-isu (the Japanese translation of the story's title) was filmed in 2007 in Japan. Keisako Sato co-scripted and directed, with help from co-scriptor Aya Takei.